I rode 5 bikes yesterday and today, and had an interesting set of experiences - lots of bike shops have 'sales' going on, so 2006 models are priced (mostly) aggressively.
Here's a quick rundown:
Tirreno Razza 3.0 (Performance BS house brand - $820) - I thought it would be a good bike - carbon fork and stays, 105 drive train and shifters, etc....but I didn't like it at all. The bike felt too small (even though it was a 54cm bike, just like all the others). It just didn't feel good to me at all.
Scattante 650 - (PBS HB also - $1050) - much better quality bike for only $150 more. Ultegra/105 mix drive train, and the geometry felt much better than the first bike.
Giant OCR1 $1019 - great bike. I was very surprised at how tightly this bike felt put together. 105 drive train - didn't feel like they cut corners anywhere.
Specialized Roubaix Triple (06 - $1162) - It rode well, but didn't feel as good as the Giant. I was a bit disappointed, because I thought it would have stood out as a much better bike.
Fuji Roubaix RC - $1170 - great bike. The lightest of the bunch (17.4 lbs), with a full Ultegra 30 sp drivetrain. Shimano R-500 wheelset. Very responsive, and felt well-put together.
Of these, the Giant OCR1 and Fuji stood out as the best. The Giant wasn't discounted much at all (I think list is $1049 or something like that). The Fuji website lists the RC as $2020 list. This was discounted to $1300, and PBS knocked another 10% off for their sale.
I'm very close to pulling the trigger on one of those two bikes - any advice before I make a decision?
Here's a quick rundown:
Tirreno Razza 3.0 (Performance BS house brand - $820) - I thought it would be a good bike - carbon fork and stays, 105 drive train and shifters, etc....but I didn't like it at all. The bike felt too small (even though it was a 54cm bike, just like all the others). It just didn't feel good to me at all.
Scattante 650 - (PBS HB also - $1050) - much better quality bike for only $150 more. Ultegra/105 mix drive train, and the geometry felt much better than the first bike.
Giant OCR1 $1019 - great bike. I was very surprised at how tightly this bike felt put together. 105 drive train - didn't feel like they cut corners anywhere.
Specialized Roubaix Triple (06 - $1162) - It rode well, but didn't feel as good as the Giant. I was a bit disappointed, because I thought it would have stood out as a much better bike.
Fuji Roubaix RC - $1170 - great bike. The lightest of the bunch (17.4 lbs), with a full Ultegra 30 sp drivetrain. Shimano R-500 wheelset. Very responsive, and felt well-put together.
Of these, the Giant OCR1 and Fuji stood out as the best. The Giant wasn't discounted much at all (I think list is $1049 or something like that). The Fuji website lists the RC as $2020 list. This was discounted to $1300, and PBS knocked another 10% off for their sale.
I'm very close to pulling the trigger on one of those two bikes - any advice before I make a decision?