# Best road bikes under $800?



## frapple23 (Jan 23, 2015)

Hey, I'm 14 years old and looking to get a first road bike. I've had a Trek 820 mountain bike for 2 years now and I'm going to move into road biking. I've looked at a few bikes, including the Trek 1.1, Specialized Allez, and the Fuji Sportif 2.3. What would you guys say about these bikes? I've been leaning mainly toward the Fuji, because of its lower price point and similar components. Does anyone own any of these bikes, and would you be able to give me some advice about which bike is the best deal for the price?
Thanks for any help you can give!


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## Social Climber (Jan 16, 2013)

Those are all good bikes. You are not going to find a lot of differences in overall quality between the big manufacturers at any particular price point. Test ride each of them and see which one you think rides the best. Normally I would say fit is the most important aspect to consider when purchasing a bike, but at 14 you are likely still growing so it is a variable you can't control.


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## HyperCycle (Sep 5, 2012)

I bought my Trek 1.1 for $720 two years ago and it's been worth every penny.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

I agree with everything that has been said. You can't go wrong with any of those. You could also throw the Giant Defy 5 and Felt Z100 in the mix if you like. Just get the one that fits your body best and you like the most after a test ride and the ride the mess out of it. :thumbsup:


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

HyperCycle said:


> I bought my Trek 1.1 for $720 two years ago and it's been worth every penny.


That's what I bought for my cousin last year. He loves it and still rides it almost every day. Great bike.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

The best road bike under $800 is a used one. You can get a 2-3 year old bike for 1/3 the cost of new. My current ride was less than a year old when I got it, had less than 500 miles on it and was 44% the price of new. A previous bike I had I got for 1/5 the price of new (it was 3 years old).


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

^^^^^what he said...

you can get a lot of bike on CraigsList for 8 bills.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

Used is good if you know exactly what you're looking for. If you're having to ask on a forum, probably best to stay with new.

As for the 3 you mentioned, nothing wrong with going with the Fuji. It's a solid bike. Fuji offers excellent value. I've owned several Fuji's, and I sell them, as well. The other bikes are also good, but if the Fuji fits, the lower price makes it a great choice.


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## DrAstro (Jul 24, 2013)

I'm a fan of the Giant Defy lineup. You can get a brand new Defy 5 and possibly find a Defy 3 somewhere within your price range. Now is a great time to buy with winter settling in and bike shops not selling much.


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## TricrossRich (Mar 26, 2014)

definitely visit your local shops.... there are quite a few shops around me that have last year's Allez Elite in your price range.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

I would stay away from used in this particular instance. The OP is 14, and wouldn't have any clue what to look for to spot a damaged bike. And unless dad knows bikes, he's unlikely to know anyone who can go with him to check a bike. He'd be too easy to take advantage of. I would go to a reputable shop. At the entry level price point, brand is secondary to trust of the shop and service. All shop brand $800 bikes are going to have either Claris or Sora, and have a mix and match of components. Some will scrimp on brakes, others on the crank, others on the tires. Reputation of the shop is the key for a youngster starting out.


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## MNdag (Apr 24, 2014)

I just picked up a 2014 TREK 1.2 on closeout for $750. Great components and a carbon fork. Keep an eye out for 2014 closeouts and shops are making room for 2015s, so you could save a bunch.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Jwiffle said:


> Used is good if you know exactly what you're looking for. If you're having to ask on a forum, probably best to stay with new.
> 
> As for the 3 you mentioned, nothing wrong with going with the Fuji. It's a solid bike. Fuji offers excellent value. I've owned several Fuji's, and I sell them, as well. The other bikes are also good, but if the Fuji fits, the lower price makes it a great choice.


Really? One can do research and get as good of an idea of what will suit oneself vs relying on a sales person that might be driven by commission or what they have in stock. 

If one has an idea of what style of bike they want (race, comfort, cross ...) utilizing any number of fit calculators will get the person close to their ideal frame size.

Asking people on a board and getting a wide spectrum of brand options is better than relying on the guy from a store that carries maybe 3 or 4 brands.

Buy a used bike and find it is not right, you resell it with little lost. Buy a new bike and find it is not right, you sell it and take a big hit.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

I generally advocate for 'new' and from a reputable LBS, for the services they provide. But at age 14 (and still growing), I'm not sure spending ~$800 for a bike that may only fit for 'awhile' is the best option.

What I'd suggest is checking out used offerings (from private sellers as well as LBS's) in the $400-$600 range. If you find a suitable bike from a private seller, ask to bring it to your shop for mechanical and fit assessment. They may be able to ballpark the bikes value as well.

Dropping $50 (or so) for this service isn't going to put much of a dent in your budget, and you'll have some peace of mind that the bike is worth the asking price and fits.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

use a couple of online calculators to get an idea of what frame size you need.

look on CL for similarly sized bikes.

it's not rocket science.

between the ages of 14 and 15, I grew almost 2 inches in height. so, whatever the kid buys now is likely not going to fit him for very long...


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## HyperCycle (Sep 5, 2012)

There are pros and cons in buying new or used. When it comes to bikes, I prefer to buy new because I'm weird and don't like other people's stuff. Plus, I like the warranties and dealer support at the LBS. 

However... I always buy used vehicles with low mileage, so go figure.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

HyperCycle said:


> There are pros and cons in buying new or used. When it comes to bikes, I prefer to buy new because I'm weird and don't like other people's stuff. Plus, I like the warranties and dealer support at the LBS.
> 
> However... I always buy used vehicles with low mileage, so go figure.


Your'e not weird, just smart. Low mileage used vehicles usually come with the balance of the original warranty. You let some other guy eat the first two years' depreciation (most of them are leased) and get a solid car with a long life ahead of it. It's the smartest way to buy a car. Especially if you run it into the ground and then junk or donate it. :thumbsup:


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I was favorably impressed with a Torker Interurban a few years ago. I was looking for a commute bike at the time. This is a very versatile bike - great for someone who wants to see where riding takes him.


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## frapple23 (Jan 23, 2015)

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm probably going to stick with new, one because I probably wouldn't know whether I was getting ripped off or not and two because this is my first road bike and I want to get something that will last me a while. New is probably my best bet I think. 




Oxtox said:


> between the ages of 14 and 15, I grew almost 2 inches in height. so, whatever the kid buys now is likely not going to fit him for very long...



I'm 5'7 right now, and I'll probably grow in the next few years like Oxtox said. If I got a 54 cm frame, which seems to be the ideal size for my height, how long can I use the bike before it becomes unusable in terms of size? In other words, how tall can I get before the bike becomes too small for me to properly use?

One more question... What do you all think about bikes from bikesdirect?


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## HeadsorTailswind (Jan 22, 2014)

I enjoyed REI's Zealo, which has disc brakes (useful in snowy MN) and some Tiagra bits. If you're not willing to sample and try out used bikes on Craigslist (some can be values, other overvalued) it's a good new one that isn't priced by brand name.

Torkers are great commuter cycles, I use an older KB2 that I found for under $200.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

frapple23 said:


> Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm probably going to stick with new, one because I probably wouldn't know whether I was getting ripped off or not and two because this is my first road bike and I want to get something that will last me a while. New is probably my best bet I think.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Inseam will matter more than height alone, but all kinds of things can change... You may be able to buy the largest frame size you can be fit properly to and (get it) refit it periodically. You can usually work with 3 frame sizes. So, not knowing where you will end up and the dimensions within that, you could at least get a good few years out of this bike. Perhaps until you drive. Then you can decide what you want... A new bike or a car. College? Things change a lot at 14. A good shop will help you through all of this. Bikes Direct is not a good shop.


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## bahueh (May 11, 2004)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> Really? One can do research and get as good of an idea of what will suit oneself vs relying on a sales person that might be driven by commission or what they have in stock.
> 
> If one has an idea of what style of bike they want (race, comfort, cross ...) utilizing any number of fit calculators will get the person close to their ideal frame size.
> 
> ...


way to piss on a 14 year old's parade. 

kid, get the bike that fits and you think you'll still ride/want in 2 years. you'll outgrow it after that and move on. new, used, it doesn't matter. Fuji makes good bikes, as does Trek. Ride them both, pick the one that works best for you.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

frapple23 said:


> New is probably my best bet I think...
> 
> I'm 5'7 right now, and I'll probably grow in the next few years like Oxtox said. If I got a 54 cm frame, which seems to be the ideal size for my height, how long can I use the bike before it becomes unusable in terms of size? In other words, how tall can I get before the bike becomes too small for me to properly use?
> 
> One more question... What do you all think about bikes from bikesdirect?


New is fine, but (IMO) it's best to stay with LBS's so they can work with you on fit. Even if you'll outgrow the bike, at least you'll start out with a frame sized correctly. You can then get tweaks to fit as you grow - to a point.

Speaking of which, you can't know how much you'll grow, at what rate, and how, proportionally, so (again) best you can do is start out with a well fitting bike. 

In this price range, any reputable brands will be similar. It's more important to get the support reputable LBS's offer. So ride a bunch, get the one that fits and feels best, then just go ride.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

If you want to learn more about how bikes go together, you can also move to larger frames as you go. The approach has some pitfalls, but as long as you stay in the same class, I think it's still feasible. You should be able to get a fair amount of time out of just changing stems, too.

I was riding an old Motobecane (Real one - when the brand still existed) that I'd converted to flat bars when I was your age. You're doing better than me!


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## SlippedChain (Nov 4, 2013)

Roland44 said:


> That's what I bought for my cousin last year. He loves it and still rides it almost every day. Great bike.


Back in 2010 times were tight for me trying to manage a mortgage on one income. Wanted to upgrade to indexed shifting after a few years of riding on a mid 80s steel bike. Bought a used Trek 1.1 with less than 100 miles on it for $475 off CL. 

That bike owes me nothing. I rode it solo, on club rides and centuries. Not one problem with it other than the usual wear items (brake pads, tires, etc...).

I still have it and use it as a rain bike or when my Caad is getting serviced. Still kind of amazed at how much fun one can have with an entry level bike and it was a blast dropping guys on much more expensive bikes.


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