Help choosing a new road bike!!

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Roy

 

'Good road bike' and 'under $1000' don't really go together.
Are you more of a road racer type, a tourist, or would a 'hybrid' appeal to you? No, they don't have regenerative brakes - it's sort of a cross between a racer and a mountain bike. Trek makes a few in this category that may fit your budget. Last year's models can be considerably cheaper, if you don't need the latest and greatest. Used bikes can also be a good deal, especially if you're planning to trade up soon. See what you can find at your local bike shop. You're more likely to find something there that fits you, and they'll make sure it's in good working order.

 

Have you thought of 'converting' your mountain bike? You could put some lower bars on it, smooth tires, and maybe another chain ring if it isn't already a triple. I've seen this done, and the result is a pretty tough city bike that works well over a surprising variety of terrain. If you want to do a serious dirt ride, just change the tires back to knobbies.

 

I have a 08 Trek Hybrid bike. Got it for around $400 new. I dont ride it as much as I would like to. But it is a very nice bike.

 

I had a Cannondale R400 road bike with their CAAD3 Aluminum frame.

That is the lightest aluminum-frame road bike I've ever ridden. I bought it for $1000 back a few years ago.

I've since upgraded to a Specialized Sirrus LTD carbon-fiber bike with straight handlebars (my back can't handle the drop-bars anymore, LOL), but I sure had some awesome rides on my old Canny.

Give Cannondales a look. I'm sure they got some nice aluminum road bikes in your price range.

 

Do consider a hybrid if you are not a road racer. The position of your body is easier to handle. I was just given a used one and I like it better than my mountain bike for comfort.

 

I have a Trek 1000 that I got (a really good deal too) a few years ago so I wouldn't have to ride my mountain bike or my time trial bike to work. I'm really happy with it, with the sole exception that it requires a tire upgrade the moment you buy it. Drop some Conti GP4000s on there and you're golden (yes they're expensive, but totally worth it). A Trek 1200 (I think they're called 1.2s these days) may be better if you want to move up.

 

I have a Specialized Roubaix. It's light and fast, but has more relaxed geometry than a full-on race bike. It is very comfortable, has nice components, and the price was right. I had just looked at the new model in the bike shop for ~$1500, but I managed to find last year's model on craigslist in my size for $950. I would keep an eye on craigslist, as you can sometimes find top notch road bikes for far less than their original retail price.

 

I highly recommend trying road riding by converting your mountain bike. I did this with my Trek 6500 and it worked great for transportation around town. At the most basic level you could do this by purchasing new tires and tubes for your mountain bike's wheels.

It is also a good way to see if you like road riding before spending the money for a road bike. I doubt you will have much trouble with the lower gearing of your mountain bike due to the very hilly terrain around Boone.

As far as "real" road bikes, as others have said, good and cheap don't go together. My wife purchased a road bike last August and entry level road bikes started at $1200. She ended up purchasing a mid-level bike during an end of season sale. (It seems that bicycle manufacturers change model years ~ August - September)

While on the subject I have to represent the crazies that choose function over race rules and ride recumbents. WAY more comfortable for road riding that being hunched over the bars on a traditional road bike. The RANS V-REX is a good bike that has been around for years. It is priced @ $1495 or about what one would pay for a traditional road bike. RANS Aircraft & Bicycle Page

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Crazies? What's so crazy about wanting to go faster and be more comfortable at the same time?

I can highly recommend recumbents, too, but that wasn't really an option, given the budget. As for racing, they were banned from UCI events in 1934 for being 'too fast'. But they're not exactly 'illegal' for everyday use, and there are separate racing organisations for recumbents, if you're interested.

 

True recumbents are expensive but they don't have to be crazy expensive.

I bought my RANS Vivo for $600. It was for sale on consignment at the local bike shop and had a few nice extras like clip-in peddles, carbon fenders, lights, and a trip computer.

 

And I built my own for even less - a TourEasy from plans and a few willing donor bikes. So yes, it can be done. I'm not sure Ranger is in to that sort of thing, though.

 

You should take a look at some local bike shops to get a feel, do some online research (Bicycling magazine, etc often have reviews), and try something like Craigslist. I have always been partial to Specialized, but for no real reason. There are a lot of great bikes out there. I am very happy with a Felt road bike I have as well. The F85 has Shimano 105 and a carbon fork and seat-tube (in my experience, nice for some road roughness vibration absorption). It might be a hundred or so above your range though. Or you could maybe find a prior year Felt.

You might also consider whether you want a triple or double front chainring. That will also dictate what bikes you might consider.

 

I just sold my road bike for $5300
Not sure I am on the same page as the OP somehow, but I always though a bike should have an engine.