hammershell

Hello everyone. As you can all see, I am a brand new member here. I started cycling to work (and occasionally on the trails) in April of 2007. I am currently using a 1985 Peugot Crazyhorse Mountain Bike but it is not appropriate for me since 99% of my ride is on nice, smooth concrete (with the occasional dirt clod and pebble) and I want to go faster. I can only max out at 18 mph on a flat surface with no wind with this bike.

I have decided that I want a Bianchi due to their style and quality. The recommended frame for my body is 57-59 cm (with 58 cm being ideal). I have been searching e-bay and find the occasional Bianchi road bike that fits this description. I was all set on buying one of these road bikes (there are many different models, as you all know) until I went to my local bike shop.

The guy that talked to me at the shop said that, if I was sticking to Bianchi, I needed to get a Volpe or an Axis because that is the only bike appropriate for commuting. This is because these are the only "cyclocross" bikes that Bianchi makes. He says that if I get a standard "road bike" with standard "road bike tires", I will get a lot of flats and I will have to put a lot of money into tires because of said flats. He also says that the skinny, no-tread road bike tires are much harder to control. Is what he says on these issues true or is it a bunch of bunk?

He has been selling bikes for a while, but I am not sure that he is 100% accurate. I have seen lots of people riding the no tread, skinny tires on the road and the trails and they seem to get along fine, although I am not there with them all the time to see how many flats and face-plants they get.

The problem that this creates is that it limits me severely to my bike selection and purchase. Instead of waiting for a good deal to come along on a used bike, with the many models Bianchi makes, I would need to wait for an Axis or Volpe (if what this man says is true). Due to the cost of a new Volpe this year (Axis is much more money), I am going to have to buy a used Volpe. They pop up on Ebay, but not very often.

So the summary of my quesetion is this: Do I really need to wait around for a Volpe or Axis or can I just buy any of the road bikes that Bianchi makes and be happy? I really don't want to deal with a lot of flats or face plants, but I also want to be able to get a bike within a month or six weeks. Believe me, I am actively looking. I am not a racer by any means, but I would like to open my options up if I can.

He also was trying to pressure me into buying a bike right now. He says that there are shortages of bikes in the popular sizes, one of which is a 58 cm frame. He said that this is because there are so many people commuting to work that he can't keep up. He says that if he orders a 2008 model, it will be $999. There are 25 Volpes left in the nation in my size and they will not make any more at this price. The 2009 models will come out in September (he called Bianchi today) and they will be $1,250. He had 2007 models in the shop, but they were not my size and they were only $840.

I was also wondering if anyone knew of any forums out there where people could sell used bikes exclusively.

Thanks for your patience and I really need some help here so I can get a good used Bianchi.

Joel