Buying road bicycle for 25 miles RT commuting to work, What is the best bang for my buck that will last.?

Question

Buying road bicycle for 25 miles RT commuting to work, What is the best bang for my buck that will last.?

Answer 1

Well, since you're buying a bicycle strictly for your commute, you can really customize your decision based what you can expect on your standard route.  Is there a lot of stop & go?  Is there a lot of traffic?  How are the roads, smooth or rough?  Any hills?  How's the weather on a typical ride?  

In general, any road bike or hybrid bike should be fine.  If the conditions are bad, such as lots of stops, traffic & rough roads, I'd lean more towards the hybrid which gives a more upright posture for viewing traffic, as well as wider wheels for a better ride on rough roads.  If you've got a pristine straight shot to work with no traffic, no stops and smooth roads you could make great time on a racing road bike.  If you have no hills, you can maybe save some money by buying a single speed bike.  If you'll be riding in rain or snow, you'll definitely want fenders and/or something with wider wheels that you can put winter tires on.

How to get the best bang for the buck?  Buy used.  It takes some experience to know what's worth it, but that's the best way to stretch your dollar.  You can buy cheap bikes at Wal-Mart that you'll hate, or you can get a decent bike at a bike shop, but it'll cost $$$.  Buying used, you can get a bike shop quality bike, at Wal-Mart prices, but you've kinda gotta know what to look for.  Generally, you can stick to the brand names like Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc and you'll be ok.  Take the bike for a test ride, make sure it fits and it's comfortable, as well as mechanically sound.  You can always get it checked out at a bike shop, if you aren't sure.