Road Cycling - faux pas?

I was looking several bikes to buy later this spring, and I'm doing a lot of my fact finding now. I haven't rode anything yet (been to snowy yet, didn't want to screw up a LBS's bike) but I really liked the looks of the cannondale R600. I was also looking at trek 2000, and the lemond Alpe d'Huez. The cannondale is a bit more expensive, but it seems like a more upgradable frame, and the geometry looked nice. Its my top choice.

However, my favorite LBS doesn't stock it, its a trek dealer. The trek dealer offered me a Lemond Alpe d'Huez for $1000, so I'm also looking at that also. Because my favorite LBS is a trek dealer, that means I have to go through Princeton sports, who has a wide variety of brands, but very few road bikes. I could get my hands on an R600, but that shop is nothing but MTBers. I asked them how much it would cost to switch out the wheelset with Open Pros and 105 hubs...I got just sort of a blank look like, "Open Pros? Are those those new freeriding wheels? I have the munchies, I think I'll smoke some more weed" (No offense intended to those MTBers out there) The trek shop has much more knowledgeable people there, and they have given me numerous freebees that helped with restoring my bianchi. I sort of feel like I owe them, and by bringing a cannondale into their shop, I would be wrecking that crucial friendship and partnership with them. I can see it now...

-So, that's a mighty nice cannondale you got there, where'd you get it?
-um...a friend...
-mighty shiny, looks NEW!
-OK! I ADMIT IT I BOUGHT IT FROM A COMPETITER!!
-you should be ashamed, boy! you should've bought that lemond I offered you a discount on...
-I'm sorry!!! *sob* I'm an ungrateful rat! *sob*

Am I making too big of deal out of this? Shop workers, would you be upset?

This former LBS wrench says be very honest about your purchase, and why. Talk it over with the Trek dealer and give him an honest chance to talk you out of the Cannondale. He will probably bring up "How good does Cannodale's warranty look right now

Sounds as though you are debating bewteen a bike and a relationship, and are leaning toward the relationship. I tend to agree. It is not much fun to have a new bike if you can't revel in it with your LBS pals. If you are honest the relationship will likely endure, anyway, but be prepared for some ribbing the first time the Cannodale needs work :)

Some folks say a buck is a buck, but I try to shop at my little local lumber yard and avoid Home Depot, even if I spend a little more. My local guys are friends when I need 'em.

By the by, I once worked on a water tower near Columbia--nearly 40 years ago!

For the price, I'd have to say that Cannondales are superior. However, with their recent financial problems, it might be a while before some shops stock them again. I'd say look around for a Cannondale dealer in your area. Cannondale isn't going to go out of business, and I'd rather buy a better, cheaper domestically-made bike over a foreign-made bike any day!

I to also looked at the Cannondale R600 great looking bike and a good price for the components that were on it I test rode a litespeed as well they both rode very nice. The litespeed seemed just a little smoother than the cannondale. But being in finance got the best of me and I chose the Litespeed for a couple hundred more. Even though the bike shop is a Cannondale dealer and recommened it they still sold me the litespeed without any hardship. I just cant buy something for that kind of money and not know where the company is headed.

I have the 2003 Trek 2000 and have no complaints. What ever you settle on make sure you get a good fit.

Originally posted by cmrush
Even though the bike shop is a Cannondale dealer and recommened it they still sold me the litespeed without any hardship.

I think you are confused. I meant that the LBS I don't like stocks Cannondales, and the other LBS that I like stocks treks.

Thats business, buy the one that fits best, your shop should understand. I just got the R600 and it is fantastic, I think it is a great deal for the frame you get. I tested the same rides you are considering plus a couple Bianchis, I weigh 190, and the cdale is perfect, light, fast, comfy, and no frame twist

i also have the R600 triple/ black frame.. now.. i was also looking at a ls blade... but i am kinda small, and they didn't have the blade in my size and i wanted a bike NOW...lol so they fit me into the r600 with ultegra.. i love it.. after trying a few bikes out my size 48,49... in the middle of a busy metro city.. with my lack of experience...the cdale was/is superb.

now i just need to find me the same deal in a mtn bike and i am set for 24/7/12.:)

I would go with a Trek or Lemond. I work at a Trek dealer and I ride a Lemond Buenos Aires and my wife rides a Trek 2200. Both are great bikes for the money. Comfortable riding frames, especially the Lemond. The steel frame will make for a bit heavier bike overall, but has a great ride. Treks aluminum is a very comfortable ride as well according to my wife and many others I know who ride it.

We used to be a Cannondale dealer up untill a year or so ago. The bikes are great, no doubt about that. They service on the other hand sucks from my experience, and with the recent problems in the company I wouldn't be looking for it to get any better. Trek's service on the other hand is the best I have ever seen. I have seen them cover things under warranty that never should have been covered leading to extremely surprised and happy customers.

If the Cannondale is the best fit, then go with that one. Just make sure the place you buy it from will stand behind the bike in case Cannondale does not. Make sure you at least ride the others. One ride on a Lemond and I was hooked! The geometry just fits me perfectly. I would take a nice Saturday and go and ride all three in the same day. Take your time, go out for at least 20-30min on each one (make sure you let the shop empoyee your dealing with know how long you plan to be gone. It's always a little nerve racking when you expect a test ride to be a spin around the shop like most people take and then have it be 15min later with still no sign of them. We don't care a bit if you want to take a long test ride, just let us know ahead of time) By the time you do that, you should know for sure which bike is for you. If there are maybe two that seem really close, go for the one from the best shop. That can be worth a lot a few thousand miles down the road.

Go with the Trek and the dealer who obviously treats you well.
When you do test ride I'm sure you'll like the Trek better anyway and having a good dealers support goes a long long way. A friend of mine used to sell Cannondales and "dropped" them. He kept Trek and says Trek customer service is SUPER!

I don't like to "bad mouth" stuff or people ( unless they start it).
But, I wrenched for a long time and and rarely worked on a Connondale that didn't have a "problem"- crooked frames, pop riveted derailleur mounts etc.

I never worked on a "problem" Trek.

Ride Far
Pat

Don't get stressed about the question until you have a chance to ride the bikes. Then, put as your leading criteria the question of how the bike fits you. That will be the most important thing in the long run--price, upgradeability, etc. are all moot points if the bike doesn't fit well.

Then, only when you have decided that the Cannondale is really the bike you prefer, then start to worry. I would still say, get the bike you really want. But, then get everything else from your beloved LBS. When they know that you really love the Cannodale, they'll probably understand. (Well, they might not understand why you would take a Cannondale over a LeMond, but they'll be understanding about your love for a particular bike.)

Cheers,
Jamie

From what I've heard Cannondale tried to design/ build a motocross bike from the ground up. It had an alau. frame with all the trick stuff top motocross bikes have. They probably had 20 or so of them lying around in various states of repair with all the junk that goes with them.This is what spiraled out of control in the co.. Can you imagine trying to up against Honda, Sizuki, and a few others I can't remember! From the ground up! You have to admit it took alot of guts, but not much accounting type sense.
Some of the posts mentioned service problems with them. I don't doubt that they aren't as good as Trek, but alot of bikes can't keep up with Trek right now. They're on a roll right now. But that doesn't mean other bikes aren't good bikes.

rats! it snowed two feet+ here in Maryland. no test riding will be going on for a while :(

I bought a hybrid a couple of years ago at my favorite LBS. A few months later my husband bought a hybrid. When I upgraded to a road bike, I tried my favorite LBS first, but they only carried a few road bikes. I bought my road bike at another store about 20 miles away. It was hard to visit the smaller and closer (2 miles) LBS when I needed maintenance on the hybrid. I finally told them I bought a road bike. It was a "strained relationship" last summer. However at the end of summer, I bought my husband a used Trek 2300 from the mechanic. They work on all the bikes for free now. They spend time showing me how to adjust brakes and derailers and perform routine maintenance. Next week we will be "doing the hubs". Well I do buy them lunch or tip them (something I learned on bike forums). BTW, I do love my Lemond but I really NEED the trusting relationship with my little LBS.

i'm a sucker for a good upgrade. i trust my LBS to not 'sell' me and give me the straight poop on products. this alone can save $$$ because i don't have sponsorship that allows me to switch out and try everything.

Originally posted by Phatman
I was looking several bikes to buy later this spring, and I'm doing a lot of my fact finding now. I haven't rode anything yet ... Am I making too big of deal out of this? Shop workers, would you be upset?

It all depends on your requirements and personal values.

1. If you place a high value on the relationship you have with the owner and/or manager of your LBS that could certainly be a major factor for guiding your decisions. My last 8 bikes have come from manufactures or custom builders so my LBS knows why I haven't bought a bicycle from them in 10 years. I also do 95% of my own work so it's rare that I'll ever show up for service. However, they know that I will still come to them when I do need something that they can get for me and that I always refer folks looking for a great bike shop to them. Not only will they help clients find the right bike for their budget and needs, they'll make sure it fits properly and coach them on riding position and technique as they go through the test ride process.

2. If you place a high value on brand name reputation and/or have a bias towards one brand over the next, ditto with the comments above. Your bike shop will likely understand. All is fair in love and war and margins on new bike sales aren't as high as clothing, accessories or maintenance so buy the brand you want but, otherwise, continue to do the rest of your business at your local LBS. Note regarding Cannondale's continued existence as a bicycle manufacturer, I think it's fair to say they'll be around for many years to come. As for Warranty coverage, so long as the brand remains around they'll take care of your Warranty claims. Anything short of a frame problem brings you back to your LBS and how well they take care of their clients.

3. If you place the highest value on meeting your requirements and spec's be sure you stick to them -- that is, assuming you've really thought them out and have a sound rationale for setting them where you have. Spec's and aesthetics are nice, but they only hint at the performance of any given bike. I mention this because some of the things you have mentioned suggest that marketing may be playing a major role in establishing what you "should want" in a bicycle instead of your past experience and expectations. Moreover, you're also comparing apples to oranges (throwing the steel-framed, Trek-owned LeMond brand into the mix) which makes me curious as there is a world of difference between the two materials and many reasons for choosing one material over another.

BOTTOM LINE: Since you haven't ridden any of these bikes I'd say yes, you've got the cart before the horse with regard to being concerned unless you are predisposed to be either LBS or brand-loyal. Assuming you have a budget or price ceiling in mind and these bikes all fall within it, the test ride and riding impressions are what will ultimately be the most important factor. Also keep in mind that these days wheels and tires on similar road bikes will probably skew your impressions more than anything else so when it does come time for the test ride make sure you take that into consideration, i.e., are the wheels of similar construction and are the tires at least inflated to the same pressure.

My wife rides a Cannondale R600 and loves it. It has a nice frame, good components, and "responds well to upgrades". The only issue as far as I'm concerned were the CODA brakes. They do not have the stopping power I would expect. They flex.

I have a Trek and at around 800 miles the rear hub went south. It was making light clunking noises intemitently so took the wheel to the LBS and 6 days later I had a brand new wheel from Trek.

Here's my 2 cents. You will have to take it with a grain of salt. I prefer playing with old bikes and haven't really had the bug for a new frame or bike, though I do go drool over them at my LBS when I am there. Also, to a great extent I consider bikes almost fungible, that is, there are numerous high quality brands, any of which would be great to have. So I guess I am not that "picky". On the other hand, I cherish the relationship I have with my favorite LBS. I have gotten to be good friends with everyone who works there, and they have taken good care of me. So when the day comes that I want a new bike, it will be one that they carry. Luckily they carry Specialized and Giant as their primary brands but also deal in Colnago and Pinarello as well as a few others, so limiting myself to one of their brands would not be a great hardship. But even if they only carried Specialized and Giant, I would gladly buy one of their models.
Regards,
Raymond

Originally posted by livngood
. Moreover, you're also comparing apples to oranges (throwing the steel-framed, Trek-owned LeMond brand into the mix) which makes me curious as there is a world of difference between the two materials and many reasons for choosing one material over another.


I realize that there is a world of difference in the two materials. I figure that I would give the steel bike a try since the price is so good. the bike I have now is steel, and i like it a lot. I wonder if I could get a bike with similar riding characteristics but much lighter. (I have a lugged steel bianchi from the early 80s) However, I figure that I should try some of the newer technologies, after all, people are buying aluminum bikes, and many people like them. I, however have not ridden an aluminum bike more then a mile or two, so I really don't have an idea of what I would like.