# Need some advice for entry level bike



## wanted (Aug 26, 2013)

Hi everyone. I decided last year to start getting in shape and started riding a bike to work. It's about 5 miles each way with with a bit of an incline and I ride about 2-3 times each week. Not being sure how I would like it I borrowed an old walmart mountain bike and have been riding that for the past year. Now that a year has past I've decided that I want to get something a bit better.

I had an original budget of $500 and with that in mind i went to a lbs. After visiting 2 shops it seems that to get anything even remotely decent I'd have to spend 7-800 for an "entry level" bike. Not wanting to spend that much I turned my attention online and started researching the last few days. I've narrowed my search down to these two bikes from BD. I guess my question is what's the difference between these two and is the $100 difference worth it? 


Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes - Motobecane Mirage Pro


Touring bicycles and Road Bikes, Roadbikes - Mercier Galaxy Tour

Thanks in advance.


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## Hyder (May 30, 2013)

That is a hard one, I like the Mirage Pro, seem to have better components and I love the Orange color. I have the Motobecane TI and was really happy with my purchase from BD. With that said, for $500.00 you can pick up a really nice bike off of CL that I think would suit you just fine. I figure if someone is asking 6 or 7 hundred they will take 500.00 on CL. 
Case in point, I sold my 2009 Specialized with full 105's for $450.00, that was about all I could get for it because CL is flooded with nice bikes for around that range. 
Just did a 30 sec search and found this one 52 cm 2005 Trek 1500 aluminum road/tri bike with carbon fiber fork
Easily pick this up for $500.00 just to give you an Idea. 
If you decide on BD I like the Mirage Pro.


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## wanted (Aug 26, 2013)

Hyder said:


> That is a hard one, I like the Mirage Pro, seem to have better components and I love the Orange color. I have the Motobecane TI and was really happy with my purchase from BD. With that said, for $500.00 you can pick up a really nice bike off of CL that I think would suit you just fine. I figure if someone is asking 6 or 7 hundred they will take 500.00 on CL.
> Case in point, I sold my 2009 Specialized with full 105's for $450.00, that was about all I could get for it because CL is flooded with nice bikes for around that range.
> Just did a 30 sec search and found this one 52 cm 2005 Trek 1500 aluminum road/tri bike with carbon fiber fork
> Easily pick this up for $500.00 just to give you an Idea.
> If you decide on BD I like the Mirage Pro.


Thanks for the advice. I did look for about a week on craigslist and decided against it mainly because I don't know that much about components and parts and wouldn't be able to accurately judge a good deal vs a bad one. Plus I don't want to spam the forum with posts with every deal that I think might be good. BD seems to be the safer route with a general consensuses that they are pretty good value.


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