He can go here:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

or get something used. I have a $300 road bike from bikesdirect and it works fine. I did have to upgrade the wheels though.

i think 500 can buy an OK used road bike from a few years ago.

Probably best to look for a used bike on that budget. You won't be able to get anything decent for that new.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

I challenge you to a race on my $300 bike!

I don't think you'll find a good NEW road bike for $500, but you can definitely find a good used one.

I bought a used Felt F60 with Ultegra components on ebay for $700. It's a great bike that probably has 5000 miles on it. I needed to clean it up a bit, but it's great to have the roadie in addition to my tri bike.

Tell him not to get wrapped up in the "new thing", buy a much better bike used that will serve his purposes just fine.

It's not a $300 bike if you upgraded the wheels (unless they were free). FYI, I paid $600 for mine, used from a friend who is a cat 1 racer.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

ok, my $430 bike!

How about you challenge my boyfriend to a race, who's front wheel is worth more than your entire bike.

EDIT: Not to say that a cheap bike can't be ridden fast, but it likely won't last as long. Also, if you have 2 EQUAL riders (fitness, speed and skill-wise) you'll see the difference good equipment makes.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

you guys in austin?

That's a perfectly fine price point especially if he/you scour the local craigslist for a few weeks.

No, we are not.

You responded before I got my edit in there. Obviously, as has been stated her time and time again, it's the engine that matters most. I'm not saying you have to spend a ton of money, like I posted above, I didn't. But if you don't think there is a difference in quality between a $300 bike and, say, a carbon frame with full Dura Ace components you're kidding yourself.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

well its certainly a lot heavier
'quality' wise it seems fine

except for the wheels

lol

Just think of how fast you'd be on a light bike!

I have a pretty nice mtb. But I'm trying to lighten it up a bit as I have foolishly registered for a 3 day endurance race in Canada. I definitely don't want to be carry any more than I have to for that. Sometimes it's worth it to invest a little more.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

I've got a nice bike too!

I'm just messing around. But really a human being can be happy and train hard on a really cheap bike. they aren't THAT bad =)

I've got a nice bike too!

Too bad, I was loving the irony of your screen name.

But really a human being can be happy and train hard on a really cheap bike.

I agree, but why not get more bike for the money?

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

well yeah I generally agree that you can get a better deal used...

my nice bikes are used!

And again, in my weak attempt to steer the conversation to what I was looking for, full carbon & DA isn't really a concern for my friend. Nor is it in the budget.

He wants me to go with him to a few shops tomorrow to look at bikes. For $500, is it even worth it?

That was just an exaggerated example.

Does your friend have an aversion to a used bike? Most of my bikes have been bought used and I've been happy with them all.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

the bottom line trek/specialized will come in close to that, maybe more like $650

then you gotta think about pedals/shoes/helmets/pump/spare tires and so on

Possibly. Your best bet at a shop is going to be if they have a "back room" where they have used bikes that the locals are selling. One of the local tri shops here (Tribe) has that, and/or some of them have "postit" boards where people selling their old stuff put up ads.

But, the least expensive road bikes I've seen lately were in the $700-900 range new.

John

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Top notch coaching: Francois and Accelerate3 | Follow on Twitter: LifetimeAthlete |

That's basically what I've been thinking. I don't think he's averse to used, but I think doesn't really get it that $500 isn't going to be enough coin for what he's looking for.

Guess he'll see that tomorrow.

The thing is we're all used to looking at bikes that cost more than cars. When you're new to this deal it really is a shock to walk into a bike shop with $500 (that's real money to me) and realize that you have enough to get a decent hybrid and that's it.

Send him to wal-mart!

http://www.walmart.com/...mp;ref=125871.413813

$139 gets you a road bike and $499.99 gets you a carbon fiber and aluminum Schwinn! And ignore the shipping weight - - read the reviews...it weighs less than 20lbs!



A must-have for the road cyclist, this Schwinn road bike guarantees a smooth ride. It comes nicely equipped with an aluminum front triangle frame with a carbon rear triangle and carbon fork.
A Shimano Sora 14-speed drivetrain with 7-speed Sora STI shifters provides sure shifts and no slips. Stopping power comes from the ProMax dual pivot caliper brakes, giving you the confidence to aggressively tackle the road.

700c Men's Schwinn CF-1000 Road Bike:

• Frame: Schwinn aluminum front triangle with carbon fiber rear end road bike frame
• Fork: Schwinn carbon fiber road fork
• Shifters: Shimano 14-speed drive train with Shimano 7-speed Sora STI shifters
• Stem: Promax alloy ahead
• Handlebars: Promax carbon/aluminum
• Crankset: Samox ISIS Road 42/52
• Front Derailleur: Shimano 2200
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano 2200
• Brakes: Promax dual pivot caliper
• Wheels: SWFT Alloy 24 spoke Deep Dish Aero wheel set
• Tires: Kenda 700 x 26c
• Pedals: Road pedal with toe clip and strap
• Seat: Schwinn road saddle

Speeds: 7-speed shifter Frame: Aluminum frame Brake type: ProMax Brakes Bike Type: Road Bike Shipping Weight (in pounds): 38.0 Product in Inches (L x W x H): 65.9 x 16.1 x 37.8 Assembled in Country of Origin: USA and/or Imported Origin of Components: USA and/or Imported Wal-Mart No.: 000721311

Did I read that right, shipping weight is 38 lbs? How much is the packaging, 10 lbs. at most?

He'd have fun on that for a century ride.