Good entry level bike?

Thanks for the replies guys. I've learned my lesson with dept. store bikes and dual suspension bikes less than $1000; not going that road again... I noticed a lot of you guys suggested that I get a bike without suspension. Do you guys mean a hardtail or a fully suspension free bike; no front fork suspension either?
 
No suspension if you think youre going to do a lot of road riding. If you're going to go down a rocky road occassionally, an entirely suspension free bike will still be fine. if you do a lot of riding over roots, water, leaves and sticks and stuff like that, suspension absorbs the bumps and keeps you more in control of the bike. But a bike with suspension bounces up and down when you pedal or stand up and smooshes causing you to have to pedal harder and your arms do a lot of fighting. Even if you crank them down stiff they still cause some issues.
 
Okay, thanks I guess the suspension in my bike just doesn't do poop so I don't notice the difference. Well I do hit a fair amount of curbs and my route isn't paved the whole way through so I think I'd better opt for a front suspension bike.
 
I would suggest getting a full suspension, it will save your back when you do decide to go on bumpy rides.

The bike store advice is right on.
After getting fitted for your bike, If it is over your budget, look for it (or one similar) used. So many people always buy a new bike every time a new model comes out, there are some good deals on some great bikes if you look for them.
 
Curbs shouldn't really be hit head on. Life the front tire and take weight off the rear tire once the front is up and you won't pop tires or dent rims. I just bunnyhop (BMX) so i don't have that problem lol. As far as an unpaved route, do you just mean stone?
 
simply put...don't wast your time looking for a new bike. I agree that you should go to a bike shop and get fitted and learn proper maintenance as well as what component brands are good (i.e shimano, sram, bb, etc). then hit CRAIGSLIST...you can get a much nicer and more quality bike for 300 then you could ever hope to get buying new =). I would keep a look out for any of these brands...Cannondale, Specialized, trek, and Giant(though giant seem to run a bit heavier then the others in my opinion). these are just a few of the bikes i think are good quality which can be reasonably priced on Craigslist.
I bought a brand new Specialized Stumpjumper comp from a bike shop, for a pretty penny. Its full suspension with lockouts to make street riding more enjoyable. if you do decide to get a bike with full suspension i recommend grabbing a par of low profile (street) tires from a local shop. you will be amazed at how much they improve your ride and decrease the amount of energy expenditure... my brother rode my new bike and loved it...so went to the bike shop and realized how pretty the penny was. He hit Craigslist and found 5 or 6 comparable bikes for a small fraction of the cost :(. all were in relatively good condition as well.

Good luck my friend and thanks for the post =).
 
I have sold about 20 bikes over the last two seasons. The most expensive one was a near-15 year-old Giant carbon fiber/aluminum roadster that went for 200 bucks. Most all the ones I refurbish are mid-range mountain bikes or hybrids.
Most go for 150.00 or less. I put on new chains, clean-lubricate, replace wheel hub bearings and such as needed.
They are ready to roll when I sell 'em.
Put every one on Craigslist.....

However.... Being a relative beginner, I would recommend taking an experienced bike person with you. I can usually tell if a bike is sound in a couple of minutes, but I know what to look for.
 
Like others are mentioning, sometimes the best way to get a good bike for $300 is to buy a used bike for $250 and then spend the rest of your money getting it tuned up and looked over at a legit bike shop.

And when I say used bike, I mean a bike that was/is a quality bike in the first place.

Perhaps if you're bitten by the sport, you will one day be selling things off to spend several thousand on a bike :-0 much like I am now.

3769185417
 
With bikes, there's a knowledge premium built into the price: very simply, to reduce the price of the bike (type) you want, learn about it. The more you learn, the lower the price gets (to a point). If you want to stretch your money as far as possible, then cultivate a friend who is a bike guru or become one yourself- and familiarize yourself with components, upgrades etc. that you can snipe. I had my crazy mechanic friend score some TIME ATAC pedals, cleats, and nice riding gloves for me- for $40. You can sometimes score a great deal on a frame and a few components, and a couple hundred dollars more saves several off a comparably priced bike. If you don't learn, you pay a knowledge premium for people to know what to do/adjust for you. Otherwise, if you buy below a certain price, you get a bike that literally isn't worth the price to repair at a mechanic...

Zero
 
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