I would say try and up your budget a little bit. The ones I was checking out on pinkbike for a decent one would be more than 500-700. I ended up getting a mountain bike though, a little bit nervous riding on the road.

ah i see. I've been thinking about a mountain bike as well. Any brands to look for ?

Current road bike I'm using is a roubaix sl4 sport specialized bike I've used it on 100 mile rides and have been amazed by it

It's a lower end specialized but still a little over your budget at 1700-2000

i bet swirv feels bad now

Rocky mountain or mielle

Just picked up a specialized crosstrail for about $500. It's a hybrid tho, you can change out the tires for a smoother ride

take this w a grain of salt as this is the interwebs.

• road bikes are sized more specifically to you than a mtn bike, so if you get a road, get sized first or youll hate riding and most likely wont do it = waste of budget
  
• road slicks and 60psi = fast. o yea dont forget a decent standing tire pump for home, in addition to your 'on the road' pump. (on a mtn bike riding on street w knobbies is for noobies)
  
• if you dont already know, test out a few styles (mtn road crossover) to see what riding position feels best for you.
  
• long hours on the bike means sore butt, invest in a good seat.
  
• whatever bike you end up with...i would focus on buying the best FRAME/Fork combo i could get and w the idea you can upgrade the components later.....
  

many years ago i was in a similar situation w a similar budget.

i ended up getting a mtn bike so i could have 2 sets of wheels. 1 w road slicks. 1 w offroad tires. so easy to change up and less $$ and space than 2 bikes.
the mtn bike came w those starter front shocks but was better than not having any for my wrists/forearms, while i got used to being on a bike 18+ miles / 6 days a week.


searched the local bike shops with the idea i wanted:

• to support local business.
  
• to have them do the maintenance for 1 year. shops usually offer 6mon or 1 year w purchase.
  

i happened to be shopping when the new models were coming in.
bought a year old model and saved even more$ as the upgrades on the new bikes were things i was planning to upgrade on the one i got but w better parts than what was on the newer model.

good luck and knowledge to you on your decision.

thanks for this m8. truly noted and appreciated

You need better attentive skills, SheriffCool. (lol)

For only a 500-700 price range, I'd consider buying a used bike. You can find good deals online or at local (legit) bike shops possibly.

This post was edited by said_aouita on Aug 23 2015 02:12am

i road bike! unfortunately there isnt anything that great for your price range unless you purchase a used one, you can probably find a used old cervelo for 700-1000 if you want carbon fiber but I race and ride a steel frame and love it, just did an ironman on it last weekend so i personally would say maybe a steel frame guru, i got mine used $700 but it was from a friend and ex pro, ive put thousands of miles on it and never had any problems except now my sweat is corroding the gear shifters. If you are just looking for something to train on or to get started on then i would say maybe hit up craigslist and find a rando decent looking steel frame.