What is a good entry level road bike for about 500 dollars? I am new to road bikes and do not wanna dish over 1k for a Giant or Trek. l just want a durable one for about 500, just for regular commuting. l was looking at the Cadillac Electric Blue CTS Road Bike for 400 on amazon.com. Since l do not really know anything about road bikes, is this a good starter road bike? Any other recommendations? Thanks!
Ok, I am a very small guy. I am like 5'5.5'' and around 5'7'' with shoes on. Would l but the small for people up to 5'6'' or M for people 5'7''-5'10''? I am considering one of the entry level bikes on bikesdirect.com
The forge CTS does look pretty cool. So i've think l narrowed it down to the forge cts or the dawes 1500 http://bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt1500.htm. l would prefer a bike with tiagra instead of sora, but l have a pretty strict limit of 500 dollars. Which bike is better?
http://bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt1500.htm

l would not buy the Cadillac bike they r made by Kent & they r pretty much junk on the low end stuff. l bought a Denali & it lasted about 80 miles before the rear cassette broke. l got lucky & got the Schwinn Laguna Sport from Amazon for $256 & free shipping. l would look on Ebay or Craig is list for a used Trek or other brand name bike in ur area. You can also get a bike from Bikes Direct for around $400.

http://bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

For the frame size u go more by ur inseam size then by height.

http://coloradocyclist.com/bikefit

You r better off going to a smaller size then the next larger one. With ur height u may want to look at this Forge CTS 1000 it is a nice bike for the money.

http://forgebikes.com/ctsroad.asp
http://target.com/Forge-1000-Road-Racing-Bike/dp/B000LWFG9C/qid=1228707535/ref=br_1_6/192-5955191-3635349?ie=UTF8&node=125446011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1

Another thing to consider is the stand over height. You want at lest 2 inches of clearance between u & the top tube. For the money l think the Forge bike is the better valve. l bought the Forge Saranac this summer & it is a very nice bike.

if it is the bike im thinking of dont get it. it has really bad components & is really heavy almost 35 lbs. l just bought a road biuke off of ww.bikedirect.com for 560 at a store it would cost over 1,000. they have some in the 3-400 dollar range that arent too shabby. there is some minor assembly like handlebars & front brakes but not anything too difficult, or take it to a shop & for 60 bucks theyl put it together & make sure everything is working smoothly. there is of course still craigslist but if u dont know what ur looking for u can get ripped off but there r also a lt of deals too. h ope that helped

it is better toi go with the bike size that is for u so u would go with the smaller one. if its too large it becomes more work . l dont know how old u r but if ur planning on growing to 5'7 or higher in the next year then buy the larger one otherwise stay with the smaller one

http://khsbicycles.com/05_flite_220_09.htm

Made by a real bicycle company

Durable frame/components. Not raceworthy, but decent

You can affordably and easily make a few upgrades over time

You wo not get feel silly riding a ''cadillac'' bicycle

And you buy it from a real bike shop where they will get you fitted properly on the right size.

Nuff said

Consider a used bike. Go to your local shops and ask if they have taken anything in trade that is your size. There is nothing wrong with a used bike that has been checked out by a qualified technician. That way you can get the Trek or Giant you really wanted and stay within your $500 budget. The real trick is to be in the right place at the right time. That means contacting all of the shops in your area.

HTH

any giant ocr will be the best choice you can get in hat price range
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