Road Bike Purchase Help

I was in a similar situation a few months ago looking for a good ride for a good price. I went to all the dealers in town and looked at what they had to offer. Depending on what your price range is, the softest ride probably going to be with a steel frame bike. It is a bit heavier than aluminum or some of the other materials, but the ride is nice. I finally settled on a 2003 Bianchi Campione and am quite happy with it. For less than $1500, few manufacturers go beyond aluminum for the frame. Some try to compensate by offering "absorbing materials" for the fork and seat post, which softens the ride, but still allows the rider to feel a lot of the road vibrations. Check out Lemond, and Bianchi. Also, www.roadbikereview.com has reviews of almost all manufacturer's bikes from 2003 back a few years. I found that website invaluable. Take your time and get one that fits you and you are comfortable on. Good luck.

Hi,
Steel usually has a gentler ride than Aluminum. But you will have to go over a grand, or consider used. If you can find a used bike that fits, and is in good shape, that's the way to go. I see 30 and even 40 year old steel bikes on the road all the time. Most Alu bikes will last for a few years, and then die. There are a couple other things you can do. The first is to put on the biggest tire that will fit. On a lot of bikes that's the Rivendell Poly Poly. Silly name, nice tire. You can also mount a short, steep stem, and then put the original back on when you get used to riding on the road.