a good road (commuter) bike

bigbadbill

I'm in the market to buy a new bike. Not a mountain bike, but more of a hybrid, light-weight commuter bike. My price limit is $450. Does anyone have any suggestions? What's a good brand name? Cannondale, GT, KHS, Fuji, Schwinn?

appie

Cannondale would be my choice..Handmade Usa quality..Have been riding Cannondale for years and always with fun..But the other brands are also well known,dont know about prices there but every brand isnt cheap here..If your gonna ride Singlespeed the price will drop,same for with/without suspension..

Keep tha wheelz rollin..

Go Beavers

In that price range, they're going to be made in Asia, which is fine, but it sort of eliminates differences amongst brands. I would encourage you to go to a good local bike shop that is responsive and listens to you. Some shops have a lot in that range, and other not so much. There are/will be Spring sales, too. Try different ones out and see what's comfortable. I commute with a single speed and it's relatively flat where I ride it. The single speed cuts down on weight and maintenance. It's good to figure out how upright you want to be vs. stretched out a little more when in the saddle. I ride with narrow road tires, which is a comfort vs. speed thing. I'll emphasize going to the local bike shop again as you'll get better customer service up front and when you come in later for accessories, repairs, upgrades, etc.

The Juggler

bigbadbill wrote:

I'm in the market to buy a new bike. Not a mountain bike, but more of a hybrid, light-weight commuter bike. My price limit is $450. Does anyone have any suggestions? What's a good brand name? Cannondale, GT, KHS, Fuji, Schwinn?

i have a trek hybrid 7200. got it a few years ago and love it. great for street and on trails. price was around $450 or so. here's a pic (not mine):
http://www.ibikedb.net/bikes/4155-trek-7200fx