Cyclingbikes.info

October 24, 2009

How Much Should I Pay For A Bicycle?

Millions of people worldwide are riding bikes, from the casual rider to the competitive athlete. The question you must face is what is the best bike for me. If you are thinking about buying a road bike then there are some things you must ask yourself to help determine the best choice for you.

What is the reason I want to ride?

What price should I pay for a bike?

What differences are there between the lower and higher priced bikes?

Determining the reason why you want to ride a bicycle is very important and the reason why it is the first question we must ask ourselves. If you aren’t interested in riding regularly then you may be able to just purchase an entry level no frills bike. Because you will not be riding as long or as hard you won’t have to do as much maintenance. It makes no difference on which bike you get there will always be maintenance that has to be done. You won’t need the designer components that the higher priced bicycles have because there will be no need to shave a few seconds off your time. The problem is that the lower-range bicycles have components that won’t perform as well or last as long as their higher priced counterparts.

The Tommaso Velocita Road Bike is a first rate example of a mid-range bicycle that offers both quality and lower prices.

The price of the bike will also be a determining factor for many people when deciding the best road bicycle for them. A beginner-level bike should cost between 200 and 400 dollars depending on where you buy the bike. This bicycle will suit you well as a casual cyclist because you won’t be putting a lot of miles on the bike. If you were planning on riding more than just once or twice a week then you would be better off buying a mid-range road bike. Medium priced bikes will set you back anywhere from 500 to 1200 dollars based on the bike and where you purchase it. If you are planning on making cycling an integral part of an exercise program or you would like to even compete at your local events then you should consider a bike that will stand up to the stress you will be placing on it. The best road bicycles can vary in price by as much as 4 to 5 thousand dollars with the upper end at around 9000 dollars and the lower end 2000 dollars.

The difference between the low priced, mid-range price and the higher-range priced road bicycles are basically in the quality of the components of the bike. Many beginning riders won’t notice how heavy his bike really is until he he sees his friend scream by him on the road with his 14 pound Tommaso with an upgraded derailleur and crank set. The novice may not even notice that he has to slow way down when he comes to the bend in the road at the bottom of the incline while the higher-ranged bike seems to glide effortlessly through the turn with speed and confidence.

This is only several examples that should have given you enough insight to help you choose your next road bike wisely. Your long term and short term goals are the keys to choosing the best road bike for you. Base your decision by choosing a bike that has stood the test of time and has a manufacturer that is well known in the cycling community for producing a quality product.

As a cycling enthusiast I have had the opportunity to ride many different types of bikes over the years. I put together a site of the best selling and most popular road bikes in the three price ranges based on sales and customer feedback. A great entry-level bike is the Schwinn Prelude. A very popular mid range bike is the Tommaso Dura Ace road bike. The best high end road bike is the Lamborghini La Dolce Vita. You have to check these out before you buy your bike.

The Keys To Choosing Your Next Road Bike

Too often people are looking at the price and not the quality of the road bike when they are in the market to buy. Price is important but it is probably more important that you get quality for the price you pay.

Your search for a new road bicycle must begin with certain answers addressed first.

Used-vs-New
There is no shortage of used road bikes on the market today. Craigslist is one of those places and has hundreds available for sale in every imaginable category and price range. If you finances are tight then this may be your only option. The obvious problem with purchasing a used road bike is that you don’t really know how many miles it was ridden and what problems the previous owner had with the bike. Even if the bike appears to be clean and in good shape there may still be small stress fractures that may cause a catastrophic failure.

You must look carefully at the components to see if you can see obvious wear on the metal. Everything wears out, but it is the amount of wear and how quickly it wears out that must be taken into consideration. The frame has to be looked at with a careful eye because if there is a small crack in the weld the bike will be virtually worthless.
Components can be changed provided you are willing to do the work yourself. You have the choice of having your local bike shop do this for you but it will cost you considerably more. These are just some of the concerns when you buy a used bike. Not to mention the injuries you could get if the bike had a structural failure while you were out riding your new used bike.

Low Price vs Medium Price
There are three price ranges for road bikes, but for the sake of this article we will only discuss the mid and lower range road bikes. These bikes range in price from 200 dollars - 400 dollars for the lower priced bikes and 400 - 1200 for the mid priced bikes. Now you may say that 1200 dollars is a lot of money for a mid range priced road bike but when you take into consideration that you could pay upwards of 10,000 dollars for a higher priced road bike it doesn’t seem so high.

The difference among these types of road bikes is the quality of their components including the tires, seat, derailleur, crank and frame. Simply put, the bikes will be as different as night and day. Although you will be probably be getting a Shimano derailleur on both bikes you will be not be getting the Shimano XTR Shadow on the low priced road bike. This is true for most of the bike’s components. If it doesn’t matter to you then by all means get the inexpensive bike as opposed to the more expensive road bike. An example would be, if you couldn’t afford the higher priced Schwinn Laguna you could instead purchase the less expensive Lamborghini Rapido. Both are quality road bikes and for a beginner the Rapido may be just what the doctor ordered. If you can afford something in between, the Tommaso Monza is the road bike for you.

Repair Costs
If you factor in the cost of replacement for the cheaper components you have to ask yourself what you really saved by buying the cheaper road bike. If you needed to replace the derailleur you can expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 to 200 dollars depending on the cost of the derailleur and who does the work for you. The same holds true for most of the components on the bike. The original price of the road bike will be far exceeded by the cost to replace it’s components.

You will find that with most things you buy the cheaper it is, the cheaper it is.

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