Road Cycling - Entry level bike - advice please

I'm currently looking for a new entry level road bike. I've narrowed the down to a few models and would appreciate any feedback/opinions anyone can give me on these. I'm looking at :-

TREK 1000
Specialized Allez
GIANT OCR3

all of the above are this seasons models, I've also seen an older 2002 model of a Bianchi Campione Xenon which is around the same price bracket.

Any views ?

Fuji Finest

I'm currently looking for a new entry level road bike. I've narrowed the down to a few models and would appreciate any feedback/opinions anyone can give me on these. I'm looking at :-

TREK 1000
Specialized Allez
GIANT OCR3

all of the above are this seasons models, I've also seen an older 2002 model of a Bianchi Campione Xenon which is around the same price bracket.

Any views ?

If the Bianchi is made of steel, get that bike or any steel bike. As for the Trek 1000, we see a new post weekly with someone asking "Should I buy a Trek 1000"! There are boat loads of mint Trek 1000's being sold at discount prices on Ebay every day of the week! The hard Alu frame has to be the reason for so much rider dissatisfaction. A recent listing on Ebay states the owner rode the bike half a mile! Do you want to buy a bike where someone rode it for half a mile and decided to sell it right away! It says alot about the bike doesn't it.

Here's my advice. Take the 1000 from the logo and minus it by 480. The math should leave you with the number 520. Put that number and Trek name together and what do you get. TREK 520. That's the bike I would get!

OH by the way.. Don't even look on Ebay for a new chromoly Trek 520 because there are none!

My local Performance branch is selling the 04 Jamis Sattelite for $600 at the moment . That's a steel bike that came recommended in Bicycling. I would have bought one myself 3 months ago if I'd been able to find one. Hohum.

520 is also an approx price for a the Fuji Finest, if you're gonna get a bottom-of-the-line alum road bike.

i'd opt for the bianchi as well.

cheap-o road bikes avail here with no tax and free shipping:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

520 is also an approx price for a the Fuji Finest, if you're gonna get a bottom-of-the-line alum road bike.
ugh! Aluminum?

no no, if anyone ever buys the Fuji Finest, by the steel version. My local Bicycle Village has the Finest on sale for $399... Performance will match that price and as a team member, you get 10% back in gift certificates you can use towards other stuff they sell.

Ugh, Aluminum is right. I testrode the Trek 1000c/Trek 1000/Giant OCR3/Jamis Satellite. Just put a deposit on the Jamis, on order. This is based on testrides only and not actual experience. Perhaps in a month or so, I would have a better idea but I doubt I would regret my decision.

Fuji Finest is an option but I decided not to buy it even though it was $399.

Sunny

If the Bianchi is made of steel, get that bike or any steel bike. As for the Trek 1000, we see a new post weekly with someone asking "Should I buy a Trek 1000"! There are boat loads of mint Trek 1000's being sold at discount prices on Ebay every day of the week! The hard Alu frame has to be the reason for so much rider dissatisfaction. A recent listing on Ebay states the owner rode the bike half a mile! Do you want to buy a bike where someone rode it for half a mile and decided to sell it right away! It says alot about the bike doesn't it.

Here's my advice. Take the 1000 from the logo and minus it by 480. The math should leave you with the number 520. Put that number and Trek name together and what do you get. TREK 520. That's the bike I would get!

OH by the way.. Don't even look on Ebay for a new chromoly Trek 520 because there are none!

Got something against aluminum? :fight:

bkr

Got something against aluminum? :fight:

bkr

I have two bikes that are made of aluminum and regret both purchases. If the person is not going to race, why not look for something more comfortable? It makes more sense than buying a bike, riding it for half a mile, then posting it on Ebay because it's like riding a rock! The Trek 1000 has no carbon stays or fork so what are you going to do to make the frame more comfortable? A suspension seat post? A Brooks saddle?

Gee, it seems like a lot of the bikes are alluminum. I was looking at the Trek 1500 WSD which is also alluminum. I also looked at the Specialized Dolce. Specifically I am looking for a WSD roadbike. I was at a bike shop yesterday and they told me that in the WSD Biachi, they did not use as good parts as in the men's version. The Specialized Dolce on the other hand uses Shimano Integra parts.

While I am a newbie, I am thinking of getting the Trek 2200 WSD which is partly Carbon. I would rather buy a little better of a bike and grow into it although price wise, this is my limit. I can't see trading a bike in a year from now.

While I realize I have to test ride a bike, I'm open to suggestions for a WSD bike.

Any suggestions

All the bikes I see in the LBS are Aluminium, or maybe I am not looking close enough, why is Steel the best? Waht is a good steel bike?

Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated.