Road Cycling - Questions about everything

I was hoping some of you guys could help me ot with some bike questions. I am 5 foot 8, 165 lbs and I run and swim 4-5 days a week. I am interested in buying a new roadbike. I was burnt buying a used bike from a shop. I dont know if i will ever race but i intend to do some long rides centuries and charity events as well as train . I have not ruled out any tris. The two bikes I am Interested in are a felt f65 aluminum bike with full 105 i have ridden it and it was very comfy. The other is a univega modo vincere with full campy veloce it is made from columbus thron tubing. I would like to know advantages disadvantages of each. I am leaning torwards the felt but the longevity of aluminum scares me. Do any of you guys ride any aluminum bikes that are over 5 or 6 years old. And will the steel bike hinder any climbing cause there are some hills around here . All help is appreciated If i missed any questions feel free to give me the ansewer anyways. Thanks

I've never owned an Al frame, but have followed the debates for many years. My observation is that, all else being equal (quality of material and workmanship, etc.), the Al fatigue problem rarely actually manifests itself. As with any frame, inspect it (or have a shop check it) for wear and cracks, particularly when it is new, and then as it ages. As with any bike, know the kind and duration of warranty coverage the manufacturer will be providing for the frame.

I have first hand experience with Felt or current Uni's, so can't comment on the workmanship aspect.

If the bike fits, wear it! (all other things being equal, of course).

I've got an Aluminum C'dale, and while it's only a few years old, so far no problems, as roadbuzz says, get it and the warranty checked out carefully to reassure yourself.

You're not an overly heavy guy and the only frame failure I personally know about was with a guy who's well over 200 lbs. and rides hard, competitive MTB.

IMHO Klein is a good bike. Also check out this years Raleigh 700 it's full Ultegra for the same price $1500. I ride a C'dale R2000 Aluminum which I got for the above price. This too is an excellant bike for racing,centuries,touring or just plain riding! The Univega I wasn't that thrilled with when I was looking for a bike. I try to get the most bang for the buck.

A training/ fast day-touring bike needs to be a little different to a pure racing machine. The addition of threaded eyelets for fenders and a rack will extend your training into wet weather. Sometimes you need to carry a little luggage on all day rides in spring or autumn, You will be able to fit a strong, lightweight 3 point luggage rack (like Tubus Fly) instead of a heavy, weak seatpost clamping rack.
If you ride through very hilly terrain you should also consider the gearing. Could you benefit from a third small chainring ? Road triples are pretty standard on day touring bikes.

You can still race on such a bike, but many people do their every day training on a robust machine, and race on their exotic lightweight.

Try and test-ride the bikes to see what they feel like.

I ride a Cannondale R800. It has a little over 30,000 miles on it. I am 6' tall and weigh 190. I can break up normal wheels for some reason so I ride Mavic T519. So, I need a pretty robust bike. I had one Cannondale Frame fail at the drop out and that one had a potload of miles on it and Cannondale gave me a new frame (which was an upgrade since the old one was no longer in production).

Aluminum has a reputation of "not holding up" but I have put quite a few miles on several aluminum bikes and I have no complaints about durability. If you are bugged by this, just get a bike whose manufacturer will replace the frame if it fails.