Road bike for $1000
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Would you consider used?
If you're able to inspect and fit it yourself (not that hard, if you read a little about it first), you can save a ton by buying a 1-to-3 year old bike. I bought a two-year-old Allez several years ago, when they were about $1200 new, for $350, and a Trek tourer about the same age for about 40 percent of the new price. Road bikes were in the dumper around here then, because all anybody wanted were mountain bikes, but there are still deals out there. If you live near a largish city, check the newspaper classified ads for a week or two.
If you're able to inspect and fit it yourself (not that hard, if you read a little about it first), you can save a ton by buying a 1-to-3 year old bike. I bought a two-year-old Allez several years ago, when they were about $1200 new, for $350, and a Trek tourer about the same age for about 40 percent of the new price. Road bikes were in the dumper around here then, because all anybody wanted were mountain bikes, but there are still deals out there. If you live near a largish city, check the newspaper classified ads for a week or two.
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Consider used
For $1K, you can get a high performance used bike that's only a couple of years old.
For $1K, you can get a high performance used bike that's only a couple of years old.
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205 Posts
If you don't want to go used, you can get a few bikes brand new for that much dough that will have race ready compents of a mix between Tiagra and 105. Personally, I'd get a bike that was used and save money and weight. You'd have less money spent on the bike, so more money for needed accessories. You'd also be able to afford components with much longer times between adjustment intervals that will still be fresh after 1-3 years. The way my 105 and Ultegra stuff is wearing I would say a good race bike isn't broken in until about 2000 miles anyway.
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spend much less ....
i would suggest buying something steel and in nice condition. you may have to do without as many gears as current offerings but there is plenty bikes with good 6 or 7 speed index shifting around on ebay for $250-$400. ive bought some beauties for newbie mates recently that are barely used, italian and fantastic value. the bigger then name the more the price. my mates landed a (giordana columbus sl, shimano 600 with campy wheels) and a montagner (little know builder from italy - again columbus sl, all campy but with 600 derailleurs and shifters). both were $250 shipped and both are drop dead sweet looking too - fancy paint, plenty chrome and classic.
beauty with these is - if you dont dig roadriding come warmer weather you'll make at least what you paid if reselling and if a roadbike is your thing, sooner or later you'll want something fancy and these can easily be set-up as fixie's or used as bad weather or trainer bikes. they can also be upgraded slowly as your budget suits. most bikes from the mid to late 80's onwards are plenty rideable.
win-win. just look for quality tubing, good quality parts for their day and take some time to search all that's offered in your size, your budget and that looks clean.
buy any lower-end (which is $1000) new and if'n you dont dig your making someone else's day.
ciao
i would suggest buying something steel and in nice condition. you may have to do without as many gears as current offerings but there is plenty bikes with good 6 or 7 speed index shifting around on ebay for $250-$400. ive bought some beauties for newbie mates recently that are barely used, italian and fantastic value. the bigger then name the more the price. my mates landed a (giordana columbus sl, shimano 600 with campy wheels) and a montagner (little know builder from italy - again columbus sl, all campy but with 600 derailleurs and shifters). both were $250 shipped and both are drop dead sweet looking too - fancy paint, plenty chrome and classic.
beauty with these is - if you dont dig roadriding come warmer weather you'll make at least what you paid if reselling and if a roadbike is your thing, sooner or later you'll want something fancy and these can easily be set-up as fixie's or used as bad weather or trainer bikes. they can also be upgraded slowly as your budget suits. most bikes from the mid to late 80's onwards are plenty rideable.
win-win. just look for quality tubing, good quality parts for their day and take some time to search all that's offered in your size, your budget and that looks clean.
buy any lower-end (which is $1000) new and if'n you dont dig your making someone else's day.
ciao
For $1000 you can get a new ultegra bike
I bought a New Mercier Serpens on-line for $1100 with Reynolds 853 and Reynolds carbon fork -- it has Full Ultegra
I bought on bikesdirect.com -- but other sites like supergo and ebay
have lots of Full Ultegra bikes at around $1000
right now you can get Aluminum bike with Ultegra at $1000 or even less
I bought a New Mercier Serpens on-line for $1100 with Reynolds 853 and Reynolds carbon fork -- it has Full Ultegra
I bought on bikesdirect.com -- but other sites like supergo and ebay
have lots of Full Ultegra bikes at around $1000
right now you can get Aluminum bike with Ultegra at $1000 or even less
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4,537 Posts
Thoughts.....
carbon seatpost, carbon stem, full 105) for $999. A real deal for someone who
wants a great bike at an excellent price.
Look around at last years clearance prices - you may be surprised. I've seen
$2000 bikes for $1200-$1500 range.
My dealer had last years' Giant TCR2 (aluminum compact frame, carbon fork,Trevor said:
carbon seatpost, carbon stem, full 105) for $999. A real deal for someone who
wants a great bike at an excellent price.
Look around at last years clearance prices - you may be surprised. I've seen
$2000 bikes for $1200-$1500 range.
Trek 2200
My local bike shop has a used (approx. 300 miles) 2003 TREK 2200 for sale on consignment for $1300. With accessories (computer, aero bars, etc...) for an additional $138. It has Ultegra components, kevlar lines tires, and Bontrager Race wheels. Is the TREK 2200 a good bike for the money? They also have Giant OCR's.
My local bike shop has a used (approx. 300 miles) 2003 TREK 2200 for sale on consignment for $1300. With accessories (computer, aero bars, etc...) for an additional $138. It has Ultegra components, kevlar lines tires, and Bontrager Race wheels. Is the TREK 2200 a good bike for the money? They also have Giant OCR's.
I second (third?) used bikes...
Right now I'm riding a late 80's (I think) Otero SL, from a small shop in Spain, that I bought for $250 at an LBS. You can check it out at the bottom of the photos thread in the Retro-Classic forum. Top-quality steel frame, Campy drivetrain with Suntour brakes, and a sweet ride. I'm running a 6-speed 14-26 or 7-speed 13-26 freewheel with a 53/39 crank. Weighed 22 pounds with robust clincher wheels, I haven't weighed it with sewups yet, but I expect about 21. That's with pedals and cages.
Outdated? Yes, but 8-speed would get me a 12, and 9 speed gives me an 11. None of which I'll ever use. And I can get freewheels for $25 at a used / vintage shop here in town.
I picked up a nice tubular wheelset at a local bike swap meet for $5. Riding older bikes means that I get great deals on parts, and I get a lot of stuff for free, when we replace "that old junk" with "the new stuff" at the shop.
The best bang-for-the-buck is probably in the late 80's Japanese bikes. Miyatas, Nishikis, Centurions, Panasonics, and Bridgestones. Look for Tange #1 or Prestige tubing, or triple and quad-butted Ishiwata, and Shimano 105 or 600 components. Don't spend over $200, and that's for a really clean bike. The Centurion Ironman Expert and Master and Bridgestone RB-1 were probably the most successful amateur racing bikes ever sold in the US, in terms of sales and wins. The Centurions can often be had for $150 out of the local newspaper. Bridgestones command a premium, because of the Grant Petersen / Rivendell connection, but I've never met an unhappy RB-1 owner.
Put a few thousand miles on the bike. If you decide you love road riding, which I think you will, you can then pop for a new bike. I'd go custom at that point.
--Shannon, offering marginally informed opinions from:
San Diego, CA
Advertising not withstanding, road bikes really haven't changed that much in the last 25 years. It's a pretty perfect machine already, so incremental improvements are all you'll get now. Seven speed bikes from the late 80's to early 90's take a price hit that is all out of proportion to the performance you give up over a more modern bike.Trevor said:
Right now I'm riding a late 80's (I think) Otero SL, from a small shop in Spain, that I bought for $250 at an LBS. You can check it out at the bottom of the photos thread in the Retro-Classic forum. Top-quality steel frame, Campy drivetrain with Suntour brakes, and a sweet ride. I'm running a 6-speed 14-26 or 7-speed 13-26 freewheel with a 53/39 crank. Weighed 22 pounds with robust clincher wheels, I haven't weighed it with sewups yet, but I expect about 21. That's with pedals and cages.
Outdated? Yes, but 8-speed would get me a 12, and 9 speed gives me an 11. None of which I'll ever use. And I can get freewheels for $25 at a used / vintage shop here in town.
I picked up a nice tubular wheelset at a local bike swap meet for $5. Riding older bikes means that I get great deals on parts, and I get a lot of stuff for free, when we replace "that old junk" with "the new stuff" at the shop.
The best bang-for-the-buck is probably in the late 80's Japanese bikes. Miyatas, Nishikis, Centurions, Panasonics, and Bridgestones. Look for Tange #1 or Prestige tubing, or triple and quad-butted Ishiwata, and Shimano 105 or 600 components. Don't spend over $200, and that's for a really clean bike. The Centurion Ironman Expert and Master and Bridgestone RB-1 were probably the most successful amateur racing bikes ever sold in the US, in terms of sales and wins. The Centurions can often be had for $150 out of the local newspaper. Bridgestones command a premium, because of the Grant Petersen / Rivendell connection, but I've never met an unhappy RB-1 owner.
Put a few thousand miles on the bike. If you decide you love road riding, which I think you will, you can then pop for a new bike. I'd go custom at that point.
--Shannon, offering marginally informed opinions from:
San Diego, CA
cross
Good luck!
I agree with what has been said about used bikes. I was in a similar situation in the spring of last year, having ridden MTB for years, but never spending any time on the road. I bought a used cyclocross bike for $400 or so in order to get a taste of the road. I didn't really know what I was doing in terms of sizing and it turned out that the bike was a bit small for me on the road. No big deal as it was only $400 and the bike is still good for cross. After visiting many bike shops and getting some advice on fit from them and some friends I ended up getting a Trek 5200 used here on RBR. You should ride a bunch of different frame materials before settling on Aluminum. There is a huge difference between the way my all aluminum cross bike rides in comparison to the OCLV trek....It would also help if you knew what you wanted to do with the bike--do you want to do crits? Then don't get a carbon bike--too many crashes. Road races? Solo/group training rides? Commuting? Anyway, identify your goals for the bike and you'll be able to narrow your search more easily. BTW, my GF has a trek 2300 which she is *very* happy with, FWIW...Trevor said:
Good luck!
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