First decent road bike, on a budget?

keep an eye on used sites, I'd say if you got a 56cm frame you'd fit on it fine (unless you have freakishly long or short arms) If you can find something with 105 in your price range, you're laughing, but don't settle for anything less than tiagra (meaning sora or 2300). as long as it's 56, tiagra or better and not completely fucked up, it'll be great for you and you'll enjoy riding it.
 
try and find something on craigslist. 90's cannondales are really nice bikes for the money. as far as components go on the used bikes, look for shimano 105 or ultegra. anything that says "tiagra" or "sora" is shit. if you're really going to ride the bike a decent amount the extra $100 or so for the better components and probably wheels is SO worth it.

as one guy suggested bikesdirect.com is a great site and is 100% legit. the only catch is that you need to know how to assemble a bike, not just screw stuff together, but know how to adjust a headset, bottom bracket, true wheels, everything. I'm sure a community shop could help you out. again, stay with shimano 105 or better.

as far as size goes, you're going to want to shoot for a 57 or 58. it does depends on the person, everyone's different, but most 56's are going to be too small. Also, there's no guarantees with size because each brand measures differently and have different top tube/seat tube lengths. this is why going to a shop to get sized just to buy used is a waste of time.
 
you missed the entire point about the non-athletic fat assholes decked out like lance being as bad/worse than hipseters
 
i didn't miss that point at all, but you kids are judging people out trying to get healthy because how they're dressed, yet for some reason think your argument holds weight.
 
steel's real brah.... but seriously, steel is awesome, so smooth, but you have to shell out some decent coin to get a really nice frame.
 
steel is not that heavy. its all relative.

i'd rather have a decent steel frame and solid components than an aluminum frame and shitty components just to save a pound or two. you can save that with a different saddle, bars, and pedals --> three things you're going to buy anyway once you ride enough.

also, weight in the wheels is way more important than weight in the frame and that bike has pretty damn nice wheels for a $800 road bike.
 
i totally agree with this, I ride single speed mostly because its cheap. I track top 20 out of 100 times on strava and i spent next to nothing on my bike. It gives you a greater appreciation for the road, you can't just use your gears to mellow hills, you have to work to get up them.
 
Used a bike size calculator, got 57cm as best fit. The two decent bikes I found ones a 56 and the others 58.

Recommendations?
 
try and find specific dimensions of that frame. some 56's actually have a 57cm top tube or seat tube and some 58's have a 57 cm top tube or seat tube
 
58 for both.

I hope you aren't paying full price for those....Both of those are horrible prices for what the bike actually is.

Also, those are completely different bikes with completely different geometry. One is race oriented (think ass high in the air and hands low) while the other is a bit more relaxed and can fit bigger tires and is more commuter focused.

The tricross is a big, heavy, slow bike with cheap parts for a high price.

The Allez is a entry level race bike that is decently heavy with cheap parts.

 
go craigslist for a used bike, no problem with that and theres a chance you cold be buying a half way decent bike for dirt cheep.

I got a new bike fromhttp://www.bikesdirect.com

Cant complain with my choice. I spent $400 on a halfway decent cyclocross bike (Gravity "Liberty CX"... which I think is a Giant knock-off) to get me to class in the snow and love it. Site looks a little sketch, but I assure you its legit. A lot of the bikes are off brand/knockoffs. Sometimes this means lower quality parts, but if your just commuting... who cares.
 
found another Specialized Tricross in my area.

Its a cyclocross bike, but after thinking about it thats more what I need then a road bike, I'm just commuting on the thing and roads and bike paths here are pretty old and crumbly so this might be the ticket.
 
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