$5000



JAPANic

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Aug 11, 2003
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So you've got $5000US to spend on a new road bike what would you buy?

This is serious research, your answers are going to sway me to spend $5000....



My opinion is not important in this debate because I have no idea!!

All I'll say is, these brands have my attention....

Pinarello, TREK, DeRosa, Colnago,...

I will be ordering in March!!!
 
You need to ask yourself what you are going to do with the bike, what are your future plans, do you intend to race at the elite level, or do you just want to pimp the bike to your friends and co-riders ...............

The only reason I had 7 bikes, with the average being close to $3000 was because I worked in a shop and got things at or below cost, and had a spending addiction and 5 credit cards(don't laugh, it's a real thing ....)

You could have a custom frame built for you by a renowned builder (Hollands, Waterford, etc.) and get a full Dura-Ace or Record kit and have a bike for just over $3000.

Or you could go to your LBS and get a Giant TCR Composit team with full Record that weighs 16 pounds.

OR, you could figure what you are really going to do with the bike, and buy accordingly, and invest the rest of it. That would be my suggestion. I'm not trying to bust your chops, just trying to make sure you are doing the right thing.

Now, if you are already independently wealthy, then ignore what I have already said ....... ;)
 
My goal is to get a bike that will be fast for 20km to 100km races.
I'm 40 and not in great shape, but I plan on being competitive in my class next year.
I finished 11th in a 12km race last month 4 seconds off the winner and I was the 3rd oldest guy in the race...

I just want to be in the top 6 places next year in a few races and I'll be happy.


I don't want a bike to show off with, but I want fast & strong.

Is fast light?
Is fast a brand name?
Is fast a figment of our imaginations?
Would Lance win the Tour De France on a dinky?

Not something that will be obsolete in a year or so or falling apart...

Is there much difference between a great $2500 cycle & a $5000 one?

These are the things I want to learn from this thread....


Once again, don't worry about my plans or desires....

What would YOU buy with $5000.
 
Fast is not light until you are at that elite level .........

I used to race my 21 pound Colnago with Chorus stuff just for a change from my 19 pound GT with Dura Ace and all super light components.

I even broke out the 23 pound Fuji Team that I used for rainy days with down tube shifters and a Spin rear wheel and did well. And sometimes I'd even place better with the bike ......

Fast is miles and miles of training, good diet, and persistence. Fast is not a light/latest technology bike.

But for arguments sake, I'll give you some answers ........ ;)

You need to ask yourself what type of material you want in your frame. Your choices are steel, aluminum, carbon, and ti. Each has it's plusses and minusses. I'll try to give you a few here for each:

Plusses:

Steel - responsive, lively, stiff but not unyielding, fairly bulletproof, very adaptable to any sizing
Ti - light (if not designed to be stiff), fairly responsive, corrosion resistent, light
Aluminum - very light, very stiff, corrosion resistent
Carbon - excessively light, can be stiff if layered right, corrosion resistent

Minusses:

Steel - tends to be more on the heavy side (not always the case), will/can rust
Ti - tends to be very flexy, can be brittle if not made by a top manufacturer, expensive
Aluminum - tends to be WAY too stiff on longer rides, breaks and dings easy
Carbon - expensive to get a really well designed one, tend to be very flexy if not designed right (lighter tends to be more flexy), warranty length of time issues

The frame will make or break a nice bike .......... it is the heart of the bike. Components will make it nicer, but if the frame does not suit you, you will hate the bike even if it is topped with the best components.
 
Thanks, for that...

To make MY choice I will have to test ride a few, but....

If I gave YOU $5000 to go out and buy a bike today for YOU, and not me,

What would YOU buy? No chance to test ride you must buy it now...

Off the top of your head, what would you get....???

Don't be shy or embarrassed... just buy one now!!!

:D
 
That being said, you then need to think of what manufacturer you want.

For Steel, if you buy an off the shelf frame, Colnago is one of the best, as well as many other Italian builders (Masi, Ciocc, Mondonico/Torrelli, Pinnarello). A really good steel frame will still cost in the $1200-$2000 range. My Colnago Technos retailed for a bit over $1300 retail when I had it, and the Colnago Master Krono (TT frame) cost close to $1800 retail. But if you really want the best fit, find a custom builder to make you a frame. Expect to wait close to a year to get it, and plan on spending in that same range.

For Aluminum ......... well, I'd stay away from aluminum myself ....... but Cannondale is the most well known. Fondriest also makes some nice ones. But Klein is probably the best out there IMO.

Ti, Litespeed is the best, hands down. You can get a stiff frame, or a very light frame, all depending on your wants. Merlin was always pretty good as well, but tends to be whippy.

Carbon is a tough one. The three biggest are Trk, Giant and Look. There are tons of threads out about the Giant vs. Trek issue. My choice is Giant because Trek is overrated, and tend to be everywhere ..........
 
My current (1st) cycle is a Fondriest Aluminium and so far I love it.... ( I actually got it as a present)

:D
 
Me, I love steel, as my sig. says ............

But I also miss a light frame, and have a shop hook-up so I will probably be getting a Giant TCR Composite 0 (Dura-Ace stuff - about 17 pounds). The only reason I'll do that is because of the shop hook-up (get it at employee purchase price since I was an employee there for years).

For $5000, personally, I'd get another steel Colnago, and build it up with all Record stuff. I'd never race it because I'd hate to crash it, but would ride the hell out of it. For a race bike, I'd buy an off-the-shelf product like the Giant TCR Composite Team.

That's in an ideal world with mad cash in my pocket.
 
A twist in the tale!!!

Would you buy 2 bikes if you had 5000 to spend?

One for 3000, one for 2000? One for racing one for riding?
Same components?
Share a set of racing/training wheels?
 
Because I could still get cost or below pricing for a bike, then I proabably would buy two ........... but not everyone has that possibility. :p

But the TCR Team is around $4000 retail, and a fully built Colnago steel frame with all the Campy Record Ti stuff is also close to that. The rest would go to accessories and a set of training wheels ..........
 
SCOTT C1 Team Issue, Dura Ace 10speed, Dura Ace 7800 wheels.... $5k will not be enough!
 
Originally posted by JAPANic
these brands have my attention....
Pinarello, TREK, DeRosa, Colnago,...
All good choices. Hard to go wrong with any of them. Go for some decent test rides on them and see what feels best for you.
Consider also getting a professional bike fit first so that you can work out the best sizing of frame/stem/handlebars/cranks etc before you buy.
I would recommend against a super light bike (in general) if you want it to last a long time and you are not racing at a high level.

For me, I'd get a Colnago with Campy gear. I'd try to get a C50 with Record but $5000 may not be quite enough.
 
Could you give me just a bit more???
I built a Lemond (you can go online and put whatever you want on it/your own colore scheme and all!!) It was a blast, but mine came out to $7200. Awwwwww.

If someone handed me 5k I'd go buy a Cannondale R3000 (light, responsive, and I'm a die hard Cdale man)and use whatever was left over on new stuff...Helmet, Shoes, etc.

Folks...he wants to know you would do if someone handed you 5k to blow!! come on this is fun!!
 
I'm starting to favor a DeRosa King now.... ( I live in Japan and they are going for almost exactly $5000.....)
 
Spend a few thousand on a new good quality bike and the rest on a coach and training. Any decent bike racer on an old clunker would hand out a a lesson to a less fit rider on a flash new million dollar high tech bike.
A fast, new bike a bike racer does not make.

out.
 
I've been asking the same question you have for some time now "is there much difference between a $2500 and $5000" bike?

Answer is...Not a whole lot if you bought the right one. But if you test ride enough $5000 bike, perhaps one will speak to you and say this one has the right amount of stiffness, comfort and a magnificent fit, and looks good too.

Having said all that and knowing that you want something fast, without a test ride... I would select one of the below bike, that is if you can get them for $5000 or less.

Litespeed Ultimate (can be custom built)
Derosa King
Colnago C50 (with all sizes, it's literally customs)
Merck Carbon MXM
Look KG 486/386
Independent Fabrication Ti Crown Jewel (custom bike)

Noticed I stayed away from aluminum :D
 
Originally posted by Rudy
Litespeed Ultimate
Derosa King
Colnago C50
Merck Carbon MXM
Look KG 486/386
Independent Fabrication Ti Crown Jewel
Great choices...
 
Just went to my local shop and they had a TREK 5500 for $3000 with Dura-ace (2003) model.

I asked the shop guy to price me a De Rosa King, Pinarello Prince, & Pinarello Dogma.... I'm tempted to pick up the TREK off the rach as the size is perfect too....

The guys in the shop though seem to want to steer me away from carbon and keep pushing me to their steel & aluminium cycles.... I haven't asked them if that's what they are doing (I will) but they seem to be against me getting a carbon bike. These are the same guys I ride with in my cycling club....


They also had a cheaper Lemond (steel) in there that they wanted me to take as well.... (didn't like th elook of it)...
 
Nothing wrong with Trek 5500. In my opinion, it's a very quality bike but with that dead ride of carbon fibre. The Trek OCLV frames are not monocoque. Find a monocoque carbon frame such as a Giant TCR, or Derosa King and test ride it. On a short test ride, it may not be very apparent but if you've been on one of these bikes for much longer ride, the ride quality should become apparent.
Again, like I said, the difference in a $2500 and $500 bike is small, unless you test ride enough and find one that speaks to you in all quality aspects. (fit, comfort, stiffness, looks, durability)

Perhaps they want to steer you away from Carbon frames because on a bad crash, the frame could be gone. But then so is an aluminum frame. Aluminum/carbon should provide you with a very stiff ride but yet somewhat shock absorbent because of its carbon seat stay.
That shop should have a Trek 2300 (aluminum/carbon) and a 5500 for you to test ride. You should find a somewhat distinction in ride quality. The OCLV should feel more compliant (comfy) than the 2300 yet stiff enough at the bottom bracket for you to race. Ride over some uneven surface.

the Trek should fit you well like you said because they do have a good selection of sizes. But look at the Colnago, they have even more sizes to choose from. And yes, you should get to know your size (in cm). Go to www.competitivecyclist.com and use their fit calculator. it's a good place to start.
You should test ride them to see how stiff is stiff for YOU. Not what others are saying. My current carbon fibre bike is very stiff. And I definitely don't want anything stiffer. My old Ti bike is my touring bike because it's very very comfy.
GL