Time to get a road bike. Any input?

**ZomblibulaX** · 02-02-2016, 10:20 PM

Need a cheap roadie to haul the kiddo in a trailer, and to get a pedal in when the trails are muddy. Not interested in ever joining the tuesday night group ride, don't care if its heavy, a few gears would be good. <$500.

I'm 6'4, 33" inseam, 58-60cm frame sound right? Any random components i should avoid? I'm a passable wrench, so i'm happy to work on a used bike. Is craigslist the way to go? Nashbar has a steel singlespeed CX for 399, maybe throw in a 8-spd hub down the line? Can i still wear baggies and not drink espresso?

**mmmm...pow!** · 02-02-2016, 10:35 PM

Hauling a trailer, you're gonna want gears. Even a slight incline requires a good effort. I use an old rigid mtn bike I got for cheap. Not as zippy as a road bike, but pulls weight, soaks up small bumps, can rally it on dirt roads or trails, fit a rack, etc. Perfect as a do-anything-around town ride.

**jamal** · 02-02-2016, 11:31 PM

I'd spend some time on Craigslist etc. Used kona jake or something like that would be good.

**gravitylover** · 02-03-2016, 06:57 AM

Used cross bike or similar, maybe a fake cross bike like a "S" Tricross.

**ZomblibulaX** · 02-03-2016, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by jamal

I'd spend some time on Craigslist etc. Used kona jake or something like that would be good.

That's what I was thinking, but people seem to believe there is no depreciation in value over the years. A few cursory searches on CL have yielded some pretty old bikes with mediocre builds for more than i'm willing to spend. Might have to go further afield than Colorado.

**Sirshredalot** · 02-03-2016, 09:04 AM

You can get pretty nice deals on a new Diamondback through promotive. Buy an imba membership if you don't already have an account.

**plugboots** · 02-03-2016, 09:44 AM

I agree on cross bike or mountain bike because if you're never going to use it as a road bike, you might as well get slightly fatter tires for taking the kiddo on gravel roads to avoid cars etc. Then as the kid grows you can put a kid bike seat on it and take the kid on singletrack. The burley trailer things don't work on singletrack. Then you could put a trailer bike on it and he/she could help push on climbs.

**Garth Bimble** · 02-03-2016, 10:28 AM

Start with the one that fits. If after meeting that criteria you have multiple options you can narrow it down but that should be your #1 priority.

**F#*k you cat** · 02-03-2016, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Garth Bimble

Start with the one that fits. If after meeting that criteria you have multiple options you can narrow it down but that should be your #1 priority.

Best advice ever. So glad I tried multiple bikes before I found my Klein. Fit is everything and old bikes have different geometry then newer ones.

**FlimFlamvanHam** · 02-03-2016, 12:33 PM

You're 6'4". 58cm is WAAAAYYYY too small. Really, so is 60cm. You're at the big end of the scale. I'd be looking above 60cm if I were 6'4".

61, 62 or 63cm and you can alter any minor "fitting" issues with stem and seat post set back.

you check out Pinkbike yet?

**YoEddy** · 02-03-2016, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Johnny Sizzler

You're 6'4". 58cm is WAAAAYYYY too small. Really, so is 60cm. You're at the big end of the scale. I'd be looking above 60cm if I were 6'4".

61, 62 or 63cm and you can alter any minor "fitting" issues with stem and seat post set back.

Agreed, but with 33" inseam you're built like me - mostly torso so I'd recommend something with a long top tube (Lemond CX bike comes to mind).

**johnnyg82** · 02-03-2016, 01:57 PM

Does it matter if it's drop bar or flat bar?

**jetski** · 02-04-2016, 11:02 AM

Not much to add other than I will never own a bike that can't be taken off road even just a bit. Currently have a "road" bike with 33c tubeless. Get board of the pavement? I just hit the ditch / trail / gravel, get shaken up a bit and return to the road ride.

**ZomblibulaX** · 02-05-2016, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by plugboots

I agree on cross bike or mountain bike because if you're never going to use it as a road bike, you might as well get slightly fatter tires for taking the kiddo on gravel roads to avoid cars etc. Then as the kid grows you can put a kid bike seat on it and take the kid on singletrack. The burley trailer things don't work on singletrack. Then you could put a trailer bike on it and he/she could help push on climbs.

Cross bike it is then, already have mtbs for that operation.

Originally Posted by Garth Bimble

Start with the one that fits. If after meeting that criteria you have multiple options you can narrow it down but that should be your #1 priority.

Copy that. Like Yo Eddy sez:

Originally Posted by YoEddy

Agreed, but with 33" inseam you're built like me - mostly torso so I'd recommend something with a long top tube (Lemond CX bike comes to mind).

I'm all torso, baby. Strictly greco-roman.

Hadn't even thought to look on pinkbike, i've bought bmx and mtbs off there before, just figured it was the wrong crowd. Thanks everybody.

ETA: Yep, 3600 road bikes on pinkbike. I don't often get accused of being smart.

**mcski** · 02-05-2016, 08:03 PM

Look into "gravel" bikes too if cross bikes sounds like a fit. More relaxed geometry and gearing spectrum generally covers wider range of gears. Still the benefit of road/dirt. I feel like most cross bikes are more sprint focused and not that comfy on longer rides. I have a cx but I think next piece of the quiver will be a gravel.

**SWskier** · 02-06-2016, 02:38 PM

Diamondback Haanjo

**Sirshredalot** · 02-06-2016, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by SWskier

Diamondback Haanjo

Prices are very attractive on new ones via imba/promotive. Better pricing than you see on many used bikes.

**bagtagley** · 02-06-2016, 05:10 PM

Jenson has the 2015 Haanjo and Haanjo Comp for cheap.

**Soups** · 03-07-2016, 02:35 PM

I'm in the same boat, minus pulling a trailer and kids. The REI sale going on right now has me thinking of picking up a road bike and wearing spandex as many places that I can. I have no desire to spend more than $500 and the cheaper the better. I have never been on a road bike in my life, I stick to the skinny dirt trails. Is this bike worth a shit? Looks like I can pick it up for about $450 with the sale...

https://www.rei.com/product/865733/s...r-50-bike-2015

Also, what's the deal with the road bikes on BikesDirect? I've heard ok things, for what you pay, about some of the bikes out of there.

**jamal** · 03-07-2016, 04:15 PM

Claris 8 speed is not so great, but it would be passable. something 10-speed like last gen 105 or current tiagra would be better although looking around at new bikes in that price range, I'm not seeing much. 500 will go a lot farther in the used market.

Bikes direct are not as good of a deal as they seem. Yeah you get a nice shifter and derailleur so they can say it has ultegra or whatever, but then all the other components like cranks, wheels/hubs, brakes, cockpit stuff tend to be shit.

**Soups** · 03-07-2016, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by jamal

Claris 8 speed is not so great, but it would be passable. something 10-speed like last gen 105 or current tiagra would be better although looking around at new bikes in that price range, I'm not seeing much. 500 will go a lot farther in the used market.

Bikes direct are not as good of a deal as they seem. Yeah you get a nice shifter and derailleur so they can say it has ultegra or whatever, but then all the other components like cranks, wheels/hubs, brakes, cockpit stuff tend to be shit.

Dope. Noted.

Anyone else want to smack this shit out of people on CL in CO? It seems to have really gone downhill in the last few years with people with freakish dreams of their precious old bike some how not depreciating properly.

**jamal** · 03-07-2016, 04:30 PM

Yeah and the used online thing does take a good deal of patience. When I bought my first road bike years ago it took over a month to find something that I liked, would fit, and was in my price range. And that was in LA which has a pretty big market. Nice thing was a little more money went in the drawer every week so I ended up with something nicer than I was originally shopping for. I still ride that bike a lot 6 years later and am only now starting to consider a replacement.

**plugboots** · 03-07-2016, 04:33 PM

My first road bike was a Shimano 105 Panasonic. Prolly not that different from that REI sale bike. Anyway, I agree with jamal, (cuz I have a fancy Ti frame, etc.), but how much are you going to ride? You could buy it, ride the shit out of it, replace parts as they break, then decide what you really want. I'm still on my 3rd road bike, (2nd was stolen), which really at this point is just the frame. Everything else has been replaced at least once. Plus, are you gonna repair it? For that cheap bike, I bet REI will give you some service.

**LightRanger** · 03-07-2016, 04:34 PM

Picked this up for $800 the other day. Fantastic shape. http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1887797/

Deals are out there if you're patient. (That's at least as good as I was seeing on Craigslist locally...)

**Soups** · 03-07-2016, 04:48 PM

Will definitely still mountain bike more than the road thing. Basically want to pick one up to do beer rides out to Golden from Downtown Denver and back, maybe a few days on RAGBRAI if I make it back home to Iowa for it, rides with the GF, etc. Pretty much just to kill time and stay in shape in the winter and spring when the singletrack is douched out, but the weather is too nice not to ride (basically the entire last month+ out here).