What kind of road bike is best for beginners?

lednovice: What kind of road bike is best for beginners?
I’m very interested in getting into road biking. I would like to purchase a basic road bike (hopefully on the cheaper end) with the option to slowly upgrade the different components if/when I become more serious in the sport. Obviously I have no idea so any help on specific brands and models will be greatly appreciated. Oh, and I could use help on a good helmet too.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Chrys
go to your nearest BIKE shop and ask…they will know.

Answer by Bob A
It depends on what you call the cheaper end. You can get a new road bike for around $ 700-$ 900 at a bike shop. Bike fit is very important on a road bike and they come is sizes that are 2 cm apart. If you want to spend less money you can buy an older 10 speed for much less. You don’t want to buy a bike that your are going to upgrade later, it’s a waste of money. The components are the most expensive part of the bike. You are much better off buying what you want right off. You can get a helmet at Walmart if you like they are all required to pass a certain level of safety. Just don’t get a bike there or any other department store.

Answer by mtlbiker
Basic starter road bikes are often not suitable for extensive upgrading. At the low end, frames and wheels, the most expensive parts of the bike are of basic quality, designed to do a good job of introducing novice cyclists to the sport. Putting high quality components on a bike like this does not turn a bike like this into a high end bike, just a nice entry level bike. Upgrading components is also expensive. You can spend more on upgrading than the original price of the bike for a small return. If you want to upgrade, it is usually best to buy a better bike, and resell the bike you started with, you might spend a small amount more than you would upgrading your first bike, but you will end up with a much better machine.

Answer by Cyclebum
As you “have no idea” I recommend you cruise the local bike shops and ask a lot of questions. Try some on for size. Get yourself a basic education in bicycles. Fit is first! Can’t be overemphasized.

Before investing a lot in a road bike, and if you haven’t already done so, do some serious riding on on a borrowed bike to make sure this is really something you want to do. There are thousands of good bicycles sitting in garages around the country gathering dust. Might be one in your neighborhood for sale real cheap.

Answer by takontanya
You may want to study the option to buy folding bike; this will be more beneficial to you instead of just buy a regular bike. Try Ladies Bike Online, they are not merely selling Ladies Bike, but some good Folding Bikes – and made in North America!