>>1290487What are you even talking about? You make it clear that you aren't a roadie when you start harping on about wide tires and disc brakes as if they're game changers.
But you pretend to know what you're talking about re road bikes.
I think any beginner road cyclist in a good used market in a big city in america can spend under $500, get a mid range 90s steel road bike, clipless pedals, shoes, and an expensive set of tires, and be away laughing.
Buying a totally clapped out bike isn't an inevitability and in most places there are people who sell restored bikes. There are also a lot of people who enjoy learning to work on bikes and fixing up an old bike is a fun and reasonably cheap way to learn that skill.
If you can find a mid range rigid mtb that fits you in good condition, it's not a compromise-mobile for poorfags or a retrodouche option either. You could be getting something equivalent to the ride quality of a $1000+ new frameset. Modern hybrids are just not comfy in comparison.
