Fifty Plus (50+) - Least expensive CF bike

Do any of you bike researchers know what the least expensive CF bike with full DuraAce is? Just wondering what the least money you could spend if you don't care what brand you buy. Inquiring minds....:rolleyes:

For one thing, that's kinda hard to determine if one takes into account special deals you might find on a 2007 or even 2006 closeout. I've seen brand new high end road bikes discounted by 50%.

Now I'll let someone who knows something about these bikes take over.

Don't know if it is, but the card I'll play is the BD Century Team, $1700 (no additional shipping or tax).

This will get your post going ....
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/centuryteam_08_carbon.htm

If you are interested in the BD Motobecane Century Team, see my post regarding my purchase.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=384692

Ride On!

-Spoke

Don't know if it is, but the card I'll play is the BD Century Team, $1700 (no additional shipping or tax).

This will get your post going ....
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/centuryteam_08_carbon.htm

Nice bike and a great value, but not quite "full Dura Ace".

This (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/immortalspirit_08instock.htm) is close, but needs DA cranks and brakes to fill the bill.
But what would you want to put DA on the cheapest frame you can find?

But what would you want to put DA on the cheapest frame you can find?
Good question since the difference in performance between DA and Ultegra or even 105, is just about nil. Seems that if you are nitpicking the differences in the components you would in the frame even more so.

I guess there are things like finish or even having the DA name on it that feed a pride of ownership thing.

Yeah, if money is an issue, Ultegra is great stuff.

From my point of view, prestige is the only reason for a non-pro racer to choose Dura Ace over Ultegra (or Ultegra over 105 for that matter). That prestige is out the window anyway with a Motobecane or other no-name frame. Might as well save money and go with a lower but still very good component group. I would put the extra money towards a better frame before better components.

Do any of you bike researchers know what the least expensive CF bike with full DuraAce is? Just wondering what the least money you could spend if you don't care what brand you buy. Inquiring minds....:rolleyes:

Yeh. This makes no sense. The whole idea of buying DuraAce is show money means nothing to you.

Yeh. This makes no sense. The whole idea of buying DuraAce is show money means nothing to you.

I test rode quite a few CF bikes last year. Not many of them had a good feel to them after riding Aluminium. In fact- that is why I bought the Boreas. Although I was looking at quality bikes-This frame and bike was the best within my budget. Then the TCR was one I had not tried and after riding the Cheap Ally OCR to the LBS- I was put on the mechanics TCR and sent out of the shop for a ride. Bought it but up against the Boreas-It is not far behind on ride quality.

I think you have the priority wrong in looking for a well specced frame with the top end drive chain. The heart of the bike is the frame. That is what is going to denote how the bike rides. Looking at the TCR range- and that is the best affordable C.F. frame that I have tried- It can start of with a lowly 105 gruppo or go up to Dure Ace if you want. Same frame- different gruppo and wheels- but basically the same bike. And they don't ride much differently either. There will be a difference in parts spedded to the frame the higher up you go and with a correponding loss in weight - but in ridability- there is not much difference on the models. Now within the frame- Even Giant cater for the Masses with the C.F. framed OCR. That was the frame I tried last year and it did nothing for me.



http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/road/

You can get CF frames on scambay for under $600 but who knows if they are any good. You can buy a Diamond Back Podium CF which weighs over 20 pounds!!!! So my advice is start with some research on what frame you really want and go from there.

Point being even with a Dura Ace group a CF bike is not necessarly a great ride.

Grampster,

You do know that if anyone is caught riding a DuraAce equipped bike with Florsheim shoes, that the bike is confiscated, right?