whats the best cheap road bike?

i if i save for a while can come up with 200 bucks maybe is there an road bikes for 200 or less.keep in mind all i have now is a mountain bike thats to big for me and it very rough shape so any thing will be better even though at one time it was nice mountain bike its a gt rebound mb.i dont have a car so i love this mountain bike it beat the hell out of walking but it being in such bad shape makes me want anything newer and better shape im very short so used bikes in my size are hard to find im like 5 foot 5 are any of the walmart bikes any good?im not picky i dont care about looks at all

Avoid Walmart bikes.

For $200 you are not going to get much unless you are lucky and get a good 2nd hand deal.

dang i thought by now some of the new bike tech would of trickled down to the cheap bikes.

raggie33 said:

dang i thought by now some of the new bike tech would of trickled down to the cheap bikes.

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It has in respect that the wallmart and target bikes of today being better than they were 5 or 10 years ago, but they're still going to be 5 or 10 years behind what's available to you today from a bike store or quality on line retailer.

Are you a mechanic....tuner? Do you know bicycles and components? I'm going to guess not since you're asking the question, in which case I wouldn't purchase anything online, even though there are some good deals available.

You're question is almost impossible to answer because it's much the same as asking what's the best cheap flashlight? There is no way for us to guess what your idea of "cheap" is and there are so many available of quality at reasonable prices.

The size and fit of a bike is far more important that tiny differences in wheels or components so I suggest going to a local reputable store. See what kind of 2008 models they have in stock since at this time of the year they're often trying to get rid of them at discount prices. Have them include a basic fit and set-up for you and adjustment tuning after 30 or 90 days. This is pretty common practice.

As a general rule, a person can get a decent quality and at least solid road bike for $400-$500. Much below that and you're really going to be stepping back into some really low performance equipment. There are many reasons to stay above that quality threshold but one of the main reasons will be that if you ride it regularly the parts will hold up and last reasonably well for you. Which brings me to the question of how often are you going to ride? If you're only going to ride a dozen times a year then the Target Schwinn will probably suffice. If you're going to ride once a week or more spend the extra and get something decent.

i can fix most anything if i have the tools and the parts it is good to know at least the walmart bikes have got better

id ride everyday if i had a better bike its is my only transportation other then walking but im sick of walking it takes so long to get any where

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Keep your eyes peeled for a used mountain bike (no suspension needed) and put slicks on it..

raggie33 said:

id ride everyday if i had a better bike its is my only transportation other then walking but im sick of walking it takes so long to get any where

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In that case get whatever is practical or convenient. A garage sale bike, or something on craig's list or in the news paper would be fine to get you going for the time being. Hybrid bikes and mountain bikes are great for transportation because they're durable and can handle curbs, dirt lots and alley ways.

How tall are you and where to you live?

im like 5 foot 5 and live in north ga im checking craigs list now.i think i require like a 19 or 20 inch road bike

i was also hopeing they would be like exercise machines people will spend 1 grand on one and use it one time then it sits in there garage getting in there way they will sell it for like 10 bucks guess bikes are not the same sadly

Look around for used bikes. A lot of really great roadies were made in the 80's and are often still roadworthy with a little TLC. In spite of a new Trek last year I resurrected an older 80's sport touring bike as a winter project. Lots of fun and it rides well. As noted, check garage sales and such. The older stuff, while maybe a little heavier, often has good to great components and still works.

raggie33 said:

i was also hopeing they would be like exercise machines people will spend 1 grand on one and use it one time then it sits in there garage getting in there way they will sell it for like 10 bucks guess bikes are not the same sadly

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Sometimes it's like that but not usually with $1000+ bikes. I was thinking of gifting you my 1997 Trek mountain bike but the shipping would kill you not to mention my time packing it. To bad you're not local. You'll find better bikes locally I think which don't need any work. My other thought is that there is a kid at church who's been wanting a bike but has no means of getting one. His b-day passed but I don't think his folks could afford one for him. I thought I might tune it up and pass it along as a late present.

ya the kid at church would be a lot better.that would make his day ill find one.ill find something. tomorrow im checking pawn shops.ps ty very much for the thought.i wonder if road bikes still have that crazy fill up valve it aint a regular shrader valve

nitesky said:

Look around for used bikes. A lot of really great roadies were made in the 80's and are often still roadworthy with a little TLC. In spite of a new Trek last year I resurrected an older 80's sport touring bike as a winter project. Lots of fun and it rides well. As noted, check garage sales and such. The older stuff, while maybe a little heavier, often has good to great components and still works.

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i once found this old bike well it wasnt that old at the time i forget the name but i recall it was very very light had wild paint job but it was huge but i bought it anyways had lots of fun on it wish i could recall the brand

well went to walmart and they dint have one road bike i was like wth is the deal hell even one bike had worn tires they should put used on it the mountain bike i liked was heavy as a mack truck(guess my bike i have now is a light bike)then went to target and they had a cloths rack in the way the was just opening they only had women road bikes also not one bike i looked at and liked a bit had a price on it i will never go back to target again i hate asking for a price.last place i chekced wasa local bike shop i asked for used bikes he had none only thing they had was a trek 1000 06 model for 580 plus tax which is way out of my budget so for now im giveing up and just going to use my bike as a single speed bike.hell it sure beats walking fun as hect down hill lol

you use the bike as a single speed because of the busted rear derailleur? Let me know how many speed it is and I'll check if I have a replacement for you, I have a bunch of old & ugly but well functioning derailleurs in my shed. If there's one that matches your needs, I'll send it to you for just the cost of postage & packaging.

ty coop i may try to adjust it again but im pretty sure its bent i did a lot of adjusting and it sometimes makes a sound as if its jumping gears on its own kinda like a clicking i usaly dont mind one gear because i am not sure what gear to be in anyways i sure am glad i dont have 18 gears lol id be lost

what do ya all think of the trek 1000?i will never be able to afford it but i like to have things to look forward to and who knows i may hit lotto if i dont im stilll happy i have a bike that gets me where im going but i like to dream of cooler stuff

Roadbikereview has this bike with some reviews, plenty of others as well. Also, you should peruse bikeforums.net, a good bike site with some similarity to CPF. With the cycling season ending, for most, you might be able to swing a deal with a local bike shop (LBS). As noted, watch for the used stuff, especially garage sales, friends that don't seem to ride much but have wheels, etc. Road bikes were not as popular for a while so there is a bit of a gap, but there are some out there.

raggie33 said:

what do ya all think of the trek 1000?

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It's solid.

Here are some reviews.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/latest-bikes/road-bike/trek/PRD_290760_5668crx.aspx