You say your budget is the constraint. But what does that mean exactly?

What IS your budget?


All City
Ritchey Logic
Masi Strada
State
Pure
Jamis Quest
Raleigh Grand Sport

There are a bunch out there. Just need to know what price point you want to hit.

You can get a Serotta steel for cheap too.

And the Ritchey Road Logic is one of the best production bikes you can get. I literally stripped mine, put it in my frame fixture, copied the geometry and made another one because it's that good.

marinoni....about $1k US for a frameset
columbus SL, spirit or spirit SA tubing

for lower budget, surly pacer.
i know alot of folks here think theyre crap . but i love mine.

also black mountain

As everyone has already stated, no budget = hard to suggest.

Gunnar and Ritchey fit the general category well, maybe a little bit higher level and longer history than the others, but almost all the suggestions here are good.

The exception to me is Stelbel which, while really very very nice, do not fit the "budget, mass production" niche like the others do. I think they are substantially more expensive than the other brands mentioned but I have not checked prices recently. Are the prices really in line with Gunnar, etc? If so, definitely worth a look.

I love my Ritchey Road Logic with DA 9100 and some hand built wheels. Got the frame on this forum in very good shape for about 1/2 MSRP. I call that budget friendly.

Aside from budget, modernish road bikes have made quite a shift in definition in recent years. Do you want tire clearance, and discs, endurance geo. vs trad. road racer geo., drivetrain options, etc., etc. ?

When you think of riding a road bike, what does that look like to you?

I feel like most large manufacturers keep a steel bike for each riding “style” in their lineup these days. Most likely thanks to folks like all city, soma, surly, and salsa(maybe more in the past than now) who gained market share by focusing on steel, affordability, and different riding style preferences. Some of the big names have always had one.

Right now it feels like the adventure/gravel cycling trend is already experiencing a shift. I feel like I’m seeing a lot of hybrid bikes popping up these days. Bikes more akin to 90s mtbs. flatbars, barends, and short suspensions are all over the social medias.

ritcheydesign has a blemish road logic that’s 53cm for 900

On second thought, my suggestion of Stelbel doesn't fit the OP's request as they're a custom built frame, not mass produced, but last I looked (a few years ago), their prices are reasonable.

I am not trying to solicit, per se, but if you are looking for a ritchey logic, I am selling a 53 cm 105 build.

Holdsworth Competition
 

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRHOCO...ition-frameset

I like mine.

Right!!!!

I have a house full of wonderful old steel and some of it quite special. Used is where it's at if your working on a budget or even if you want to spoil yourself and can fit on a bike that's not custom.

Recommend also looking at Soma and Velo Orange. Rivendell makes lower priced bikes these days. As stated by others, Gunnar is a good value.

In addition to everything mentioned, Lemond frames are a great value. Great geometry, generous clearance for 28c tires (depending on the fork), and often including Reynolds 853 or True Temper OX Platinum tubing.

Milwaukee bicycle is another MUSA option. I also like Gunnar, currently on my third, a Crosshairs.

I would look at nice used bikes. They are a better value as long as you know what you are looking for. You can buy a used Serotta for less than an off the shelf steel bike like a Surly or All city which can be great, but not the same type of ride.

Trust me when i say there are lots of nice used 54cm bikes around in just about any material for a reasonable price.

Sent from my LGL423DL using Tapatalk

That is a smokin' deal. A couple friends of mine ride that frame, pleased as punch.