I have just gone through a similar situation to yourself but was looking at the $4000 - $4500 range
for a carbon fibre bike. I only compared the Giant TCR1 Composite and Trek 5200 (looked at the TCR0
too but more than I wanted to pay), and chose the TCR1 on price and features, and the write-ups were
good. I am not a racer, just enjoy riding and do alot of it and wanted a fairly decent bike.
Remember to factor in additional items such as pedals, speedo, bidon cages, shoes etc to the total
price, and also remember, never ever pay retail! You should be able to purchase the total package
for a 10% - 15% discount on retail by knowing what you want before you enter the shop, haggling, and
being prepared to purchase on the spot if given a deal you are happy with.
"Michael Day" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> OK want carbon. There are quite a few options. Haven't been riding long enough to know all the ins
> and outs and would appreciate some help. $5000
is
> the budget - not even 1 dollar over.
>
> thanks in anticipation