On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 15:28:45 GMT, Mike Jacoubowsky
wrote:

I own a Raleigh M20 which I bought back a few years ago when I was in
college for neighborhood riding. Now I've gotten into riding on paved
trails and the mountain bike just doesn't cut it; it feels heavy and
slow. I'd really like to buy a road bike but they're all really
expensive. Anyone have any recommendations for cheaper road bikes?
The cheapest (new) one I've seen is the 2003 Motobecane Mirage listed
on bikesdirect.com for $325. Anyone know anything about this one?
Otherwise, can anyone recommend any resources for buying an
inexpensive, preferably new, road bike?

Fit is *the* key issue on a road bike, especially so on your first one.
Your best bet is to save up a bit more money and find a local dealer
who's
known to be really good at matching up the rider to the bike, because the
right bike is going to be one that's going to beg you to ride it, one
that
can't stand sitting in the garage, one that makes you feel guilty because
you'd rather be out riding your bike than doing just about anything else.

Conversely, a bike that doesn't quite fit right, or has something that's
not
running the way it ought to, is likely to spend its time gathering dust
and
become one of those "Well, tried the road bike thing, glad I didn't spend
even more money on it" deals.

Entry-level road bikes at shops have improved in quality and come down
quite
a bit in price lately; the '04 TREK 1000, for example, runs about $520.
And
aside from fit, a good local dealer is going to maintain a sense of
ownership about the bike, so that if something isn't the way it ought to
be,
they're going to do what they can to take care of it.

The most expensive bike you can buy is the one that doesn't get ridden
much.
The best "deal" on a bike... well, I've laid out that stuff above!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com




Fit is definitely important. I have a Trek that I've had to buy certain
seats and set back seatposts in order to get the correct knee-to-pedal-
spindle distance for me and have had to buy a long stem. This year, when I
ordered a Brooks saddle, I couldn't get the correct knee-to-pedal-spindle
distance even with a set-back seatpost. So, I gave up and got a Lemond.
Even on the Lemond, I have my Brooks pushed back as far as it will go, and
I'm ordering a longer stem (and I've reversed the stem and put it down
about half an inch). Fit is by far the most important aspect on a racing
bike. On a mountain bike, fit doesn't seem to be as important, as I'm
always off the seat/back on the seat, walking, changing body positions. On
a racing bike, I tend to get in one position and stay there, although I do
climb out of the saddle quite a bit.

--
Bob M in CT
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