Road bike selection - around $1,000

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to purchase a road bike. I do a variety of riding, from
flats to rolling hills to larger climbs, ranging from an hour to 3+
hours. I want to spend in the neighborhood of $1,000. I've been
riding a hand-me-down hybrid (Trek) for a while, so anything I test
ride feels wonderful.

My top pics right now are the Trek 1500 ($1,000) and the Cannondale
R700 ($1,200). The Cannondale seems to have better wheels. I think
I'm going to pass on the Giant OCR-1 becuase the frame doesn't seem to
fit me well. The Felt F70 is a lot of bike for the money, but still
has a 105 rear (which seems odd). I wasn't all that impressed with the
Specialized, I'm not sure why though.

Does LeMonde have anything in this price range I should consider?

I've read a bit here about steel bikes. Are there some specific ones
that are readily available?

I'm a little under 6' and about 170lbs if that makes a difference.

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

Thanks

Don't have much experience road riding, but I wouldn't rule out finding
a late-model used bike in that price range. You may be able to get more
bike for the money. Also you won't be out much money if you don't like
it and can probably sell it for about what you paid for it.

When in doubt, I'd go with what's most comfortable. You can upgrade
components later if you need to (perhaps get some lower gearing for
those long climbs), but the frame isn't going to change. I'd personally
lean towards the Trek because I've had good experiences with them, but a
lot of companies are making good bikes these days.

Good luck.

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to purchase a road bike. I do a variety of riding, from
flats to rolling hills to larger climbs, ranging from an hour to 3+
hours. I want to spend in the neighborhood of $1,000. I've been
riding a hand-me-down hybrid (Trek) for a while, so anything I test
ride feels wonderful.

My top pics right now are the Trek 1500 ($1,000) and the Cannondale
R700 ($1,200). The Cannondale seems to have better wheels. I think
I'm going to pass on the Giant OCR-1 becuase the frame doesn't seem to
fit me well. The Felt F70 is a lot of bike for the money, but still
has a 105 rear (which seems odd). I wasn't all that impressed with the
Specialized, I'm not sure why though.

Does LeMonde have anything in this price range I should consider?

I've read a bit here about steel bikes. Are there some specific ones
that are readily available?

I'm a little under 6' and about 170lbs if that makes a difference.

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

Thanks

I was looking at some of the same bikes a couple of weeks ago, but my
specs were bikes that had at least Shimano 105 components. My list
included the R700 Cannondale, Trek 1500, Specialized Allez Elite, a
couple of Felt models, Giant OCR2 in about a 58 - 60. I rode a few of
these, but since it is near the close of the sales cycle, models in my
size were scarce and picked over. I wound up getting the Allez. It fit
me nicely, I liked the drivetrain and shifters and the price was right.
I went ahead and pulled the trigger since it met the specs I'd
prescribed and otherwise was a good fit. I have just been riding the
Allez for three days averaging about 9 miles per day. So far, so good
but hardly enough miles to do a meaningful review.

Random thoughts: I tried the Cannondale R900. I really liked the bike
(though it was priced $300 more than the R700) but didn't care for the
(Compagnolo) shifters at all, they did not feel as direct and solid to
me as the Shimano which admittedly is what I am used to. The R700 has
Shimano shifters but there were no R700s in my size.

Quoted message said:

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

It's very difficult to still find a cromoloy steel road bike with
standard (non-compact) geometry for that price. The sub-$1000 road bikes
are mostly all compact and aluminum.

You might look at the Trek-Lemond Poprad, which occasionally can be had
for $1000, but normally sells for $1200. Figure 10% off at a shop
that gives a club discount, so you're at $1080. Maybe there will be some
end-of-the-model-year sales.

On 8/2/05 11:42 PM, in article
[email hidden], "[email hidden]"

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to purchase a road bike. I do a variety of riding, from
flats to rolling hills to larger climbs, ranging from an hour to 3+
hours. I want to spend in the neighborhood of $1,000. I've been
riding a hand-me-down hybrid (Trek) for a while, so anything I test
ride feels wonderful.

My top pics right now are the Trek 1500 ($1,000) and the Cannondale
R700 ($1,200). The Cannondale seems to have better wheels. I think
I'm going to pass on the Giant OCR-1 becuase the frame doesn't seem to
fit me well. The Felt F70 is a lot of bike for the money, but still
has a 105 rear (which seems odd). I wasn't all that impressed with the
Specialized, I'm not sure why though.

Does LeMonde have anything in this price range I should consider?

I've read a bit here about steel bikes. Are there some specific ones
that are readily available?

I'm a little under 6' and about 170lbs if that makes a difference.

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

Thanks

With the amount of riding that you will be doing you may want to look at
used bikes. In your price range, for a new bike, you are going to get
acceptable, but still lower level, components. However, used, you may be
able to get, for example, Shimano Ultegra or Dura-Ace. If you trust your
local bike shop they can give the bike a good going over mechanically to
make sure the components that you are buying are not on their last days.
As far as a new bike is concerned, I have owned four Trek's and gotten good
performance out of all of them. My original, now very old, Trek 1000 is
currently being ridden by my daughter and it is still going strong.
Chuck

SMS said:

Quoted message said:

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

It's very difficult to still find a cromoloy steel road bike with
standard (non-compact) geometry for that price. The sub-$1000 road bikes
are mostly all compact and aluminum.

You might look at the Trek-Lemond Poprad, which occasionally can be had
for $1000, but normally sells for $1200. Figure 10% off at a shop
that gives a club discount, so you're at $1080. Maybe there will be some
end-of-the-model-year sales.

Unless I am mistaken, the Allez Elite is steel. The frame is listed as
follows: Columbus SLX, double-butted, heat-treated. I remember
reading something about a proposed future change to aluminum, but I
can't recall where I read it.

joe.skehan said:

I've read a bit here about steel bikes. Are there some specific ones that
are readily available?

You could build up a Surly Pacer frame (~$400) for around a grand if you
shop around.

The Jamis Satellite looks really nice, though it's only specced with Sora.
It runs around $700 and you get a really nice cromo frame that's worth
upgrading imho. Sora's not gonna be as durable as the higher end Shimano
stuff, but it still shifts fine and replacement bits are rediculously
cheap. The Satellite with 105 bits would be optimum, but I don't think
they offer that combination.

catzz66 said:

Unless I am mistaken, the Allez Elite is steel. The frame is listed as
follows: Columbus SLX, double-butted, heat-treated. I remember reading
something about a proposed future change to aluminum, but I can't recall
where I read it.

Apparently the Columbus SLX is aluminum. The original Columbus SLX
tubing was steel, but Specialized apparently got Columbus to make an
aluminum tubing with the same name. You can be sure that if a frame is
steel, that the manufactuer will make it abundantly clear.

There is a version of the Allex Elite that is CroMo, but it is more
expensive.

It looks like the frame is somewhere between a standard and a compact.

SMS said:

catzz66 said:

Unless I am mistaken, the Allez Elite is steel. The frame is listed
as follows: Columbus SLX, double-butted, heat-treated. I remember
reading something about a proposed future change to aluminum, but I
can't recall where I read it.

Apparently the Columbus SLX is aluminum. The original Columbus SLX
tubing was steel, but Specialized apparently got Columbus to make an
aluminum tubing with the same name. You can be sure that if a frame is
steel, that the manufactuer will make it abundantly clear.

There is a version of the Allex Elite that is CroMo, but it is more
expensive.

It looks like the frame is somewhere between a standard and a compact.

Thanks, and you are right on target about their being both aluminum and
steel Allez Elites sold now. The MSRP is $500 more for the steel-framed
model. On Specialized's website it has "Cr-Mo" in the name and the
frame is listed in the specs as follows: Columbus FOCO, fully butted,
air hardened.

Don't want to lead anybody down the wrong path.

catzz66 said:

SMS said:

catzz66 said:

Unless I am mistaken, the Allez Elite is steel. The frame is listed
as follows: Columbus SLX, double-butted, heat-treated. I remember
reading something about a proposed future change to aluminum, but I
can't recall where I read it.

Apparently the Columbus SLX is aluminum. The original Columbus SLX
tubing was steel, but Specialized apparently got Columbus to make an
aluminum tubing with the same name. You can be sure that if a frame is
steel, that the manufactuer will make it abundantly clear.

There is a version of the Allex Elite that is CroMo, but it is more
expensive.

It looks like the frame is somewhere between a standard and a compact.

Thanks, and you are right on target about their being both aluminum and
steel Allez Elites sold now. The MSRP is $500 more for the steel-framed
model. On Specialized's website it has "Cr-Mo" in the name and the
frame is listed in the specs as follows: Columbus FOCO, fully butted,
air hardened.

Don't want to lead anybody down the wrong path.

See "http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=05Allez"

The Comp CroMo Allez is $500 more, but the Elite Cro-Mo triple is only
$100 more.

I think that I'd go with the Lemond Poprad instead. It's available for a
bit over $1000.

If its aluminum you want, Airborne, who normally sells chinese-made ti
bikes, has an excellent deal on its Aluminum bike with ultegra 10 stuff
for *only* $1200:

http://www.airborne.net/eready/janette/store/05TB-special.asp

Excuse me, there's only 2 sizes remaining, 50cm and 58cm, but if you
fit one of those sizes, its ONLY $1100 complete! What a deal!!!!!!

Quoted message said:

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

Before you pull the trigger, spend a couple of weeks watching eBay:
"complete bikes and frames". You can sort by brand and/or size. Lots of
853 steel there. I saw a Serotta RapidTour (full Durace) go for $600
last week. Lots of selection in your size.

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to purchase a road bike. I do a variety of riding, from
flats to rolling hills to larger climbs, ranging from an hour to 3+
hours. I want to spend in the neighborhood of $1,000. I've been
riding a hand-me-down hybrid (Trek) for a while, so anything I test
ride feels wonderful.

My top pics right now are the Trek 1500 ($1,000) and the Cannondale
R700 ($1,200). The Cannondale seems to have better wheels. I think
I'm going to pass on the Giant OCR-1 becuase the frame doesn't seem to
fit me well. The Felt F70 is a lot of bike for the money, but still
has a 105 rear (which seems odd). I wasn't all that impressed with the
Specialized, I'm not sure why though.

Does LeMonde have anything in this price range I should consider?

I've read a bit here about steel bikes. Are there some specific ones
that are readily available?

I'm a little under 6' and about 170lbs if that makes a difference.

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

Thanks

Hi Joe, you have received quite a bit of advice, some good, some, kind
of iffy.
It is usually a good idea to find a shop that you like and work with
them. Fit is your number one priority.

Buying new, rather than used, from a LBS, will give you both support,
and a warranty.

Buying used, or on Ebay, is fine if you know a lot about bikes.
Otherwise, you could get burned. You don't want to have to wonder
whether it is working correctly.

If you get a bike with a good frame, components can be upgraded at a
later date, but most likely won't be necessary. I wouldn't shy away
from the Felt, just because it has a 105 rear derailleur. My LeMond
came with a 105 RD, it shifted as well as the Dura-Ace that I replaced
it with. I have it on the shelf as a back up, and wouldn't hesitate to
use it.

Depending on where you live, I would check around with all LBSs, to
see if they have any closeout, previous year models. I bought my 2002
LeMond Tourmalet, in July of 2003. I saved over $400, on it. Not too
long ago, one of my LBS still had a couple of new 2001 bikes. Those
still come with full warranty and support.

But, finally, if you are jonesing to make that purchase, I don't think
you could go wrong with the Trek.

Life is Good!
Jeff

I'm quite happy with my Bianchi Eros that cost about $1100. Been
riding it 2 years now.

Dave

Jeff Starr said:

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to purchase a road bike. I do a variety of riding, from
flats to rolling hills to larger climbs, ranging from an hour to 3+
hours. I want to spend in the neighborhood of $1,000. I've been
riding a hand-me-down hybrid (Trek) for a while, so anything I test
ride feels wonderful.

My top pics right now are the Trek 1500 ($1,000) and the Cannondale
R700 ($1,200). The Cannondale seems to have better wheels. I think
I'm going to pass on the Giant OCR-1 becuase the frame doesn't seem to
fit me well. The Felt F70 is a lot of bike for the money, but still
has a 105 rear (which seems odd). I wasn't all that impressed with the
Specialized, I'm not sure why though.

Does LeMonde have anything in this price range I should consider?

I've read a bit here about steel bikes. Are there some specific ones
that are readily available?

I'm a little under 6' and about 170lbs if that makes a difference.

I'm having a rally hard time making a final decision. Cany anyone
offer some help?

Thanks

Hi Joe, you have received quite a bit of advice, some good, some, kind
of iffy.
It is usually a good idea to find a shop that you like and work with
them. Fit is your number one priority.

Buying new, rather than used, from a LBS, will give you both support,
and a warranty.

Buying used, or on Ebay, is fine if you know a lot about bikes.
Otherwise, you could get burned. You don't want to have to wonder
whether it is working correctly.

If you get a bike with a good frame, components can be upgraded at a
later date, but most likely won't be necessary. I wouldn't shy away
from the Felt, just because it has a 105 rear derailleur. My LeMond
came with a 105 RD, it shifted as well as the Dura-Ace that I replaced
it with. I have it on the shelf as a back up, and wouldn't hesitate to
use it.

Depending on where you live, I would check around with all LBSs, to
see if they have any closeout, previous year models. I bought my 2002
LeMond Tourmalet, in July of 2003. I saved over $400, on it. Not too
long ago, one of my LBS still had a couple of new 2001 bikes. Those
still come with full warranty and support.

But, finally, if you are jonesing to make that purchase, I don't think
you could go wrong with the Trek.

Life is Good!
Jeff

Jeff Starr said:

Hi Joe, you have received quite a bit of advice, some good, some, kind
of iffy.

It goes without saying that all advice is worth every penny Joe paid for
it. =]