Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Help me Choose/Roadbike

This year I'm going to get a new roadbike to replace or compliment my current ride. This will be a full upgrade from a alum. carbon mix with 105/ultegra, cheap shimano wheelset to a full carbon UltegraSl or better bike. I've narrowed it down to 4 choices all close to same price except for one which is a little cheaper. The Trek is beautiful but I hate the wheelset and seems a little steep in price. The C'Dales all fit basically the same and could be fit to me no problem. The supersix is a tremendous bike for the money and the Six3 is great value for a full carbon ultegraSl with decent wheels. I have only straddled the Trek and Six3 as not too many shops in my area carry this range of bikes in a 58 size frame. The Trek was nice but and looked great but the sloping top tube would take some getting use to. The Six3 Dale also looked great and fit slightly better with more traditional lines. I'm having a hard time choosing but I think that's because I've had too much time to think about it. A little about me. Third year riding, 228lbs and loosing, I ride around 4-5000k a year, do a lot of group rides, average ride is 75k do at least one ride over 100k a week, do centuries as in 162k also. Ride in all three groups with club depending on who I feel like riding with so there is the 18-22k no drop group, the 22-28k no drop group and the 28k+ group that is a no drop with in reason I.E top of hill you are 100 yards back they'll hold off till you get on back, but will drop you if you start fading. Here are bikes.
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/madone/madone55/
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-9RSX1D_9RSX1C.html
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-9RSS3D_9RSS3C.html
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-9RSX3D_9RSX3C.html

Take a peek at the Allez, from Specialized....I have an 07 model, and absolutely love it. I did upgrade to Velocity Deep V wheels with a 36 spoke setup, though. The bike is scarily fast, very lively on the turns, and a whole heck of a lot of fun to ride.

Nothing against Specialized, I do like the bikes I just don't like the shop that deals them in my area. I'm not inclined to do a build myself so it's either Trek, Cannondale, Fuji from the guy I deal with.

Use the LBS you like and trust. Then ride the bikes in your size and find the only you like best. Then buy it and have fun.

I have only straddled the Trek and Six3 as not too many shops in my area carry this range of bikes in a 58 size frame.

Musing about which bike to buy before you've done a test-ride is wasted time. The Cannondale Six may be the perfect bike on paper but you may find that you hate the ride. My suggestion would be to find a shop that stocks a decent range of frame sizes and do some test-riding!

Based on what you've said about your riding, I'd suggest you evaluate the following carbon fiber bikes: Cannondale Synapse Carbon, Specialized Roubaix, Felt Z-series (Z15, Z25, Z35, z45), Look 566, Cervelo RS, Giant Defy Advanced, and Fuji CCR. I test-rode many of them and the Specialized Roubaix and Cervelo RS were my favorites...


The Trek was nice but and looked great but the sloping top tube would take some getting use to.

Why would a sloping top tube "take some getting use to"? Other than the look, I honestly can't tell the difference between a bike with a horizontal top tube and a sloping top tube...

Yeah I need to take a few more bikes out for a test ride but January is a bad time, plus trying to find a shop that carries this level of bike in any one certian size is pretty hard in my area. Plus like I said I'm pretty picky about who I buy it off. The guy who owns the LBS I also ride with so it's kinda hard to take my business elsewhere and he sells the three brands mentioned plus a few others but not in my price range.

When confronted with difficult bicycle related decisions, I often stop and say to myself "What would Lance do?". He'd buy the Madone. Problem solved.

First to settle this part I would ride all four bikes to see which one spoke to me or rather screamed at me "RIDE ME".

But, on paper I hate to admit I like the Trek the best. I'm not normally, a Trek guy, but that bike is sweet looking and has good components.

Then the Cdales the Carbon 1, Hi-Mod 3, Carbon 3 in that order. I would get them in either the white or red color because they are "faster" looking.

I would request that your LBS obtain one of each of the bikes. You are sincere in buying a bike and from them, you already have a relationship with them, and you don't want to drop a chunk of change and then regret it later. I would think the LBS could obtain the bike now and the one's you don't buy can either be sold or shipped back because it is early in the year.

I love my Cannondale, but I would not write those wheels off on the trek. I had a set of them and they are incredibly strong and they stay true under my weight. I only got rid of them cause I was riding a hybrid at the time and they really were not designed for a 135mm read spacing. I sold them to another clyde BF Member and he is very happy with them.

well why not go ride and test out the bikes you are interested in at another bike shop and then go back to your LBS that you are dedicated to and order and purchase through them? You may need to travel some to a larger area to get to a shop that has the options you are looking for, but hey why not make an adventure out of it? Oh and try to avoid the ice I don't think that your auto insurance would cover a bike crash. heheheh... and the shop might not like a crashed bike in their stock.

Yeah I need to take a few more bikes out for a test ride but January is a bad time, plus trying to find a shop that carries this level of bike in any one certian size is pretty hard in my area. Plus like I said I'm pretty picky about who I buy it off. The guy who owns the LBS I also ride with so it's kinda hard to take my business elsewhere and he sells the three brands mentioned plus a few others but not in my price range.

When you're talking about a $50-100 component, I can see wanting to give your friend the business. When you're talking about a $2000-4000 bike I think you have to buy what works for you, not necessarily what your buddy happens to sell. If I was your friend, I'd be offended if you didn't give me the opportunity to earn your business. If you ended up buying a different bike in the end, I could certain understand that, however.

I have a Madone 4.7 and love it.

If you want your money to go farther, a lot farther, then get a sweet used bike. Realize most bikes spend their life hanging from hooks in a garage or basement. I bought a two year old bike last year that had been ridden a total of 2.5 miles. I bought it for 40% of new. Its not that I got a great deal, its that new bikes depreciate quickly even if they are not ridden.

I saw a really clean, low miles, used Trek 5900 a couple of weeks ago, all DuraAce for $599 or best offer. You can't buy a new Sora bike for that price.

The other advantage of buying a used bike is that you change your mind later, you will not take the big depreciation hit that new bike owners take.