i am thinking about buying a touring bike... new or used makes no difference, price will probably be the heaviest factor. i have a mountain bike but i want something that might be a little more rider friendly on the street, also something i can use on my trainer through the winter...

any recommendations?

 

Define more friendly on the street.

Sometimes a new set of wheels (tires) can make the difference.

 

light weight frame, comfy riding position... i am thinking probably a mid grade total package with emphasis on the frame so i can upgrade the components as i go...

 

whats your idea of "comfy"?
how much distance would you do in a day?
specs on current bike?

 

something that i can ride for a few hours and not regret

normal riding would be recreational, maybe a max 20-30 miles per go... not going to use it as daily transportation, I plan to do some indoor training with it during the crappy months. i dont anticipate going on any long long tours but i would like to know that i could if i get to be that serious about cycling.

current bike is a 1997 model Schwinn Frontier. Fixed fork, 21 speeds... just a basic mtn bike.

today i went to 2 bike shops, one didnt have a lot in stock but they were really really helpful, didnt seem to persuade me into anything in particular but made some good suggestions. They carry Specialized and Felt... the Felt were a little rich for me so we focused on the Specialized... they carry other bikes too but those were the 2 names they suggested for road/tour bikes...

the other place had a whole bunch of treks, among others... i saw one trek i liked but the sales chick (who didnt seem all that interested in making a sale...) told me that if i went with a base bike, i would regret it and just end up buying a more expensive bike after a year... so i might as well just spend the $ now... it didnt seem to matter to her that i might not even end up liking the whole cycling thing... the difference between the bike i liked and the one she liked was 900 bucks... she might be right but im not getting that carried away...

I looked at a couple of tricross bikes which were really cool but a cost a bit more than i want to spend... so unless i find a too good to pass up deal, that will have to be another time...

I also talked to my father in law who is an avid cyclist and he gave me some things to think about... and also told me that my brother in law has a Specialized that he is looking to get rid of and that i can probably buy it from him cheap. that's always good... so i am going to see what he has and maybe that will be what i do, at least for now until i decide if i am going to get serious about cycling or if this is just a passing phase...

so i guess now after shopping and sort of getting and idea of what's out there, are there any features/components you guys like or dislike on your own bikes that i might be cognisant of when i make a purchase?

 

Road bikes are road bikes. They all have 2 wheels, pedals and a frame. The differences will be subtle to most people. Looking at bikes within a certain price range, you will get similar components. By far the most important thing will be comfort. So I say that you pick a price range and try some different brands out. You never mentioned the models you were looking at or the price range

But I am guessing you were looking at the Specialized Alize from what the chick was trying to upsell you

What price range are you looking at? And are you set on touring / road bike? When you said rider friendly, I thought you were talking hybrid bikes. I would never say that my road bike is rider friendly on the streets

 

well heres my 2cents
i would head back to the specialized dealer and take a few bikes on test rides
get a feel for the difference between the $500 component groups and the $1000 groups, try steel vs. al. vs. carbon frames
try a few different brands and lines between brands, they all have slightly different geometries catering to different body and riding types, some will just plain feel better than others, take note of this

now that you have a few miles and bikes under your belt, make a decision, pick a few brands you liked, the correct size you need, the component brand you are looking for and do some used searching
craigslist is great, i got both my bikes off the OR classified newspapers, before cl's time
expect to pay about half price for a 4-5 yr old decent bike, by decent i mean over $1k new

things to watch for
good wheels make a good bike, they are important and expensive, lighterweight well built wheels show up on some brands in the 1k range but not others, dont let this be the cheaped out option on the bike
shifters and deraillers are pretty decent these days, top of the line are great but mid grade is just fine
fingertip shifters>>>>downtube
invest in riding shorts, spandex is amazing and your balls will thank you on anything over 20 miles
clipless pedals>>>>toeclips, the scrapes on your knees will be a badge of honor

there are so many brands out there just focus on finding a well fitting bike and one that has the level of quality you want
focus on shoulder and back comfort, steering feel(light flighty, or to slow), wrist comfort
make them move the seat forward a bit and let you ride it around, then back a bit and ride it around up a bit and ride, down a bit and ride
every suptle adjustment will change the feel, so watch these changes and look for what feels best for you
make the shop techs show you exactly how to check size and fitment of the frame also, so you can test yourself when looking used

find a $500 used road bike, try it out this spring and summer, get a few 30+ rides in and see if you like it, then you can upgrade your bike and make it pretty damn nice with your decent starting platform
if you dont like riding all that much, the bike will last you the rest of your life as a nice bike that you occasionaly use, not a bad investment imo

im all for used, and all for quality, bikes are something everyone should have and enjoy imo

 

i havent really chosen any specific models, i was hoping to get out around $500 but it doesnt seem likely if i go new... so i guess im looking at entry level bikes in 7-800 range...

I have looked at the Specialized Alize and I like it so far (havent ridden it yet) at this point it is my front runner. the bike that i was looking at when the lady tried to upsell me was a Trek, she wanted me to look at a Giant. The Trek was $769, the Giant was $1649

I am questioning whether an amatuer cyclist like myself would notice any difference between the 2... but i am afraid to test out the pricier models just in case, i dont want to feel like i am "settling" for less...

i am not set on touring/road bikes but i dont want a frame that is too similar in geometry to my mountain bike... i might take a look at flat bar touring bikes if i end up buying brand new...

 

kestrel

 

i am going to shop used but i dont want to wait until something comes around... timing will be everything. I did have the guy at the Specialized dealership help me determine what sized frame i need... 56 cm it is, he said i shouldnt go bigger but i might be able to go smaller... but not smaller than 54... he really emphasized how important that is & not to buy my bro in laws bike if the frame size isnt right because i wont be comfortable on the bike...