I'm looking to upgrade to a proper bicycle, and do it cheaply. My two choices, each $400, are the Schwinn Circuit and Windsor Dover.
To make this clear, this bicycle will be used to get from point A to point B. I'd like to be able to keep up with traffic, unstead of having to plod along on the sidewalks, and do so without having to spend a lot of money on insurance, gas, and maintenance. While I'm not much of a cyclist, I do like to go fast.
My two choices are the Windsor Sora ($360 + $40 shipping) and the Schwinn Circuit ($399 locally). This is about as expensive as I can go, and I need the bike to last at least four years.
On one hand, I have the Schwinn Circuit, a somewhat traditional road bike. It's about 28lbs - while the frame is aluminum, the fork is actually steel. While it has the level of components from Shimano one level below the Sora, they're supposed to be extremely durable - in fact, my LBS uses them as rental bikes. However, the pedals are weirdly cheap plastic units - they're going to be replaced off the bat.
While the Circuit ends up a shade more expensive due to sales tax, it's more than made up for by what the bike comes with - a free tune-up in the next year, and about 25% off most of the accessories in the store in the next month. Furthermore, I get free installation of whatever I get with it - not exactly a big deal in the case of pedals, but it's not bad either.
On the other hand, I have the Windsor Dover, a bicycle with a full set of Shimano Sora components and a weight of under 20 lbs. thanks to the carbon fork. At $360, it's slightly cheaper, but shipping brings it up to about the same price.
While I've heard a ton of nice things about Windsor bicycles, the Dover model has not so many reviews. I'm not quite sure about the durability of the wheels on the Dover, and the warranty is all but nonexistent.
So, here's the question: Which one do I get?