What is the best road bicycle for under $1500?
79408
if $$$ is issue here, check out the DOUGLAS bikes at coloradocyclist.com, for 1500, you can get a full ultegra douglas fusion with easton wheels and fsa extras.  the frame weights only 2.5 pounds.  compare that with any other brand...you cant....i have a 4200$ tcr comp, but this douglas is so well equipped, i thinkin about gettin it for my commuter/rainday bike......1500$ and >17 lbs..not bad.
966894
The best dirtbike is the safest one.  That usually means a snickers-powered one.  These are also known by the more common name of mountain bikes.  The best ones are made by Cannondale and Trek, and start at about $400.  They require relatively inexpensive tune-ups every so often, and new brake and shifter cables about once a year.  This will get him off his tuches and out in the wilderness.  Remember that a $100 helmet will protect him more than a $100 pair of shoes!
1115898
all depends on what you wish to do with it.\nAbout 20 years ago when i was into BMX racing , my choice of bike was the light weight "redline"
1084873
a good mountain bike for casual riding and NOT trail riding will run you about 200-700 depending what you get and where you go. If you are going for looks, believe me, you will not pay anything less than 1500 because all the lookers are in Trail Bikes, Downhill Bikes, and even some Cross Country bikes. Try the specialized Rockhopper or Stumpjumper. Or, the Trek 3000 series, Or, Cannondale's F series, Or Giant XTC or Anthem. Anything other than these and you start running into specialty bikes and the price also go higher.
268606
Look into cyclocross bikes.  They have the ability to have both road tires or knobby tires (and have the clearance needed for the brake pads), so they are adaptable to whatever kind of riding you are doing today.  They are specifically designed for both on and off road riding.  Linked below is a good, not excessively expensive XC bike.  You can find them from other big dealers as well.
780419
at that price ramge u can get a lot of good bikes. but the main thing that u have to look for is the brand and the parts. 4 1grand u should consider getting companys like haro,kona,norco,specialized,trek,cannondale,fox,yamaha(rare),giant and gt. start with kona, specialized and giant they make good bikes and they are cheap for bikes within the same range. for kona look for stuff, lavadom or scrap\nnorco:shore series\nharo:v series\nspecialized:any thing they are all good and cheap\nironhorse:make almost unbreakable bikes but they are heavy\nbanshee:morphine series\n\n\nbefore buying the bike make sure that the dimonds of the frame should be small and points upwards  the tyres should be wide and with lots of rubber studs. the fork should have atleast 100mm of travel better if beond 130mm. the suspention brand that you should look for is marzochii or rock shock they are the most common ones. if you dont like the suspention then you might consider spending an other 500$ on bomber shocks they are good qualityed stuff.  i recomand a hard tail because they are easier to ride up hill and gives lots of air. and is cheaper and lighter. you should look for disk breaks  but if the bike dont come with them v breaks are good too exept over time they dig into your rim and shorten the rim's life.\n\nhope this helps.
138
For $1500, you're starting to get out of the "entry-level" stage. I have a Trek 1000 and absolutely love it. I've used it for century rides, triathlons and duathlons no problem. The Trek 1000 was about $900 CDN. The only difference in the bikes up to the $1500 range is the shifters are usually a little better (they don't stretch as easily, which makes shifting cleaner for longer). The weight and wheels are basically the same. \n\nIf you want to trim 30 sec off your race time, you might consider the more expensive bikes. But, you should be an elite athlete to really notice the difference. \n\nI'd go for a $1000 bike and spend the rest on pumps (road and home), spare tires, some nice cycling clothes, tools and a bike computer. Maybe even a trainer for home use.
133
I'd agree with TaraN's answer. Take the time to really find what you want. Take a lot of extended test rides. You might find that aluminum might be too harsh for you, in which case you might find that steel or carbon might be more comfortable. That's just one example. Lots of test rides will give you a feel for how the various bikes at a given price point can handle very differently. Without getting into too much tech-speak, you might find that one bike handles a bit more twitchy than another. Think of the difference as driving a Mini Cooper versus a basic sedan. Some bikes are set up more for racing, where you'll get a quicker handling bike, whereas others will handle a bit more laid back.\n\nParts wise, you'll find the same component offerings on many of the manufacturers out there for a given price point, as TaraN pointed out. You'll most likely be getting a bike with Shimano componenets, with perhaps a mix of some of the manufacturer's own branded components (for example, Trek outfits their bikes with a lot of Bontrager componentry).\n\nFocus on the overall ride of the bike. For a $1000, you can get a lot of bike.\n\nWade at The Spokesman in downtown Santa Cruz is a GREAT guy - very helpful, and yes, very patient. He's very knowledgeable and will set you up right.\n\nAlso in that same category, I'd highly recommend seeing Vance Sprock over at Cupertino Bike Shop. He's just like Wade - he'll set you up right.\n\nGood luck!
375690
I would suggest Giant, Trek, Specialized, but I would go for Giants, I've owned a Giant for 4 years and still gong hard but make your research and get what you like the most, also make sure you know what you're planning on using it for, you don't want a 400 dll bike for serious mtb, then youll find your self upgrading down the road, a 400 dll bike is good for commuting and lite off-roading...
1060267
I personally would stay away from Bicycle dealers if your looking for a recumbent, bike dealers tend not to know how to set you up on a bent. Bacchetta makes a Caf'e that runs $995 and the Agio at  $1250 and if you want the Giro 26 runs $1550. For the purpose of commuting the Caf'e or Agio would work real well. Check out there site http://www.bacchettabikes.com/ \nBurley, Rans, and EZ also makes several bents in that  price range,\n\nRic
495187
you can try http://www.ebay.com\n\nThe best brands out there right now are very expensive but HARO has a few bikes that are pretty good.\n\nhttp://www.harobikes.com\n\nmost bike shops still have a LAY AWAY plan so maybe you can pick a cool bike and pay a little money at  time until you pay it off completly.\n\nyou can also check out my group i have over 100 bmx links on it.\n\ndo not buy mongoose or next brands, they are lower brands for beginers
434514
shimano dura ace group is the highest level shimano component, so that alone would cost you $1,000 or so.\n\n\nIt depends on the frame manufacturer.
568370
i'd echo prairiebiscuit's answer - Giant really do pack a stackload of features into their bikes.\n\nSome mountain bikes that regulalrly do well in the entry-level grouptests are:\n\nGiant Terrago / Rincon, Specialized Hardrock, Mongoose Amasa, GT Avalanche, Claud Butler Cape Wrath\n\nAs most of the guys here are saying, do make sure you go to a proper bike shop and speak to someone who knows what they're talking about. It'd be better if you could go during the week (and not on a busy Saturday) as you will get better service.\n\nMake sure you get a test ride, and if you think you may get bitten by the mountain biking bug, then aim for something with a reasonable frame that you could justafiably upgrade the components on.\n\nOne point I would make, is that for the amount you are looking to spend, I'd probably avoid going for disk brakes. Some manufacturers will put cable-operated disk brakes (cheaper and far less effective than hydraulic disks) on as a selling feature, though to be honest a reasonable set of v-brakes are as good in all but the grimiest conditions. The added cost of the disks will probably mean that other features (like the fork or crankset) are of a lower-spec than on a similarly priced bike with v-brakes. The thing to make sure of is that the frame, fork and wheel hubs have all got the necessary mounts to allow you to easily upgrade to (hydraulic) disk brakes in the future, if you think you may want to.\n\nThe possible exception to this rule is the Giant Terrago (not sure how much that sells for in the U.S.), which comes equipped with Giant's own-brand MPH hydraulic disks.
734083
that bike wont last long off road it will soon break down into scrap metal.\n\nu should consider getting companys like haro,kona,norco,specialized,tr... and gt. start with kona, specialized and giant they make good bikes and they are cheap for bikes within the same range. for kona look for stuff, lavadom or scrap\nnorco:shore series\nharo:v series\nspecialized:any thing they are all good and cheap\nironhorse:make almost unbreakable bikes but they are heavy\nbanshee:morphine series\n\n\nbefore buying the bike make sure that the dimonds of the frame should be small and points upwards the tyres should be wide and with lots of rubber studs. the fork should have atleast 100mm of travel better if beond 130mm. the suspention brand that you should look for is marzochii or rock shock they are the most common ones. if you dont like the suspention then you might consider spending an other 500$ on bomber shocks they are good qualityed stuff. i recomand a hard tail because they are easier to ride up hill and gives lots of air. and is cheaper and lighter. you should look for disk breaks but if the bike dont come with them v breaks are good too exept over time they dig into your rim and shorten the rim's life.
991406
ok, no one has really addressed your needs here, just thiers.  long distance riding, not RACING, requiers a bike with a few things road bikes lack.  when you hear "road bike" read it as "racing bike", because thats what they are designed for.  road bikes have \nstiff frames for acceleration, light weight for the same reason, flimsy wheels, same reason, and aerodynamic riding positions, same reason.  they also have narrow saddles, and a gear range that is too high, or hard, for normal guy long distance riding.\ntouring bikes on the other hand, have a much wider range of usable gears, including a series of extra low gears for steep extended hills, higher handlebars for less back and neck and hand and wrist strain, wider saddles for better sit bone support, \nmore compliant frames for a nicer ride, more powerful brakes for stopping under load, and more durable wheels, not to mention fatter tires, which makes the ride more comfortable.  road bikes cant take fat tires or fenders, rendering them useless in the rain, gravel, dirt, ect.  fat tires protect the rims from pot holes, and general road debris.  steel is generally accepted as the ideal touring bike frame material.  people say steel is heavy, but well made steel bikes are within a quarter pound of an aluminum bike, and will survive wrecks much better.  good steel bikes last a lifetime.  aluminum lasts a decade.  long story short, a good touring bike will be a lifetime investment, wearas a road racing bike is a fragil object at best, suited for fast paced riding over smooth roads in ideal weather.  \na decent touring bike can be had for 1300, custom complete, made to measure.  if a shop tries to talk you into a road racing bike, its cause thats all they know, and all they have to sell.  \ntouring bikes arnt money makers, they last too long, and cost too much to build.  800 dollars buys you nothing, not even a bad cheap road bike.  think of it as an investment.  road bikes, if your lucky, last 10 years.  thats if you never crash... they will never carry loads well, never handle predictably under load, and are prone to mechanical failure..
837951
1) Colnago ForEver  price: 11,000 Euro\n\n2) Lance ArmStrong Live Strong Trek Madone 5.9 price: $17,000\n\n3) Kona Stab Supreme price : £3600\n\n4) LiteSpeed Vortex price: TBA\n\n5) Kona King Zing price: $6000
330204
Go to walmart, or dunhams. They have bikes from $60.00 to $350.00. It depends what you are looking for. I think mine was around $150.00. I take it out everyday, and i go off the beaten path alot. It holds up pretty good. I know in a few years i might want to up grade, but for the price, it works for now. especially if you are tight on cash.If you go to walmart, just be careful your tire isn't bent, and check everything before you go out. My brakes were really tight, and i had to do a few adjustments all around. That is the only bitch, but i figure i would have had to do that with any bike. Plus i know my equipment now. good luck!