Road Cycling - Entry Level RACE bikes

what makes a good entry level race bike...ie, under 1000 bucks, used by an amateur racer (me), used in only local lowkey races, and worth adding upgrades...im thoroughly convinced that i can be competitive on an 8 speed, triple chainring bike if I train hard enough and add the right upgrades...am I crazy? take in mind these are pretty am races I enter. any insight would be great.

saturday night at the am crits I saw quite a few Giant TCRs, the 04 alloy is on sale for 1199.00 or some such amount at performance bikes right now. I have it, I'm entry level; considering a few late races this year. it's light, mostly ultegra (but for 105 brakes) and I've been happy with the over 1000 miles I've had on it this year.

(I know that's not under 1000 but you might as well consider it since it's close eh?)

You may want to check out the Cannondale R600 or R800. These bikes are legendary for their responsiveness.

felts, specialized (anything sport and above) its really what you make of it. I think 1K is a good place to start out for a "race" bike i would say get at least 105 or above.

I'm partial to Specialized. Check out the Allez Elite. Mine was just over $1000.

And spazegun, I don't Gentoo, but I Debian!

what makes a good entry level race bike...ie, under 1000 bucks

Just about anything. You can be competitive on a good ol' fashion 10-spd (total, not just on the back).
What makes a good race bike? One that you are comfortable on, one that you are willing to dive deeper and lean harder into that next corner than everybody else on, one that will give you "infinite" confidence.
Equipment rarely matters, in fact I can't think of a single time I've seen a race won/lost because somebody didn't have the latest/greatest equipment on at the amateur levels.

Andrew

equipment has very little to do with performance in reality (you can win on whatever if you're that good) but on the duribility standpoint, i think we can all agree that sora will not stand up to more than one season of hard racing. I agree the bike will not make you that much better, but the better your equipment is the better the ride, the the more you can torture it ;)

www.bikesdirect.com has some good prices on bikes for your price range.
Checkout:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/falkirk.htm

-Brent

... i think we can all agree that sora will not stand up to more than one season of hard racing. ...

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but I wonder what makes you think that this is true.

-mark

riding a bike with sora for a week or so. I got the impression that it might not hold up to the torture that i give my 105.

all excellent responses and i do agree with the sentiment that equipment comes second to the rider skill in determining how one places in a race...i guess im just self conscious riding a trek 1000 next to the guys with the whole race kit look and really expensive bikes...come to think of it though, i know a dude named shawn that places consistently high, definitely does not have the latest and greatest (some old redline cross frame!!) but kicks ASS!! he is a great rider and definitely schools dudes on 3k bikes all the time. maybe if i cut out the post ride pig out on greasy pizza, lemonade and a sandwich, then I might see better results....thanks for the insight though....I think after this season that if racing is something Im going to stick with (this is my second season) then I will take the plunge and buy a nice bike, ie no more then 1500 bucks.....

For a first time buyer, what are the opinions on these bikes?

2003's - Trek 1200 can be had for $699, the 1500 can had for $999

Recommendations, other brands, suggestions?

Absolute price limit is $1000

Trek 1200 or 1500 Vs The KHS Flite 700
Which would you buy?

Thanks, Dave

jamis quest

yeah, jamis bikes are friggin good deals...nice components and name brand quality....if you can get over the fact that your bike is made by asian robots, then they can quite the money's worth....(to dave) the specs on the trek 1500 are quite admirable as well, and its definitely race worthy with just a few upgrades...im seriously thinking of buying one because not only do you get good components, but trek also has the advantage of bontrager as its house brand, which was reputable before trek bought it...id buy the 1500 over your other two choices.

im thoroughly convinced that i can be competitive on an 8 speed, triple chainring bike if I train hard enough and add the right upgrades...
Forget the triple unless you are climbing REALLY BIG hills.

train with a drivetrain that is responsive. for me, ultegra is bottom and dura-ace is better. the thing about racing is not how fast you can go, its how quick you can get moving when it turns fast. just for me, i need a drivetrain that allows me to jump out of the turns (crits) and hang with that lead rider, even if it is a training ride.
if you can do this on your present rig then do it.

i see guys on older retro bikes leading out packs all the time. i see alot of old steel bikes.