Road Cycling - Bike Number 2 - Recomendations

So after 20 years out - I'm fully baked and back in. My Roubaix has been a good bike to jump back in with, but it's time to get serious.

I'm looking to spending about 3k for a bike that I can ride for at least 5-10 years. Or until the next big breakthrough....

I'm thinking about building up a Pinerello frame - but don't think I can afoard it. And although LeMond and Trek seem to be the popular brand these days, I'm looking for something unique.

Columbine Cycle Works is a local shop that makes some great looking frames, but too ornate for my taste.

I'm leaning towards a custom Litespeed or perhaps DeRosa. Any other suggestions would be great.

Don't get me wrong I'd love a 5200 Trek - but I see so many of them it just feels like I'm following the pack...

Thoughts?

R

If you're looking for a bike to last that length of time I would recommend Ti or steel. Aluminum's durability is still somewhat at issue, though I am less skeptical than others on this site. I've seen a fair amount of cracked carbon frames so I'd stay away from them. As a former Litespeed dealer, I was very impressed with their craftsmanship and service. I'd recommend the Tuscany as an all-purpose bike, or the Siena if you fancy the compact frame.

i ride a 5200 and i gotta say, i don't mind the commonness. i'm actually the only person in our big club who rides one; litespeeds are definitely the norm around here. they're great bikes. but if i wanted something exotic and rare...

i'd get a casati laser. columbus steel tubing. i'm not sure, but i think the frame and fork is somewhere in the $1.8k range. it may be less though. for that price though, you could put centaur or ultegra and still have money for a nice wheelset for under 3k. www.ciclicasati.com if you're interested.

I'm 6'2" with almost a 36" inseam. I like the idea of an exotic like that, but really need to be sure it fits. Without a local dealer, I'd be very nervous about buying over the net and finding that in the end I have a 3K back ache. And I really would like to ride a bunch of bikes and see what really works best for me..

Having read this forum for the last 6 months, I can tell you I've learned at least one thing... Nothing matters more than fit. Which leads me to believe that building a bike is a dangerouos proposition and test riding as many as you can get your hands on is the only way to go...

But it does beg the question "How can you test ride a bike that's being built for you or that doesn't have any local dealers?" And what happens if you don't like the ride when it shows up?


R