I need a drop-bar commuter for $500. Can it be done?

[Sarah Dots]

My poor bike. It’s an old entry-level racing bike (not that I’m that speedy) that I have to use to commute 15 miles daily, about half of that in DC city limits. And every winter I trash the bike in Freezing Saddles (as my recently cleaned out bottom bracket can attest to). So it’s time to show the poor bike some love and find a commuter bike with drop bars. So I’ve looked at cyclocross frames (even though I ride on the hoods and hate cyclocross brakes) and touring bikes. And Nashbar and BikesDirect bikes. Oh, and the bike has to be a drop bar because of nerve damage in one arm, have 28 or 32 mm tires, and not have bar-end or down-tube or head-tube shifters ’cause I use the gears a lot and would probably die in traffic with those setups.

But my budget is tiny. Teeny tiny.

Am I just SOL? HELP!

Topic

[DismalScientist]

The 2300 shifters on the bikesdirect bikes are integrated, but a different method to go to smaller cogs. Claris appears to be the “new” 2300, but with moving to a smaller cog more like higher end shifters. From what I’ve read, 2300s are fine from the hoods, but not the drops. I dunno. I haven’t tried either. Hell, I would convert them all to 70’s Sun Tour friction bar end shifters. :rolleyes:
The bikesdirect bike claims tire clearance to 1.7 inches. The Performance bike has no rack mounts.

[vvill]

@Sarah Dots 91760 wrote:

How does it compare to this one? http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_547466_-1___204872

The shifters on the Nashbar are new Sora so those are nicer, but otherwise I imagine I’d prefer the BD (BikesDirect). The disc brakes will be better in wet conditions than cantilevers, and I’ve never heard of the wheels on the Nashbar, the BD one has Formula/Alex which is a fairly standard entry-level combination. As DismalScientist mentioned, the Nashbar bike has a steel fork, so the fork will likely be heavier than the one on the BD.

ebubar has a good suggestion – I would much prefer to buy from a Performance shop, because they’ll do basic tuneups on your bike for free.

Used bike option perhaps (I don’t know your height/size):
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/bik/4593101506.html

[ebubar]

Rereading your posts, since you ride on the hoods, the Liberty CXD shifters shouldn’t be a problem for you.

Also note that even if a bike doesn’t have mounts for a rack, you can always go with a cycling backpack (I find I kind of prefer this to keep my bike feeling light and spry) or use pclamps to mount a rack to a bike without attachment points (depending on the weight of your commuting items).

[baiskeli]

@Sarah Dots 91729 wrote:

Um, I don’t know what they’re called. The ones on the handlebar on either side of the stem thingy (no, I don’t know all these parts, clearly). When I have tried cyclocross bikes, those seem to be the only brakes that stop the bike, and I don’t want to have to reach up there to stop. Maybe it’s just the models I’ve tried? (Think, entry-level cheapo bikes.)

Sarah,

I commute with an earlier version of this:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt1200-xv.htm?gclid=CNqJiI7q-b8CFSpo7AodSHYAAQ

Looks like they’ve upgraded the model a bit, but it’s still under $500 (just barely.). It has worked out quite well for me. It’s basically just a clone of an entry-level road bike like the Fuji Newest.

This model doesn’t have the brakes that I think you’re describing:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/BR7312.jpg

but mine came with them. Like in the link, my bike also has standard road brake levers – either ones will stop the bike. As I understand it, they are easy to add to a bike with standard brakes though. I LOVE them – they have more power because I can get more leverage, and I can use my brakes while upright – which is especially nice while going downhill, which is when I’m more likely to be in an upright position and more likely to need brakes.

(P.S. Canti brakes can be really hard to unhook and rehook when you need to take the wheel off to change a tire.)

[DaveK]

I may have missed how tall you are, but my wife’s old Giant OCR2 road bike would probably work for you. It’s an extra small so you’d need to be under 5’4″. I’d be happy to sell it for $350 – it has Shimano 105 components and mounts for a rear rack. I think it will mount fenders as well but I’m not 100%.

[dbb]

@DaveK 92017 wrote:

old Giant OCR2 … It’s an extra small

An extra small giant? Hmm … like jumbo shrimp?

[Sarah Dots]

Sorry, DaveK, just saw this. Am injured and off the bike, but back to looking at bike deals because ’tis the season. Anyway, I’m 5’8″, but thanks for offering!

[Author]

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