frame material, steel vs aluminum - Page 4

thanks for the advice alfeng
really, thanks for taking the time and for sending the help
i went to yhet another lbs today
cannondale,specialized, treck, serrota, and seven sold there
they thought a cx bike was a good fit for me
they wanted to order me a cannondale
they offered to get a suryly frame and build it up
but they said any complete bike would have abetter complete warranty
so i left
confused but drooling
now it is down to this
a trek fx series or spec sirus and go to drop bars later
or a specialized tricross, still debating sport or comp
any of these gives me fat tires and a good frame with decent components
so tomorrow evening on my way home i really want to order something
so send those last minute bits of advice before i go broke
i could spend less than 1000 but i would rather have a long term bike from the start if i can and if i can do it without making too big a mistake
if i get a cx now i could alwayhs get a true roadie later, for next summer
filling the garage with bicycles instead of harleys or a bigger suv oh well
i do like big expensive toys
also about to order some new archery gear
gonna spend the bulk of my mad money all in just a few short days times
better than just staring at it i guess

Cannondale makes great bikes, particularly if you are a sponsored rider.

The "problem" that I have with Cannondale is that they have gone-off-the-Reservation as far as continuity with the rest of the cycling industry -- a lot of proprietary engineering that only persists as long as Cannondale uses it on a "current" bike ... and so, you are paying a premium for a future inconvenience.

Pinarello isn't quite as bad in that regard with their M.O.st bottom bracket shell. Fortunately, Pinarello makes an insert which allows the owner to use a standard bottom bracket assembly. For some reason, without looking, my recollection is that the M.O.st BB uses an ISIS spindle interface which tried to be the worst (I've got two); so, the odds are that you wouldn't be using the M.O.st BB assembly & consequently would be paying a premium for nothing.

Of the other brands, if you pony up for SEROTTA, you'll probably love it forever ... they have some stock sizes, I think, but you can get a (semi-)/custom fit (probably, a slightly better fit than what the people at the various shops will determine for you) for a "small" upcharge.

SEVEN are supposed to be great, too. But, MOOTS will set you apart for about the same amount, I think.

WATERFORD (the "remnant" of the original Schwinn -- very high-zoot & really nice) & GUNNAR (the OTHER "remnant" of Schwinn -- now, the GUNNAR is probably a brand for you to try to track down in the next 48 hours ... find a shop that caters more to MTBs if there are any) are two brands which you will be pleased with. GUNNAR is the non-custom line offered by Richard Schwinn & just a little more expensive than SURLY, but a little nicer ... maybe, a lot nicer. Those are two bike names to ask about.

Without actually recommending it, let me say that a GUNNAR frame with Campagnolo Veloce-or-Centaur components + nice-enough wheels will cost about the same (possibly, less) as the Tricross Comp ... and, probably be a better-in-the-long-run bike.

You can buy the Waterford/Serotta/whatever after your kid gets a scholarship to the college of his choice!

Actually Cannondale also have a bracket to accommodate regular BB. But I agree with you point, these proprietary components puts a time limit on the frame life and limits one's options. I recently also gave up on Cannondale in my frame choice.

__________________
Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

There are other companies out there as well that sell steel frames. I have a Canadian bike built by a company called OPUS who sell fantastic bikes they market two steel framed bikes http://www.opusbike.com/site.htm not sure if they are in the States yet but in my area of Ontario they are gaining a lot of respect as well made and performing bikes.