Help for an ignorant hopeful

Here is the story: I used to work in a bike store and got a great deal on a brand new 2003 Giant Cypress SL. I love it, but I have an itch to buy a road bike. However, I will mainly be using my bike next year to commute to and from grad school. I am living about 6-7 miles off campus and I hate having to rely on a car. I doubt I will have much free time at all next year.

I am thinking the best thing to do would be to save my money over the next 4 years and buy a nice road bike when I graduate. However, I think I would ride more if I had an actual road bike and not this "flat handlebar road bike" / "hybrid".

When I first got this bike I loved it and thought it was amazing. It is, depending on what you need it for. It's a great bike compared to all the pieces of crap I have had in the past, but now I want a REAL road bike. I think this bike will be great for my short commute, but does anyone have any suggestions on a road bike, maybe a few years old, that I could look for? I am willing to spend anywhere between 200-700$ and it doesn't need to be amazing... just something nice for a beginner that will do, for now. I am 5'2" and about 120 pounds if that helps.

Any suggestions on a way I could learn more about cycling / biking would be great. I would like to learn about it so I would know what to look for myself. I looked for some books online and at my library but I am kind of lost in that area as well. ANY help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Welcome! I would suggest looking at a touring bike or cross bike for your commute. Drop bars, and will be more comfortable than your current ride for long distances, but will still take racks/panniers. If you do some searching 'round here, you'll find many opinions and recommendations. I like my trek 520 and surly cross check. Jamis arouras are also popular. An older Terry might be nice for you. Maybe buy something a couple of years old in the $500 range, and save for 4 years for your dream, fast road bike. Then when you graduate, you'd have a tourer and a fast road bike.

Just my 2 cents:)

I tend to agree. Ditch the Cypress. Get a durable, used cyclocross bike or touring road bike for around $500 that takes racks for while you're in school. It's more practical than a racing bike. It should be something that you won't panic over scratching with a bike lock. Then, give yourself a pristine racing bike as a graduation present, if you still think you would want one. It's the best of both worlds!

I had a Cypress too...and graduated to a road bike in less than a year. Go ahead and take the plunge...you won't regret it!

My brother just got a Jamis Satellite for just over $700. It's a steel road bike with touring geometry and will take racks easily. That might be one to check out.

College campuses are notorious for being hotspots for professional bike thieves.
A smart thing might be to get a really JUNKY UGLY old bike for commuting to classes with, if you are going to leave it locked outside for hours. I would not recommend bringing a brand new $600 road bike to campus- thieves would be right on it. If you can bring your bike inside to classes with you then perhaps that's safe, but you might have trouble with that.
Even a junky ugly old bike needs a good lock on campus to keep from getting stolen, but at least you'd not be out a bunch of money. :o Get a good heavy lock no matter what bike you use.

Ditto what BleekerSt_Girl said.

Check out the storage situation at your campus. Take a look at what other students are riding. Make sure yours isn't the nicest one on the rack.

If there is a more secure option, like a bike locker, get on the waiting list asap.

It can be challenging (and expensive) to find something that fits if you're petite -- I think there are a quite of few of us on this board -- but you won't want to invest a lot of $$ if you're storing your bike in a place that is easy pickin's for thieves.

My commute is about the same distance, and having recently been a victim of theft, I decided on a folding bike so I can keep it safely under my desk at work. That might be something to consider if you have your own space at school.

Plus -- that dream bike will be a sweet graduation present to yourself!

Good luck in school!

Is Zencentury's sweet mixte still for sale? Price is great, bike is lovely, size is probably peachy-keen.

Oh, yeah, here it is: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...=raleigh+mixte

(go for it! a classic! a beauty!)

But possibly too nice to keep locked outside a classroom?

Thanks so much for everyone's help, I REALLY appreciate it. I checked out the bike, really like it. The good thing about parking is that I would park my bike by the vet school, so it's not in undergrad territory. I was worried about leaving my bike, but I guess a few people commute and leave them there and no one has run into problems. What I love about my cypress is that it feels light to me so it's not too much work to ride around. Since I don't know much about bikes - is this a good bike? I mean, if I wanted to use it as a road bike for the next 4 years just recreationally? Is it sold yet? I am seriously thinking about it.

Thanks again, everyone!!