Buying a Road Bike - aprox $1500

So I'm going to be buying a road bike soon, sometime in september, as my dad is pretty into cycling and he's offered to give me some money to get started. I tooled around on his CAAD8 5 when I was home visiting the other weekend, and I liked the feel so I was considering the CAAD9 5. The thing I wanted advice on are other similarily priced bikes to test ride while I'm out trying the CAAD9. Thanks in advance. I'm 5'9" maybe 5'10" and roughly 150lbs-sh

i was in the same boat as you and was deciding between a 2010 trek 2.1 and 2010 caad9-5. i ended up getting the caad9-5 because the geometry suited me better after preliminary fitting.

the caad9-5 is a great great bike. light, stiff, great on climbs, snappy acceleration an all around what a road bike should be. full 105 components and they upgraded the seat from last year so it should be good enough to not warrant an immediate seat replacement.

and if it matters, made in the U.S. of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

sorry to burst your bubble but it doesn't. my carbon tarmac elite is taiwan and no difference whatsoever from there and here, the process is the same and look at foreign cars, they all last longer than american ones.

america is nothing more than a business name and taiwan owns its fair share.

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Well I'm not debating about the craftsmanship with usa versus other countries. I'm simply stating the frame is made in the USA and for me -- this matters because I'm not paying foreigners to build my bike and like to keep the jobs in the states.

Ahhhhh. I assume, however, that you'd like foreigners to buy American products, possibly at the risk of jobs in their countries.

Americans invented the double standard.

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The best advice is to ride as many different bikes as you can, bikes that fit your requirements. There are a lot of bikes that compete well with the CAAD9 in its price range. The choice for you will come down to personal preference.

__________________
Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one

i like the caad 9 5 also but in qld they are $2500 with 105 chainset but tektro brakes compared to avanti Giro full 105 $500 less and they even have shimano clipless pedals . Is the cannondale that much better frame and forks ??

Any in particular you wouldnt mind mentioning? Thanks.

It "may" not matter quality wise, but I have had my fair share of junk products made in places other than the USA. It has taken a long time (too long) for people to realize what has been happening in the world markets drastically has affected the US worker, but the idea to buy American in the US has rapidly been changing and improving.

I am not "totally" against "fair" trade, but I work in manufaturing and when you even TRY to compare our operations with any non-American competitor you rapidly realize that there is no comparison at all. Review EPA, safe manufacturing processes, toxic chemicals, tariffs, taxes, insurance, quality, and price and you'll QUICKLY realize that there really is no "fair" trade because America (or other industrialized E.U. nations) lose out EVERY time to other countries that DO NOT have the same restrictions.

Fact: There is no "fair" trade. Whatsoever. Anyone arguing this fact has NOT worked in manufacturing and/or does not care about USA manufacturing.

End of case.

Priorities:

1) proper bike fitting. First read about it so you know what constitutes a good fit, get familiar with the language, etc. Then ask a bike store what sort of fitting they do. If you don't like what you hear...run.

2) bike shop. Find one that is friendly, smart, is committed to the fitting even after the purchase (i.e. will swap out a stem, etc.).

Get these two right and the rest is easy.

Bikes similar to the CAAD9 include, in no particular order, Specialized Allez Comp, Felt F75, Trek 2.3, Giant Defy 1. The CAAD9 and Felt have the most race-like geometries, the Defy the most comfort-oriented, with the Trek and Specialized somewhere in the middle. Personally, I favor the CAAD9 and the Felt. Base your final decision on availability and fit.

Regarding fit, I don't believe lack of a fitting system should be a deal-killer for a recreational cyclist. Shop associates who are riders and are familiar with various needs and body types are usually all that's necessary to get a rider started. Coaching and fitting sessions should start when the rider is ready to invest time and money optimizing the system, swapping parts, and buying new equipment.

It's funny that 39 years ago I walked into a bike shop. The owner said the 23.5" Raleigh Super Course would be a good fit, so I bought it. After 39 years of fussing, riding and co-coaching with friends, getting coached, and one professional (one that I paid for) fitting, I now ride 3 bikes that are roughly the same size as that old Raleigh. The stems are a little longer and lower, the saddles are set back a bit, the cranks are 5mm longer, and the handlebars are 5mm wider. Handlebar width and crank length owe as much to availability and fashion as to my ergonomic needs. That shop owner did a pretty good job fitting that bike to me without so much as a tape measure.

For an interesting article on where bikes are made click Where was my bike made? - allanti.com.
After reading this article decide what you want on your bike: 105, SRAM Red, Ultegra, Tektro brakes, etc. Then shop around for the best buy that gets you what you want.
Test ride several possibilities. Visit as many local bike shops as is convenient.
Make a selection.
Get out there and have fun.