[Polandspring88]

I just moved ~6 miles from work and I'd like to ride a bike to work from now on. As part of this I think I'm going to pick up a used road bike.

That being said I have no idea about how road bikes are supposed to fit. Never ridden one before. I don't feel like going to a shop and getting sized as I have no intention of buying one new and don't want to waste their time. For reference I am 5'7", have a 28/29" inseam and weigh 165 lbs. I usually ride a size medium mountain bike, or something with a 17-18" seat tube. I am not sure what range of frame sizes I should be looking at.

While we are at it, is there anything in particular that I should look for when checking out bikes? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm still trying to familiarize myself with everything.

 

[gonefirefightin]

sizing will make all the world of difference in comfort and use of the bike. go to a road shop in your area and simply tell them you are looking for a bike but need to get sized. try a couple out and figure out your baseline frame size then go from there, I would imagine you would be a 54-56 ish size. but the comfort will be on your guess while riding the bike, some people like a longer cockpit and the room, others like a compact fit. you be the judge.

when shopping for a used bike it is crucial that you educate your self on components, you dont want to spend money on something that you cant fix or cant get parts for.

find your self a bike that is a couple year old and is made by the major brands

specialized
trek
cannondale
orbea
fuji
Gary Fisher
Klein
Giant
Raliegh
Kona
Scott
cervelo

stay away from brands that are problems

schwinn
mongoose
next
murry
huffy
kestral
and all those other box store brands

get to know shimano and sram components, I wouldnt dive into Campagnolo components yet since they are pricy and a crap shoot with used stuff.

you can get a new cross bike in the decent cost range from brands like kona, raleigh rather than searching crazedlist.

but the internet does harbor some excellent finds, feel free to post a link to something you may have found in craigslist and I am sure you will get some good advice from the forum.

 

[James]

find your self a bike that is a couple year old and is made by the major brands

specialized
trek
cannondale
orbea
fuji
Gary Fisher
Klein
Giant
Raliegh
Kona
Scott
cervelo

stay away from brands that are problems

I think you left Felt of fof that list!

 

[sanjuro]

Road bike fit varies from model to model.

Some of the best fitting models come in 1 cm increments. Others only S-M-L. Different angled sloping top tubes negate seat tube lengths for fitting purposes.

My guess is you need a 52cm effective top tube length, but I would sit on a few bikes to be sure.

 

[spurlicked]

Don't hesitate to have the seller meet you at a bike shop and have a qualified mechanic look at the bike before you buy it. The shop may charge you for the inspection, but it might be money well spent. They might even apply the fee to having the used bike tuned up. I don't think it's a waste of anyone's time, especially yours, to go look at new bikes and figure out what brand and size you like best. Then start looking for that bike used. My recommendation is try to find a bike with Shimano 105 components or better and make sure the bike fits.

 

[gonefirefightin]

I think you left Felt of fof that list!

my bad, I knew I "felt" something was wrong!

 

[maddog17]

are you measuring your inseam length off of your pants length? if so that really doesnt give you an accurate length. you should add about an inch or 2 to that for inseam length. from that i'd give a rough guess at a 52-54 cm bike. top tube is more important but only if the top tube slopes, if not then inseam will come into play.

 

[Polandspring88]

are you measuring your inseam length off of your pants length? if so that really doesnt give you an accurate length. you should add about an inch or 2 to that for inseam length. from that i'd give a rough guess at a 52-54 cm bike. top tube is more important but only if the top tube slopes, if not then inseam will come into play.

I was measuring it off of my pants length. Whoops.

I'd love to go to a shop and have them fit me, but it would be unfair to waste their time and resources when I have no intentions of buying a bike from them.

With the move I have had to drop a significant amount of money leaving me a fairly strict budget to spend on a bike. Is it unrealistic to think that I could pick up a decent enough bike for $400? I am very mechanically inclined, so doing any maintenance work is fine, I just don't know if I am off base in my thinking.

 

[gonefirefightin]

where do you live?

 

[Polandspring88]

Melrose, Ma.

 

[maddog17]

if your commute is only 6 miles then you could just find an old ht and put slicks on it. at one time i looked into getting a cheap commuter ride. try JRA cycles in Medford on Rt 60. they had a Scott at one point for $500. it wasnt necessarily a road bike, but i think it was a compact frame, straight bars with V brakes. triple crank and road rims with like 25's or 27's for tire width.

 

[TreeSaw]

if your commute is only 6 miles then you could just find an old ht and put slicks on it. at one time i looked into getting a cheap commuter ride. try JRA cycles in Medford on Rt 60. they had a Scott at one point for $500. it wasnt necessarily a road bike, but i think it was a compact frame, straight bars with V brakes. triple crank and road rims with like 25's or 27's for tire width.

I concur. It's a nice short commute so you won't be loosing much time/efficiency by going this route.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

i'm a lil late to this thread but i would suggest a fixie. i love mine as a grocery getter/errand runner. cheap, no maintenance etc

 

[Polandspring88]

i'm a lil late to this thread but i would suggest a fixie. i love mine as a grocery getter/errand runner. cheap, no maintenance etc

I'd consider a single speed but fixies are out. I don't think I could ever get by without having the ability to freewheel.