most road bikes can take a lot more offroad punishment than people think. Obviously if trails are your focus you shouldn't go for one, but they can certainly handle traversing trails to get somewhere else. You just have to manage your speed a bit more to not slam into bumps in the ground as hard
I would very much like to get a bicycle for exercise and commuting (once I've started my job) and also just to explore, but I am 100% sure that it would be stolen in my current situation.
0
Options
Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
What's the main difference between road and mtb anyway? Just lack of suspension and a lighter frame?
Riding a mountain bike, on a road path will slow you down around 5-6km/h.
The main differences are, stiffness of frame, width of tigers, (holy shit that is an awesome typo but I mean tyres) and weight.
If you are saying you aren't legitimately going offroad in my opinion you should buy a road bike. As someone who bought a bike for the same reason, it's not worth it. You get stuck with a big heavy bike that you are stuck with that isn't designed for what you want to use it for.
What's the main difference between road and mtb anyway? Just lack of suspension and a lighter frame?
Generally, yes.
In your price point, no. Weights will be surprisingly similar seeing as carbon frames and dual suspension are much more expensive. You really don't want to be hitting the dirt with super-narrow road bike tyres either, so you'll be opting for 32c width tyres, which in terms of actual contact patch, are only very slightly narrower than regular MTB tyres.
Mountain bike frames have a riding position where you r torso is more upright, and the extra kilo or two from the suspension forks doesn't really slow you down very much unless you want to get into road racing. For instance, my partner Amy did a 32 kilometre ride toady where she averaged 25km/h on the 26 inch version of this: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/talon.27.5.1/14926/66445/
0
Options
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I need to work out the logistics of taking a bike on a plane.
Any recommendations? Anyone had to do that before?
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
0
Options
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I'm guessing dismantling it and packing it very carefully in a box, then checking the box.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
0
Options
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
What's the main difference between road and mtb anyway? Just lack of suspension and a lighter frame?
Generally, yes.
In your price point, no. Weights will be surprisingly similar seeing as carbon frames and dual suspension are much more expensive. You really don't want to be hitting the dirt with super-narrow road bike tyres either, so you'll be opting for 32c width tyres, which in terms of actual contact patch, are only very slightly narrower than regular MTB tyres.
Mountain bike frames have a riding position where you r torso is more upright, and the extra kilo or two from the suspension forks doesn't really slow you down very much unless you want to get into road racing. For instance, my partner Amy did a 32 kilometre ride toady where she averaged 25km/h on the 26 inch version of this: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/talon.27.5.1/14926/66445/
I'm pretty sure my current bike is made from solid lead with granite wheel spokes, so anything semi-decent will feel super light in comparison.
Does anybody here know anything about Forme bikes?
They're fairly well regarded at the higher end (£1k+), but nothing special. At your price point there's not much to distinguish them from any other manufacturer.
For the UK, the default recommendation for a decent entry-level MTB is the Carrera Kraken (review) at £450. It's a Halfords brand, and they have a mixed reputation when it comes to selling bikes (sometimes you get a good one staffed by enthusiasts, but if you do it'll be a coincidence, Halfords doesn't appear to specifically look for bike expertise when employing people) and a lot of the stuff they carry is crap, but generally if you confine yourself to the Carrera and Boardman brands you can't really go wrong.
In mountain bikes the ~£500 price point is furiously competitive, so you will find loads of perfectly competent bikes with similar spec. If you have a decent idea of what you want there are some very good deals to be found online from places that sell off overstocks of the big brands. Good places to look for that kind of thing are:
(Be careful of sizing if you're looking at those, not all the clearance models will be available in all sizes. Do not get a badly sized bike because it looks like a bargain. If it doesn't fit, it isn't)
japan on
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
In the low to mid price range, you are almost always going to get a bike with better components on it from a bigger brand due to sheer economy of scale. Your boutique manufacturer might sell 20,000 bikes with a certain Shimano crankset on it in a year, Trek probably sell that many in a day. Hence, Trek buy said crankset by the container load for half the price the boutique manufacturer pays for it, and put it on cheaper models to increase their value and make them more competitive in the market.
Halfords (depending how you measure it, given that they sell everything from supermarket level shit to Pinarello) sell more bikes in the UK than anybody else, and most of it their own brands. If you ask a non-cycling enthusiast in the UK where they'd go to buy a bike, Halfords is the answer that you'll get. Fitting advice and servicing from them is a crapshoot, though.
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Halfords (depending how you measure it, given that they sell everything from supermarket level shit to Pinarello) sell more bikes in the UK than anybody else, and most of it their own brands. If you ask a non-cycling enthusiast in the UK where they'd go to buy a bike, Halfords is the answer that you'll get. Fitting advice and servicing from them is a crapshoot, though.
Halfords (depending how you measure it, given that they sell everything from supermarket level shit to Pinarello) sell more bikes in the UK than anybody else, and most of it their own brands. If you ask a non-cycling enthusiast in the UK where they'd go to buy a bike, Halfords is the answer that you'll get. Fitting advice and servicing from them is a crapshoot, though.
Problem number one.
It's pretty much the classic entry-level bike problem. You're at the high end of what non-specialist retailers offer, and the bottom of what specialist retailers offer, but the non-specialist has the volume and so can discount more. So, you can probably get a better deal in terms of bang for buck from the non-specialist, but are otherwise pretty much on your own.
That £450 Carrera is probably of a spec that you would pay around £100 more for from a specialist shop, and it is a genuinely good bike, not supermarket crap.
I got what was probably an £850 Butler for about half that at the local bike shop/repair/refitters - they also threw in a better seat and a handlebar swap (dropped handlebars make me nervous on these hills). Seemed like a pretty good deal, since the bike looked brand new. Then I found out that this shop has a reputation for buying and reselling 'second-hand' bikes without looking too carefully at the provenance. Now I wonder ...
Halfords (depending how you measure it, given that they sell everything from supermarket level shit to Pinarello) sell more bikes in the UK than anybody else, and most of it their own brands. If you ask a non-cycling enthusiast in the UK where they'd go to buy a bike, Halfords is the answer that you'll get. Fitting advice and servicing from them is a crapshoot, though.
Problem number one.
It's pretty much the classic entry-level bike problem. You're at the high end of what non-specialist retailers offer, and the bottom of what specialist retailers offer, but the non-specialist has the volume and so can discount more. So, you can probably get a better deal in terms of bang for buck from the non-specialist, but are otherwise pretty much on your own.
That £450 Carrera is probably of a spec that you would pay around £100 more for from a specialist shop, and it is a genuinely good bike, not supermarket crap.
Fit is the most important thing of all in choosing the right bike, and the 17 year old kid they have manning the sporting goods section at Halfords (conveniently situated between the GPS section and the tents!) most likely doesn't know shit about that.
Donovan Puppyfucker on
0
Options
webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
As a bigger man who has road mountain bikes and dabbled in road bikes, I won't give up having suspension, it makes the ride so much better, especially on less than smooth roads. I just slap some road tires on the wheels and I'm good to go. If I get lighter I might go back to road bikes but I dunno, I've never been too serious about the whole biking thing.
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
My current bike is a Halfords brand. Apollo. I thought it was good when I bought it but I ain't know shit about bikes and have since had multiple knowledgeable folk scoff and tut at it.
Problem is I look at these spec lists and it's like reading Mandarin. I have no fucking idea of the difference between the billion different Shimano pieces you see on every bike. It's worse than trying to compare graphics cards.
I might go to a nearby Giant store today and see if anyone helpful there will talk to me about bikes. Check out the ones Chris linked.
To a certain extent it is very hard to go wrong with one of the bigger brands
The problem with the likes of Apollo is that they are generally intended to be bikes-as-toys as opposed to anything that will see serious use, so the cheapest possible components go on them which means things bend, break, wear our, etc. when used in earnest
The big brands generally avoid crossing that line, so whatever you get it should at least be reliable and durable with a sensible spec. (Anecdote time!) A colleague used our work's company bike scheme and ended up getting an Apollo, which lasted two weeks of commuting before it literally started to disintegrate, it went back to the shop several times for new parts and required constant tweaking just to keep it going smoothly.
He ended up convincing them to refund him (which is not easy, through the scheme) went to Evans, and got a base model Jamie
He is astounded that he has been running it for a year and it has required no servicing or new parts - because his only previous experience was bikes-as-toys he just assumed that all bikes are unreliable, finicky, and fragile
That's the really depressing part about cheap bikes
(As a more general point if you are employed in the UK check if your employer does cyclescheme or cycle2work - it's basically a cheap lease arrangement similar to that common for company cars, but for bikes)
0
Options
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
edited March 2014
I deliver pizza for Dominos. I don't think they're enrolled in the scheme.
Edited to remove that awful smiley.
Btw Japan what do you think of the Giant bikes Chris linked earlier? thanks for your input btw.
Road bikes have different geometry (you're stretched out more, as you won't be absorbing as many bumps), higher gears (as you go faster), and have lighter components that are built for use, but not the battering of sticks and rocks. That said, you can get things like cyclocross bikes or touring bikes that move things toward the MTB spectrum (as MTB's started as road bikes people threw big tires on).
As others said, for entry level you just want a big brand that's going to give you decent components (such as Giant). You generally want a retail price of $600 and up, as that's where you get beyond the junk territory (below that a lot of components incorporate plastic in places you should have metal).
As far as components go, for Shimano it works like this (from crappy to good):
Road - 2200 - 2300 - Claris - Sora - Tiagra - 105 - Ultrega - Dura Ace. You want to be at least at Sora, preferably the derailleurs being tiagra or (best case) 105. However, note that every few years they update the designs, so 2-3 year old ultrega is basically this years 105.
Mountain - Acera - Alivio - Deore - SLX - XT - Saint/XTR (DH vs. Race MTB)
same deal, but you want to be at deore/SLX
Link specific models if you find ones you like. Also - find a shop you feel comfortable in, and ask lots of questions. They should let you test ride basically anything, so do that a ton to find one you think feels right (entirely a personal thing). The more you try, the more you'll realize the differences. Also try to compare things like race vs. tour geometry back to back, as it should give you a better sense of how they differ.
Like I said, you can't really buy a bad bike from them
You're not going to find Sora/Deore for £500, though. My Defy 3 from two years ago was £600 and has 2200. Generally £500 is the level at which you're just starting to creep into named series components
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I kind of really want a Glory 0. Gimme dat long travel and hugeganticmongous brakes, please. If they made a 29er model I'd probably marry it.
Actually maybe I can get a bike recommendation? It'd be for recreational riding and commuting on streets and trails and it needs to not buckle under the weight of my monolithic ass.
So, I've had a pain in my right shoulder for a few days now that I thought, based on timing, was DOMS.
Yesterday though, I went to the gym and noticed that the grip strength in my right hand was substantially reduced. It seems especially noticeable in my pinky and ring finger, though those fingers might just be weaker to start with.
And this morning when I stepped into a hot shower my right hand went numb for a bit before returning to normal.
I am thinking maybe a pinched nerve or something now? If it persists for a couple more days I think I will go do a doctor.
So, I've had a pain in my right shoulder for a few days now that I thought, based on timing, was DOMS.
Yesterday though, I went to the gym and noticed that the grip strength in my right hand was substantially reduced. It seems especially noticeable in my pinky and ring finger, though those fingers might just be weaker to start with.
And this morning when I stepped into a hot shower my right hand went numb for a bit before returning to normal.
I am thinking maybe a pinched nerve or something now? If it persists for a couple more days I think I will go do a doctor.
I get something similar to this every so often in my right thumb and index finger, usually accompanied by an aching pain in my forearm near the inner elbow. I had previously sprained my wrist and did some damage to the tendons in that area, so yours might also be something similar?
So, I've had a pain in my right shoulder for a few days now that I thought, based on timing, was DOMS.
Yesterday though, I went to the gym and noticed that the grip strength in my right hand was substantially reduced. It seems especially noticeable in my pinky and ring finger, though those fingers might just be weaker to start with.
And this morning when I stepped into a hot shower my right hand went numb for a bit before returning to normal.
I am thinking maybe a pinched nerve or something now? If it persists for a couple more days I think I will go do a doctor.
I get something similar to this every so often in my right thumb and index finger, usually accompanied by an aching pain in my forearm near the inner elbow. I had previously sprained my wrist and did some damage to the tendons in that area, so yours might also be something similar?
Not sure about the shoulder bit though.
Both of these issues are likely nerve compression and/or irritation from inflammation which can occur anywhere from the shoulder to the wrist, though commonly at the elbow. Inquisitor; your ulnar nerve is affected and this may be due to shoulder injury and inflammation or elbow which is referring pain to the shoulder. In your case Veldrin it's the radial nerve. Anti inflammatories and rest will likely help in the short term and may resolve the issue but obviously if it persists you should see a doctor.
How interested are you in going fast?
What precisely do you mean when you say trail?
If you're commuting, how would you be carrying stuff?
Fast is good. I mean a paved bike trail. A backpack I guess.
Go to a bike store and try the fit of bikes, riding them around the lot. Try to take measurements of top tube length and seat tube length. Then hit craigslist and try to find a good steel road bike with similar measurements.
So, I've had a pain in my right shoulder for a few days now that I thought, based on timing, was DOMS.
Yesterday though, I went to the gym and noticed that the grip strength in my right hand was substantially reduced. It seems especially noticeable in my pinky and ring finger, though those fingers might just be weaker to start with.
And this morning when I stepped into a hot shower my right hand went numb for a bit before returning to normal.
I am thinking maybe a pinched nerve or something now? If it persists for a couple more days I think I will go do a doctor.
What Jimmy said. It's important to find out what's causing the compression of the nerve; it could be anything from simple inflammation to an extra pair of ribs*. So it's better to know sooner rather than later, so you can get it resolved.
*This is seriously the lamest mutation to have, by the way. It's like I'm a minor Grant Morrison X-Man.
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Out of curiosity, are reasonably priced second hand steel road bikes relatively easy to find in the US?
I always see this recommended but here (UK) finding a good steel road bike means both paying a premium and/or getting something so old you're into the territory of dealing with "vintage" components.
Run of the mill models from the last ten years or so (which are overwhelmingly aluminium) can be found pretty cheaply, though.
Edit: also Reynolds stickers invariably seem to be fakes applied to gas-pipe models
japan on
0
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Secondhand steel framesets?
Prices have gone way up in the last 15 years. Some shitty old Raleigh that wasn't even that great a bike when it was new? $300. A nice Peugeot racing frame? $900. Expect many of them to be running fixed singlespeed rear hubs and have no brakes.
Out of curiosity, are reasonably priced second hand steel road bikes relatively easy to find in the US?
I always see this recommended but here (UK) finding a good steel road bike means both paying a premium and/or getting something so old you're into the territory of dealing with "vintage" components.
Run of the mill models from the last ten years or so (which are overwhelmingly aluminium) can be found pretty cheaply, though.
Edit: also Reynolds stickers invariably seem to be fakes applied to gas-pipe models
steel is generally recommended as it rides better than ALU and is less prone to breakage, as well as potentially supporting more weight. They aren't always cheap, but they're some of the few frames you can carry forward for MANY years and still enjoy.
Good steel frames ride better than cheap alu frames, but then good frames all ride nicely anyway
On the other hand cheap steel frames are dreadful, and there are a lot of cheap hi-tensile steel frames out there, especially on eBay, many of them wearing fake stickers proclaiming them to be high end tubesets
There's nothing stopping you enjoying a frame made from any material for many years, it's not like alloy and carbon wear out or something
Also interestingly enough the only time I've ever seen a frame break, it was steel (DMR Trailstar, front end tucked on a hard landing and levered the headtube away from the top tube)
I'm always wary of the "find a good steel frame" advice because it is decidedly non-trivial and you kind of need an encyclopaedic knowledge of vintage bike specifications to avoid being ripped off
Posts
You can do some awesome things on a road bike:
Just don't expect to be able to do it for long without going out and buying a new bike.
Riding a mountain bike, on a road path will slow you down around 5-6km/h.
The main differences are, stiffness of frame, width of tigers, (holy shit that is an awesome typo but I mean tyres) and weight.
If you are saying you aren't legitimately going offroad in my opinion you should buy a road bike. As someone who bought a bike for the same reason, it's not worth it. You get stuck with a big heavy bike that you are stuck with that isn't designed for what you want to use it for.
Satans..... hints.....
Generally, yes.
In your price point, no. Weights will be surprisingly similar seeing as carbon frames and dual suspension are much more expensive. You really don't want to be hitting the dirt with super-narrow road bike tyres either, so you'll be opting for 32c width tyres, which in terms of actual contact patch, are only very slightly narrower than regular MTB tyres.
Mountain bike frames have a riding position where you r torso is more upright, and the extra kilo or two from the suspension forks doesn't really slow you down very much unless you want to get into road racing. For instance, my partner Amy did a 32 kilometre ride toady where she averaged 25km/h on the 26 inch version of this: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/talon.27.5.1/14926/66445/
Any recommendations? Anyone had to do that before?
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
I'm pretty sure my current bike is made from solid lead with granite wheel spokes, so anything semi-decent will feel super light in comparison.
They're fairly well regarded at the higher end (£1k+), but nothing special. At your price point there's not much to distinguish them from any other manufacturer.
For the UK, the default recommendation for a decent entry-level MTB is the Carrera Kraken (review) at £450. It's a Halfords brand, and they have a mixed reputation when it comes to selling bikes (sometimes you get a good one staffed by enthusiasts, but if you do it'll be a coincidence, Halfords doesn't appear to specifically look for bike expertise when employing people) and a lot of the stuff they carry is crap, but generally if you confine yourself to the Carrera and Boardman brands you can't really go wrong.
In mountain bikes the ~£500 price point is furiously competitive, so you will find loads of perfectly competent bikes with similar spec. If you have a decent idea of what you want there are some very good deals to be found online from places that sell off overstocks of the big brands. Good places to look for that kind of thing are:
http://paulscycles.co.uk
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk
(Be careful of sizing if you're looking at those, not all the clearance models will be available in all sizes. Do not get a badly sized bike because it looks like a bargain. If it doesn't fit, it isn't)
Halfords (depending how you measure it, given that they sell everything from supermarket level shit to Pinarello) sell more bikes in the UK than anybody else, and most of it their own brands. If you ask a non-cycling enthusiast in the UK where they'd go to buy a bike, Halfords is the answer that you'll get. Fitting advice and servicing from them is a crapshoot, though.
Problem number one.
It's pretty much the classic entry-level bike problem. You're at the high end of what non-specialist retailers offer, and the bottom of what specialist retailers offer, but the non-specialist has the volume and so can discount more. So, you can probably get a better deal in terms of bang for buck from the non-specialist, but are otherwise pretty much on your own.
That £450 Carrera is probably of a spec that you would pay around £100 more for from a specialist shop, and it is a genuinely good bike, not supermarket crap.
Fit is the most important thing of all in choosing the right bike, and the 17 year old kid they have manning the sporting goods section at Halfords (conveniently situated between the GPS section and the tents!) most likely doesn't know shit about that.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Problem is I look at these spec lists and it's like reading Mandarin. I have no fucking idea of the difference between the billion different Shimano pieces you see on every bike. It's worse than trying to compare graphics cards.
I might go to a nearby Giant store today and see if anyone helpful there will talk to me about bikes. Check out the ones Chris linked.
The problem with the likes of Apollo is that they are generally intended to be bikes-as-toys as opposed to anything that will see serious use, so the cheapest possible components go on them which means things bend, break, wear our, etc. when used in earnest
The big brands generally avoid crossing that line, so whatever you get it should at least be reliable and durable with a sensible spec. (Anecdote time!) A colleague used our work's company bike scheme and ended up getting an Apollo, which lasted two weeks of commuting before it literally started to disintegrate, it went back to the shop several times for new parts and required constant tweaking just to keep it going smoothly.
He ended up convincing them to refund him (which is not easy, through the scheme) went to Evans, and got a base model Jamie
He is astounded that he has been running it for a year and it has required no servicing or new parts - because his only previous experience was bikes-as-toys he just assumed that all bikes are unreliable, finicky, and fragile
That's the really depressing part about cheap bikes
(As a more general point if you are employed in the UK check if your employer does cyclescheme or cycle2work - it's basically a cheap lease arrangement similar to that common for company cars, but for bikes)
Edited to remove that awful smiley.
Btw Japan what do you think of the Giant bikes Chris linked earlier? thanks for your input btw.
As others said, for entry level you just want a big brand that's going to give you decent components (such as Giant). You generally want a retail price of $600 and up, as that's where you get beyond the junk territory (below that a lot of components incorporate plastic in places you should have metal).
As far as components go, for Shimano it works like this (from crappy to good):
Road - 2200 - 2300 - Claris - Sora - Tiagra - 105 - Ultrega - Dura Ace. You want to be at least at Sora, preferably the derailleurs being tiagra or (best case) 105. However, note that every few years they update the designs, so 2-3 year old ultrega is basically this years 105.
Mountain - Acera - Alivio - Deore - SLX - XT - Saint/XTR (DH vs. Race MTB)
same deal, but you want to be at deore/SLX
Link specific models if you find ones you like. Also - find a shop you feel comfortable in, and ask lots of questions. They should let you test ride basically anything, so do that a ton to find one you think feels right (entirely a personal thing). The more you try, the more you'll realize the differences. Also try to compare things like race vs. tour geometry back to back, as it should give you a better sense of how they differ.
Like I said, you can't really buy a bad bike from them
You're not going to find Sora/Deore for £500, though. My Defy 3 from two years ago was £600 and has 2200. Generally £500 is the level at which you're just starting to creep into named series components
How interested are you in going fast?
What precisely do you mean when you say trail?
If you're commuting, how would you be carrying stuff?
Yesterday though, I went to the gym and noticed that the grip strength in my right hand was substantially reduced. It seems especially noticeable in my pinky and ring finger, though those fingers might just be weaker to start with.
And this morning when I stepped into a hot shower my right hand went numb for a bit before returning to normal.
I am thinking maybe a pinched nerve or something now? If it persists for a couple more days I think I will go do a doctor.
It wasn't too bad
I, uh, I may be feeling that tomorrow though
Fast is good. I mean a paved bike trail. A backpack I guess.
I get something similar to this every so often in my right thumb and index finger, usually accompanied by an aching pain in my forearm near the inner elbow. I had previously sprained my wrist and did some damage to the tendons in that area, so yours might also be something similar?
Not sure about the shoulder bit though.
Steam ID - VeldrinD | SS Post | Wishlist
Both of these issues are likely nerve compression and/or irritation from inflammation which can occur anywhere from the shoulder to the wrist, though commonly at the elbow. Inquisitor; your ulnar nerve is affected and this may be due to shoulder injury and inflammation or elbow which is referring pain to the shoulder. In your case Veldrin it's the radial nerve. Anti inflammatories and rest will likely help in the short term and may resolve the issue but obviously if it persists you should see a doctor.
Go to a bike store and try the fit of bikes, riding them around the lot. Try to take measurements of top tube length and seat tube length. Then hit craigslist and try to find a good steel road bike with similar measurements.
Lmao.
What Jimmy said. It's important to find out what's causing the compression of the nerve; it could be anything from simple inflammation to an extra pair of ribs*. So it's better to know sooner rather than later, so you can get it resolved.
*This is seriously the lamest mutation to have, by the way. It's like I'm a minor Grant Morrison X-Man.
Secondhand is probably your best bet, then.
I always see this recommended but here (UK) finding a good steel road bike means both paying a premium and/or getting something so old you're into the territory of dealing with "vintage" components.
Run of the mill models from the last ten years or so (which are overwhelmingly aluminium) can be found pretty cheaply, though.
Edit: also Reynolds stickers invariably seem to be fakes applied to gas-pipe models
Prices have gone way up in the last 15 years. Some shitty old Raleigh that wasn't even that great a bike when it was new? $300. A nice Peugeot racing frame? $900. Expect many of them to be running fixed singlespeed rear hubs and have no brakes.
steel is generally recommended as it rides better than ALU and is less prone to breakage, as well as potentially supporting more weight. They aren't always cheap, but they're some of the few frames you can carry forward for MANY years and still enjoy.
On the other hand cheap steel frames are dreadful, and there are a lot of cheap hi-tensile steel frames out there, especially on eBay, many of them wearing fake stickers proclaiming them to be high end tubesets
There's nothing stopping you enjoying a frame made from any material for many years, it's not like alloy and carbon wear out or something
Also interestingly enough the only time I've ever seen a frame break, it was steel (DMR Trailstar, front end tucked on a hard landing and levered the headtube away from the top tube)
I'm always wary of the "find a good steel frame" advice because it is decidedly non-trivial and you kind of need an encyclopaedic knowledge of vintage bike specifications to avoid being ripped off