What to get for first road bike?
i’m 6′0” 160lb. Looking to get a bike mainly to ride about 5 miles to work and back. I wont really need to carry anything to work except my clothes in a backpack so I don’t necessarily want to go with a commuter bike. I will probably evenutually start riding more seriously longer distances. I’m looking to spend $700 or less. This will be mainly city riding so the roads are not perfect. I may get some wider tires. I want to get a used one if I can so I would like some recommendations on some 2-3 year old models. Trek, Giant, Specialized, Cannondale, Felt, Lemond are some I have seen on craigslist in my price range. Should I possibly go with Cyclocross instead of a Road bike?
Personally, I love getting used bikes. With a $700.00 budget, you ought to be able to find 2-3 year old bike that originally cost between $1500 and $2000.
For a commuter, I think it is important to be able to mount fenders and racks. Fenders will keep you cleaner and dryer while commuting. Personally, I hate carrying a backpack while riding. It is hot and the additional weight causes saddle discomfort. I have a much longer ride, though. So, this may not matter to you.
Whatever bike you get, I’d put commuting tires on the bike. They will have somewhat thicker rubber and be more durable than racing tires. They may not, however, be much wider than other road tires.
Racing bike have tight geometry that make them feel lively or even twitchy. A racing bike will have no mounts for fenders or racks. If you never intend to put fenders or racks on the bike, and you like a lively bike you should be good to go. Many racers regularly sell off old bikes to finance new purchases so you may be able to get a bargain. A used carbon frame should be out of your price range, but I’d stay away from them anyhow.
Touring bikes have relaxed geometry making them feel very stable. Plus they have mounts for racks and fenders.
A cyclocross bike is fundamentally a road bike on which you can put much wider tires for off road riding. Unless you intend to go off pavement you probably won’t need such wide tires. I regularly use my cyclocross bike on the road and it does great. A nice thing about cyclocross bikes is many have fender and rack mounts.
There are lots of great bikes from the manufacturers you list. You should also take a look at some bikes from companies like Orbea and Bianchi.
Hope this helps.
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