Which road bike should I buy?

Welcome to the world of road bikes!

BEFORE you settle on any bike, it is important to understand that fit is everything when it comes to road bikes and unless you have considerable experience with fitting it is imperative that you seek out a professional.

Believe it or not, this all-important thing is FREE!

I would suggest that before you get into trouble with buying a bike online that you walk into a local bike shop, tell them that you want a road bike but don't know what size you need, and ask for help. A good sales person can find the correct frame size for you in just a few minutes... THEN you can start to shop.

There are a couple of other things that will be vital if you choose to buy a bike online:

1) If you buy online, do NOT try to put it together yourself. Take the bike in the sealed box to the shop that fitted you and have them assemble it. The charge will be in the $50 range but is WELL worth it. By doing this you will also start to develop a relationship with the shop. Invaluable...

2) Remember that most online sources for bikes do NOT accept returns once the bike has been assembled. Once your credit card is charged the relationship pretty much ends. Of course, if you buy a bike from a shop that issue is not even there;

3) It is very likely that entry level bikes, as you offered as your selections, will probably not have the performance you expect. I would say that 20% of my sales include taking trade-ins of road bikes, just a few months old, that just didn't cut the mustard with the rider. It was nobody's fault, the rider didn't know exactly what they wanted and learned a lesson that the cheapest horse in the barn just didn't fit their needs. By the way, VERY few shops accept trades, and when they do it is about 25% of the original cost, so a bike you bought for $400 may be worth $100 or less as a trade-in. An additional amount is deducted for buying a bike online... fair or not, that is the general trend.

Of the 2 bikes you mention, if you INSIST on one, my choice would be the Motobecane.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy anything online. Especially since it is your first bike and you probably don't know what to look for. Go to a local bike shop and have them set you up with a good bike that fits you. Just tell them what your price range is and they will find you the best bike for your money. They will know what you need. They do this everyday. However I would suggest adding a little bit to your budget and be a little flexible. You will get what you pay for.

First time buyer? Do NOT buy over the Internet. You're too inexperienced to know what to do.

Now if it was me... The Motobecane Super Mirage. Why? Steel is REAL! And I would still have it shipped directly to a local bike shop for assembly & tune-up. And I'd buy a shorter stem for the 54cm frame size. 120mm stem for 54cm frame size? All wrong.

See now? I can look at the specs & frame size & tell what's right for me & what's not. Can you? Go To A Bicycle Shop. Keep $AVING.

trek 1000

That was my first bike 10 years ago and I still use it today. Its a great bike and is fairly priced.

But like stated above. Buy the bike at a bike store or at least go there and see what you like then buy online.

Best of luck!

They are pretty much the same bike not sure why the Daws has schreader valves.

I would add $50 and get a carbon fiber fork and microshift shifters that you can shift from the drops.

http://bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/liberty_1....