What is a good road bike for a beginner that does not cost more than $300?

They are ALL USED for $300! and there arent any good bikes in your price range NEW! Sorry....at least none that I would recommend to you!What is a good road bike for a beginner that does not cost more than $300?
A new bike in this price range will not be very good. There are some good deals out there used, cyclists are always upgrading, but you have to know what to look for. Think about a bike as a long term investment. My first good road bike cost about $500, and lasted me over 25 years, or about $20 a year, not very expensive. A cheap $200 bike might be junk in a couple of years, it would actually be more expensive. The other upside of a better machine is that it will be a lot more fun to ride, you would end up using it more often.What is a good road bike for a beginner that does not cost more than $300?
so long as you'll ride it that is the best bike for you. I use to race mountain bikes and been out riding with guys / gals that spent 3 to 7 thousand on bikes rode them for a couple of months then garadged. Ebay is full of them. Ive seen the same exact thing with road bikes.





people will recommend anything from target bikes to cervelo but if you dont ride it, its not worth a penny. there really is no such thing as a bike for a 'beginner' A beginner can ride a 5,000 dollar bike just as well as they can ride a 500 hundred dollar bike.





Out on the road and or trails Ive had my hass kicked by guys and girls on less expensive bikes then mine and I have also rode much better then others with way more expensive bikes then me.





I usually recomnend that you find a feature that you like, such as color, frame geometry or style maby just the seat type. buy it, ride it, and over time go from there. go to ebay for ideas. go to a bike shop.





If your new bike shops tend to be more expensive and they will coax you into something so know what you want before you go.





I see alot of guys on here with excellent comments but in the end the best bike is the bike that you will actually ride.
First find your size.





Second, check Ebay.





Right now a Schwinn 434 Aluminum frame bike is $57 on Ebay. Yeah, I still have mine from 1992 and I train in it. There are lots of bikes out there used. But for the basics, e.g. learning to ride in the drop bars, index shifting, skinny tires with rediculous pressure and a seat that could make a grown man cry like a little girl... check out Craigslist and look for aluminum frames--everyone is going to carbon so you should be able to get an aluminum road bike cheap.
Know this - I am a category V road racer...I know bikes. I would never point anyone in this direction who was going to get serious about a road bike, but...Wal Mart is carrying new Schwinns now for around $300 - maybe a little less. They're NOT GREAT - by any stretch of the imagination - but, if you've only got $300 to spend on one - this might be the one.





It's not going to win you any races, or anything like that - it's probably the heaviest aluminum frame on the market, with cheap components - but, it'll get you started. Maybe in six months or a year, you can go out and get yourself a nicer one.





Good luck!
Where I live, that budget can only buy imitation new road bike that breaks down every week





Look for used road bike of steel/aluminium frameset. You may be a little too new to detect damaged carbon frameset





Try get one with a wide gear ratio range, clincher tire (tubular always get punctured). Check that the bike size fits you, not the other round


Check if the brakes are in order, the gear change smooth
There are many secondhand good bikes for sale, depending on where you are from. A secondhand bike is always a good buy because it would have cost more when they bought it! When you sit on a bike make sure the balls of your feet touch the ground whilst seated. The seat will be adjustable. Get a bike with gears so that you can vary riding speeds and hills.
Bikes Direct have two for $300 but you need to know how to assemble and tune a bike.


http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road鈥?/a>
You might find a decent used single speed for that price. Check craigslist daily.





Expect to pay $1,000 for a decent road bike plus another $500 for extras/upgrades.