New or Used Road Bike

esemce

Budget limitations (<$500) restrict me to looking at either a new low end flat bar road bike or (my preference) a used curly bar road bike.

My current bike is an old Repco 14 speed, not sure what's wrong with it, but everyone (of course) is reccommending a replacement over repair..
My uses are really recreational/transportational, with a back of the mind fitness motive and I guess I have the same (perhaps totally unjustified) bias against flat bar bikes that all curly bar riders have.

Am I going to get better value and enjoyment out of a low end flat bar as I will an older (but presumably better set up) mid range curly?

rparedes

Look at bikesdirect.com (check some old threads here for reviews or go to roadbikereview.com) for a new one or eBay for used. Some LBS's have used bikes also. I'm not sure about the straight bar vs road bar. All I can tell you is that if you ride for long periods, the road bar geometry gives you many different body positions (stretch, relief muscle tension, reduce stress, reduce wind draft, etc) which you can't get in a flat bar. I had a flat bar hybrid bike and long rides (3 or 4 hrs) killed me. Now it's a breeze.
Good luck with your purchase.

Drunner611

It's probably not the best advice, but you will get way more bike for your money if you buy used. I just got a 3 year old Giant OCR1 with all 105 components on ebay about 3 weeks ago for $500 and I couldn't be happier. Also look at bikesdirect or craigslist. Again, some people will frown upon this, but if you ask questions and bid wisely, you should be fine.

alfeng

Some oil/grease + minor adjustments can go a long way toward making a recalcitrant part operate properly.

Consequently, IMO, if your Repco''s frame is "sound" (that is, it isn't bent & it fits YOU) and the bike is for YOU to ride and not for resale, then I would spend the money for the parts + check the Park Tool OR Sheldon Brown's websites (BOTH, free!) AND/OR buy a DIY maintenance book (e.g., the appropriate ZINN or BICYLCING MAGAZINE's maintenance book -- I haven't looked at either, but I trust 90+% of the info is what it should be).

Even if you have to buy replacement wheels/tires, shifters/cables/housing, et cetera, for your bike, you can certainly do it for less than $200 ... or, you could spend thousands!

If you are not mechanically inclined, find a friend who is.

If you're on a tight budget AND your current bike frame doesn't fit, start haunting your local thrift/Goodwill stores OR garage sales ... there is a lot of "abandoned" junk, but I hear about other people scoring on some reasonably decent stuff, too.

An old flat bar bike can be turned into a drop bar bike, and vice-versa.

BTW. There is an entire thread about the current Schwinn Varsity (available through WalMart) in which people discuss their experiences AND suggestions for other low-priced BUT reasonably good bikes you can buy.

jackson123

bikesdirect.com has many, but it's hard to choose a right one for ourselves. I need one for my friend's birthday, so I searched a lot online today, found GMC Road Bike at a deal site for $324.
http://www.dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=63515
I just think it looks cool, and ready to buy.
How do you think of it? does any of you use it?