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Originally Posted by daniella
Engr, kudos for biking to work. I wish I could. My commute is too long and not bike friendly, but it's a great way to get in part of your work out every day. I'm into racing, not commuting, so take my comments with a grain of salt. First, skip the major sporting good chain stores. Go to a real bike shop. Down the road, you will need accesories, tune ups and spare parts. So, location of the shop is important, like when you buy a car.
You are not too tall to get a good fit. I bike with guys 6'4" and 6'5" and they have no problem. Bikes are measured in centimeters, not inches. The wheel sizes remain constant within each brand and style, but the seat tube and top tube get longer as the size increases. You probably need something in the 59 or 60 range. You have 4 basic choices for frame metals: titanium, carbon, aluminum and steel. For entry level you are looking at aluminum and steel, with maybe a carbon seat post and front fork. Basically, the lighter the metal, the more expensive the frame.
Most good road bikes come with some Shimano hardware in the derailler, chain ring or brakes. Shimano 105 is low end, Shimano Ultegra is middle, Shimano Dura Ace is top end for amateurs. Many manufacturers will mix and match the grades of hardware to give you a good bike without breaking your budget. About your budget. $750.00 is a little low for a road bike. You're gonna spend $1,000.00 for a good entry level road bike. There are "commuter bikes" that focus more on comfort than speed. $750.00 will get you a decent commuter. Are your riding surfaces completely paved? If not, you want a commuter bike, or hybrid with medium width tires.
The point is that you're putting on 25 miles/day, so you want something good, not something you're going to replace in a year. Pedals and bike shoes are extra. Figure $100.00 apiece for shoes and pedals, although you might get a bargain this time of year. As a point of comparison, I have about $2,000.00 into my mid-range road bike and $3,000.00 into my low-mid range tri bike. Specialized, Trek, Raleigh, Giant, Cannondale, Felt and LeMond are all good names in road bikes.
Check 'em out online, get an idea of MSRP, and then go and make a deal. This is a great time of year to get a bargain, at least where I'm from. Good luck.
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