Subject: need a bike, shopping locally, and clueless! I've decided on an entry level road bike and a shop 10 minutes from my house has an '09 for $920. The guy at the shop was awesome and so far all my knowledge of bicycles comes from his time and patience. A shop a few towns away has an '08 on their website for $740 and I like the color better. This savings is significant for me. But, the '08 has no pedals, the $920 bike has basic pedals on it. 3 questions: Do I pay the $920 because I like the guy, will go there if I need anything else, and should support his shop? Or do I drive 45 minutes away to save a few bucks? Will the cost of the pedals up me to the $920 price anyway? As it is, I wouldn't be upgrading to clipless pedals and shoes anytime soon. I figure I'll do my sprint in my running shoes since the last bike I rode was the kind where you pedal backward to stop... so any time I save with nice shoes and pedals will be lost with me tying my shoes on transitions - or worse picking myself off the pavement when I fall over because I don't know how to put my foot down. Any advice is appreciated - thanks in advance! |