[walrus01]

'really nice' road bikes don't start at $1k. More like $3k. $1000 doesn't buy much these days, from the perspective of a serious road cyclist it'll be some barely usable thing with Shimano sora or worse level components on it. And will weigh over 20 pounds.

Someone who knows what they're doing with road bike mechanic stuff can probably piece together a decent dedicated indoor trainer bike for $1000. Using a combination of used and new components.

[StavrosK]

I have a $150 bike for commuting, and it's fantastic. I don't worry about getting it stolen, and riding it is hard because it's heavy/has shitty components, which is exactly what I want from a bike.

Since my commuting distance is fixed, I want the ride to be as hard as possible, otherwise I don't train effectively enough. I should probably trade it for an even shittier one , to up the difficulty level.

[5Qn8mNbc2FNCiVV]

I would be careful because better parts also mean better safety. I remember a few times where a crash would have happened if I didn't have my brake discs or on my old bike where the chain fell off and I almost lost my balance. Otherwise same, my commute was small too so I tried making it as hard as possible and sometimes also taking detours

[StavrosK]

> I would be careful because better parts also mean better safety.

This is certainly true, luckily my commute runs along a pedestrian waterfront, and I never go on the road, so I feel safe enough with it. Then again, I wouldn't ride on the road in Greece even with a $10k bike.

[greyhair]

It really comes down to what your goals are.

Are you riding centuries on a regular basis? Yup, $3000.

Are you just out riding to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise? $500 is plenty.

It's heavy? I am only riding twenty miles. Oh, and it has inch and a quarter tires, with a wee bit of tread, and I cannot remember the last time I got a flat tire.

As I opened with, it all depends on your goals.

[sukilot]

You don't need a $3000 bike for an indoor trainer. Everything that makes a road bike expensive is irrelevant or counterproductive in a trainer.

[jzoch]

if you're willing to buy used you can get incredible road bikes for 1k. I just bought a used 2016 Giant Advanced SL2 for 1.2k. It was > 4k at the time it was purchased.