Touring - Advice on Pricing Situation

I'm looking to buy a Bianchi Volpe, mainly for some light commuting and the option of heavy touring(when I have the time to set aside several days in a row), I had all but decided on the bicycle until I went to the LBS and discovered that the '04 model was going to be $850 stock and that they were out of my size. So what I'm wondering now is would it be more cost-effective for me to save for a little while longer while they get the bicycle in or to go with something a little less pricey. As an option I am considering the '04 Jamis Aurora. I'm pretty new to all this, but the bicycles seem similar in design, though the Volpe appears more dedicated for touring, which I like. Also, do both bicycles have the option of mounting front/rear racks and fenders?

I was in your position too, but I found an 02 san remo and got that instead. Be aware that the Volpe is becoming less of a touring bike and I think they are trying to turn it into a commuter/cross bike. The chainstay has been shortened quite a bit over the past couple of years and the geometry is very close to the axis. That is what turned me off to ordering one in my size. (I have heel clearence issues). The LBS tried to sell me a Jake or Jake The Snake and that might work too if you don't need a triple, but I don't think it had rack braze-ons and I'm not sure about chainstay length.

I can't speak to the Jamis. Overall, if I hadn't found the san remo, I would have saved up for a pricer touring bike, but you have to make your own decisions.

Hm, the jake the snake does not seem to have any braze-ons for racks that I can detect, so it seems to not be much of an option for a tourer; was it recommended as such to you? When you say the volpe is becoming less of a tourer do you mean that it is significantly different geometrically already, or is in the middle of a gradual transition and could still be good for loaded riding? Also, what are heel clearance issues, I have rather large feet and that seems relevant. :P

I was in your position too, but I found an 02 san remo and got that instead. Be aware that the Volpe is becoming less of a touring bike and I think they are trying to turn it into a commuter/cross bike. The chainstay has been shortened quite a bit over the past couple of years and the geometry is very close to the axis. That is what turned me off to ordering one in my size. (I have heel clearence issues). The LBS tried to sell me a Jake or Jake The Snake and that might work too if you don't need a triple, but I don't think it had rack braze-ons and I'm not sure about chainstay length.

I can't speak to the Jamis. Overall, if I hadn't found the san remo, I would have saved up for a pricer touring bike, but you have to make your own decisions.

The chainstay has shortened by 5 millimeters since 2002. The seat tube is a half degree steeper on the newer models. The wheelbase is 8 millimeters shorter on the 55 and 58cm models. The changes are pretty slight. On the plus side, the 2004 is geared lower which makes it a more capable tourer. It has all of the necessary braze-ons. A similar bike at a lower price would be the Fuji Touring.

A half degree and 5mm of shortened chainstay do not a new tourist discourage! I hope I'm correctly assuming that the 61 or 62cm model(can't remember the largest size) would not have the shortened wheelbase?

A half degree and 5mm of shortened chainstay do not a new tourist discourage! I hope I'm correctly assuming that the 61 or 62cm model(can't remember the largest size) would not have the shortened wheelbase?

It looks like the 61 has a three millimeter shorter wheelbase. Also, it looks like they made the top tube slope up a bit starting in 2003 while keeping it the same length, so it's effectively longer.

2004 Volpe (same as 2003): http://www.bianchiusa.com/volpe.html
2002 Volpe: http://gianni.bianchiusa.com/2002/site/bikes/road/06_volpe.html
2001 Volpe: http://gianni.bianchiusa.com/2001/sections/bikes/road/volpe/index.html

Hm, the jake the snake does not seem to have any braze-ons for racks that I can detect, so it seems to not be much of an option for a tourer; was it recommended as such to you? When you say the volpe is becoming less of a tourer do you mean that it is significantly different geometrically already, or is in the middle of a gradual transition and could still be good for loaded riding? Also, what are heel clearance issues, I have rather large feet and that seems relevant. :P

yes, the jake was suggested to me as a light touring/commuting bike. I guess it was a case of "sell what's on the floor." Anyway, I have a rather box-like pannier with no taper to the bottom, so to get it far enough back on the rack to avoid my heels catching, a longer chainstay is required. The san remo is 44, I think the volpe is 42.5. The bike I've been riding was a 43, and I would hit occasionally. I did not think that going to a shorter stay would work for me. I have yet to have any problems with the san remo. Also, I'm on the 55cm frame, so I thought the changes were significant enough to discourage me. I did not mean to say the Volpe is not a good option for a lower priced tourer, just that it was not the bike for me.