Marinoni or Specialized ? Steel or Aluminum?

I am looking for some bicycle advice and I am hoping for some advice.

I am looking for a good all-purpose sport bike. During the week, I commute to work on a combination of paved bike paths and roads. The bike will need to be either steel or aluminum so it will allow me to have a rack to carry my paniers. I do not ride in the winter.

However, on the weekends, I will occasionally ride with my friends that are part of a cycling group. They all use carbon fiber road bikes. I do not expect the same performance as these, but I would like a bike that will allow me to stay close to the pack.

So far, I have looked at the Marinoni Sportivo, the Specialized Secteur Sport, and one of the Norcos.

Any thoughts or advice?

 

The performance comes from the rider not the bike. No material makes one bike better than another. The bike that will perform best for you will be the one that fits you best, rides best for you, and handles best for you. You need to test ride the bikes and make your choice based on those test rides.

 

tough decision, you want to commute with a rack on the bike but you also want to ride with the carbon fiber guys on club rides, you cannot have both choices in one bike unfortunately, you either commute carrying your stuff on a backpack or you buy two bikes, spending less on the commuter of course,