Road Cycling - Looking to purchase.

I have $2,000.00 and would like to buy the best road bike possible for the amount. I ride quite often now but would like to upgrade. Cannondale? Trek? Bianchi? Any advice?

i would sa go with cannondale for $2000 you get a caad 4 frame carbon fork and a 105 ultegra mix with a bike like that you'll be fast
cannondales to look at
R3000
R2000
R1000

I'd look at the Lemond Zurich. Great 853 steel with ultegra components. From what I've read, one of the best deals available for under 2K.

Look at the Jamis Eclipse with Reynolds 853 and full Ultegra package. You should not settle for any 105 at that price. Also look at the Marin road bikes. Made in Italy with Campy drive train. Good review in the lastes issue of Bicyling.

Greg,
I had a Cannondale with a caad 4 frame. There were good & bad things about it. It fit me perfectly, handled like a dream, looked terrific & was less expensive than some other pro rides.I did very well on the bike, riding flat time trials on good pavement.

What I didn't like about it was the ride. It was entirely too harsh. On anything but perfect pavement, it beat the hell out of me. I put a carbon fork on it...didn't make enough difference for me. When I bought the 'Dale, I had been riding for 25 years (racing, commuting & touring) without a saddle sore. As soon as I got on the 'Dale, I got'em (yes, I kept the same saddle I had been using). The bottom bracket was too stiff(yes, there is such a thing). Because there was virtually no spring to it, it made it seem "dead" when trying to accelerate.Rides with lots of slow & go really tired me out a lot more than when on other bikes.

I know lots of top riders & pros ride 'Dales. They get PAID to ride them, & someone would have to pay me to ride another aluminum bike.

There's also the crash factor...take a spill and bend/break something & you may as well buy a new frame. This is not so with steel bikes.

I bought a steel bike while I still had the 'Dale, & ended up selling the "Dale, 'cause I never used it again.

To be fair, I have not ridden, let alone owned, any other aluminum bikes, so obviously, I can't comment on them. I've had very limited seat time on carbon fiber bikes, & have never been on a titanium bike.

You, of course, must make the decision on what's best for you. I just felt like relating my personal experiences/feelings. I hope this info will prove useful to you.

If you are going to go with an AL frame then try out a Klein Quantum. I have a QuantumII and it is by far the best bike I have ever had. I admit it is a little unforgiving on rough roads but I am talking about almost gravel roads and I try to stay away from these. I picked mine up for $1850 but I have seen them for less especially if you go with a 105 group on it.

I've ridden since the seventies, The only type of frame I've not owned and ridden is titanium. The stongest, most forgiving ,and most comfortable frames are steel. A good steel frame will be about the same on the scale as any other frame. I ride a steel frame now that I built myself, and traded the carbon OCLV frame that I wasn't using.
But the most important thing is the ride. Any bike you get is going to give good service for about two years, depending on how you ride. So buy the bike you get the best deal on, and from the bike shop that you like the most. If it comes down to it the shop is more important than the bike. Just get something and go riding. Don't worry about THIS BIKE, just get a bike and GO RIDING.
Then when you are out carving the corners dream about that Colnago you are getting in 10 years.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg:
I have $2,000.00 and would like to buy the best road bike possible for the amount. I ride quite often now but would like to upgrade. Cannondale? Trek? Bianchi? Any advice? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Greg, I'm selling a Marin Treviso w/ Campy Record 55cm (c-c). Very nice $2200

Greg,

Geometry should be the first question. Find a brand that gives you the measurement you want. Then decide if you want steel, aluminum, carbon, ti, Scandium or any other material.

$2000.00 nowdays is cutting the limit and many top bikes will be much more than this.

As far as aluminum frames go, if you go that route, look for butted, multishaped or newer aluminum. Do not buy cheap straight gauge tubeset as that may offer a stiff ride for many.

Best o' luck

I have owned many Secialized allez and have had a great ride on them from everything from time trials to short 2 and 3 day tours and they have preformed awesome. The only downside is I keep snapping my frames but the exellent warranty has always covered it and almost every year I get a new bike to ride at no cost

Greg,

I have an OLMO Sintex bike that I am selling for $2000. It only has less than 300 miles on it. I chose every part that I put on it like Shimano Dura Ace derailleurs, chain and cogset, Modolo Morphos shifter/brake lever, itm handlebar and stem, selle italia trimatic gel saddle, cinelli cork tape, ridida aero wheelset 18 spokes front and 24 rear, continental grand prix 3000 tires and latex tubes, Stronglight headset and crankset, World Class titanium bottom bracket, Syncros aluminum seatpost, vetta wireless computer and minoura chicane bottle cages...

To Akarius,

To me it is funny that people have a frame that has much failures and says is happy with them and the service.

The company should make a product that doesn't break. That would be a good product and a good company. Is it good to maybe get physically injured due to a failure? Is it good to have to strip the frame down take it to get sent out and wait w/o a frame until one is issued?

I simply do not understand why people like this.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg:
I have $2,000.00 and would like to buy the best road bike possible for the amount. I ride quite often now but would like to upgrade. Cannondale? Trek? Bianchi? Any advice? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

For the money:

Steel:
1. Scwinn Peloton 853 Steel w/Ultegra9-speed.
2.Tommasini Sintesi- complete bike for $1,699 from Colorado Cyclist Ultegra 9-speed and Ritchey Zero wheels.

Aluminum:
1. Klein Quantum Pro
2. Fuji Team
Carbon Fiber:

1. Trek Oclv's
2. Look
3. Calfee-custom bike
Titanium
1. Litespeed Tuscany
2. Sampson-custom
If you can wait till the end of the year Litespeed usually has their frames on sale for real good prices.

different frames for different style of riding and riders.

How old is bikeforums.net? this is the oldest thread i could find..

That was probably my first post on the forum.

I think there was only five dozen or so regular posters then.

Man, that seems like forever ago......

BYW, my Cannondale has about 60,000 miles on it.

Any old schoolers around?

Cheers,

Greg

What bike did you eventually buy?

BYW, my Cannondale has about 60,000 miles on it.



thats what he got

i like giants. but it appears i am too late. later.

Simple.

CERVELO SOLOIST TEAM

thats what he got

Yes, I saw that. I guess I should have asked, "Which Cannondale did you buy?"

Simple.

CERVELO SOLOIST TEAM

You can't be serious.

In all the years the questions and answers have not changed...

You can't be serious.

this IS bike forums, he very well may be serious.

I like my 2007 Felt F55 I just bought for a couple hundred under $2000

Whatever you do, don't buy into this carbon fad. Surely it will pass in five years [/1999]

2000 R2000

Cheers,

Greg

I had a '98 R1000 (CAAD3) that only lasted about 8000 miles before cracking.

I sat on the frame for a long time. I didn't have proof of purchase and I didn't want to pay to ship it 1000 miles back to the LBS I had bought it from hoping that they'd remember me. Just this summer I made it back to that store and there was one employee left that remembered me. Now I have a brand new CAAD9 Optimo1 + fork. :D