Road Cycling - The Best Road Bike?

What company makes the best road bikes? I have been trying to figure this one out. Is it Trek? Who makes bikes for Lance and the gang. Or maybe Bianchi, who make the Italian sports cars of Cycling. Or is it the ever so popular Cannondale?

Whats your opinion?
:crash:

I think the best road bikes are not from big companies
like trek, or c'dale or even bianchi.
Richard Sachs, Rivendell, Ben Serotta, Harry Havnoonian
(probably misspelled that), Bob Jackson, Marinoni, Pegoretti.
Those are by my account the best road bikes.
(I don't know too many european builders)

Marty

The best road bike is the one that fits you and the one that you love to ride.

Everyone has their preferences, of course. I'm a sucker for Italian steel, even Italian steel handmade in Canada , and I know a lot of folks who swear by American titanium bikes.

Bicycles are so personal that there can't be any [i]best.

Howver, these are some of the ones I would like to own...

De Rosa Corum [steel]
De Rosa Merak [Al]
Look KG381 [CF]
Marinoni Piuma [steel]
Wilier Triestina K2 [CF]
Empella Bonfire [Al]
Marinoni Fango [steel]

All would be built up with Campagnolo Record 10sp and Campagnolo Nucleon wheels, except the last two, which would have Record 9sp with wheels built from MAvic Open Pros.

Any questions?

I just bought a Cannondale, my first roadbike for many years.
However, if I had the money, I would have gone for either a Litespeed or an Airborne titanium, set up with Ultegra kit and Mavic Open Pro rims (definitely on the shopping list anyway) :D

I would argue that there is no "best" road bike. Depending on your needs and resources you can buy the lightest road bike available, but is it the best? Everything is a compromise of weight vs strength, etc.. The lightest bike available may only last one season or one crash, whichever comes first. Fit is extremely important, but in my opinion any frame that is in the right size range for a given individual can be fine tuned for a good fit. Before anyone jumps on this let me stress that I am not talking about taking a tiny frame and using a 400 mm seatpost and a 300 mm stem to fit someone 6'4". I'm saying that with my 32 inch inseam and 35" gorilla arms I could probably make myself quite happy with any frame from about 54 cm to 58 cm. I currently have 3 very comfortable bikes, one 56 cm, one 57 cm, and one 58 cm.

I am not even sure about the concept of "perfect" fit. What may feel "perfect" at one point in a cyclist's "career" may not feel right a few months. I started out wanting a big wide saddle and an upright riding position with a relatively short saddle to bar distance. Over time I moved to increasingly narrower saddles, a lower bar position and increasing saddle to bar distance. If I had gone to a shop and been fitted with a bike set up the way I have mine set up now I might not have been riding two weeks later because I think I would have been extremely uncomfortable.

As it is, I am EXTREMELY happy with a steel racing frame I bought for $45 and built up myself. If I ever buy something spiffy like a Trek, Pinarello or Colnago in all honesty it will be more for the name than because I think it will be "better" than my no-name, but very light, steel frame.

This is probably a very unorthodox opinion and not at all what you are looking for, but it is how I have come to view bikes.
Regards,
Raymond

In my opinion, the best bike (today) would have a Calfee Dragonfly frame (2lbs.), with campagnolo record components, and the lightest best wheel set, seatpost etc.

For frames in the normal range, most bikes can be adjusted to fit most riders, but with very big or esp small frames, major companies seem to have little idea what makes a good bike. Maybe their R+D budget is not as big as their marketing budget.

Have a look at the Torelli website for an interesting discussion on workshop vs industrial frames, and why only big producers can supply major teams with the hundreds of bikes they need for a single season.


Big manufacturers just cannot afford to make the finest frames. These require too much hand finishing. Even carbon fibre frames benefit from hand finishing of threads and facings.
When they do, such a Canondale Black Lightening, its a limitted edition model made under small workshop conditions.

Boy, is this a loaded question! You will find as many opinoins about what is best as there are manufacturers. But, you asked for an opinion, so here goes!
Waterford or Rivendell. End of thread, they are top of the line. If you want the "best", why not go with a custom built frame? Comparing what "Lance and the boys" ride to a garden variety Trek is like comparing the space shuttle to a Geo Metro....there is no comparison! Athletes like Lance and his ilk don't stop by the LBS for an off the rack bike.
For me, "Steel is real" and I love my Waterford framed Schwinn....but I have a friend who rides Ti, and another who rides a high-end Cannondale, and they are equally as passionate about thier rides as I am about mine.
Get a bike that fits, ride it a lot, and that is your best bike!

For me it's my Litespeed. :beer:
Although I'd be willing to try a Trek 5500 if someone wants to send one to me to test ride (for a couple of years). :D

Nebill,
It's good to hear from you. I haven't seen many posts from you lately. Hope things are ok in the midwest. :thumbup:

Yup, still here! Me and ol' Blue are anxiously awaiting the weather to stabilize so we can really get to riding! Been doing a bit, but not near enough to make me happy!!
Thanks for asking about me Ron! I'm still here! LOL

MINE!

L8R

To me there is no such thing as the best road bike as today all road bikes a built with good quality components and they all have to keep up with the stiff competition. A close of friend of mine once said to me when it comes to the end of the day you still have to pedal the thing, the bike does not pedal you. Try and place Lance Armstrong on a $2000 Giant or Bianchi and place an ametuer on a $4000 Trek, well I can rest assure who will win.

Though if I were to choose one bike it would be Merida's 907 magnesium frame with Shimano Ultegra groupset. I've felt the weight of this machine and she is light, plus with a very stiff frame, as magnesium is a very light but yet very stiff alloy. We also should take now that it's not only the lightness of the frame but the stifness is very important as well.

To see a picture of this bike click on the link below.

http://www.belimport.ch/cgi-bin/merida-db/openwindow?ArtCod=42107

Nebill,
Your pic reminds me of the old school, crusty dudes that ride lugged, steel frames and old wool jerseys around these parts. They are the coolest dudes as they know alot about everything and have cool NOS Campy stuff on their bikes. Always a friendly word.
They are like the zen masters of the road bike crowd:) When I'm out on a training ride, that's the best type of rider to ride up on. Usually good for a conversation. Recumbent riders are...different but you can't really talk to them looking down there...know what I mean?
I guess this is off topic a bit...
My favorite ride?

Derosa Merak (compact frame version) in Vini Caldiroli blue--the one Cassagrande used to ride.
Pinarello Prince (Fassa Bortolo) because Bartoli, Cassagrande and Petacchi rock and I wanna be like them!:beer:

Oops, forgot the Litespeed Ghisallo and Titus FCR-- Those would be my "if I could only have one bike for the rest of my life bikes."

As long as we're all putting in our .02 I'd have to agree with RonH and say anything Litespeed. They actually are a good deal when compared to some of the exotic Italian bikes and they ride GREAT! Whoops that's Tony the Tiger's line.

Yesterday I have just been at local Trek dealer looking for my new bike and we had a discussion. He said that the thing he hates most, in a brat coming with a filthy rich daddy looking for the most expensive bike.
The point is, the is no best bike. For my financial state, I know I can go as far as Trek 2300, but as I ride 3 months a year, I shall take the 1000 model. But, if I had to choose now, I would probabaly take the Trek 5900...

I will go for Pinarello Prince, then Vortex Litespeed, Colnago C40, I guess day dreaming is one quality I have

I was thinking Litespeed Vortex too, and as for the best road bike company....I guess I would say Cannondale because they have a really good selection.

Right now, I would say Litespeed Vortex, Seven Cycles Axiom, Colnago C40, any De Rosa, Pinarello, or Principia I could get my paws on (as I never see them)...that or a nice steel like a Steelman or Colnago Classic.

No one makes the best.Velocipedio got it right.Don't buy the rest of the crap.Some are better values than others,especially some of the lesser known names like fuji and KHS. Avoid Huffy and Roadmaster.

Bianchi and Colnago make some of my favorites, but I have to agree, its impossible to say who is 'best'.

Besides how many of us really need a Colnago C40 with complete campy record? Get real...

None of us really need a C40...I sure don't. I interpret "best road bike" as those I would most like to have, and think (subjectively) would perform the best.

i don't think questions of need enter into a thread like this. For example, saturday i did a local hill-climb that's just on the line between fun and painful. Now, my 20 pound Schwinn Super Sport GLX w/ Ultegra/105 components worked; i got up the hill. BUT, would I have enjoyed myself more riding some gossamer 16 pound beauty? possibly so. Would I have gotten to the top faster and with less effort? i think undoubtably so. If I had the money to blow on a C-40 or equivalent, and it would make me happy to climb that hill a couple of minutes faster, NEED is not an issue. For that reason, i think the best bike is whatever ride you think would put the biggest smile on your face at the end of your favorite ride. For some, it's the 25 year old lugged steel monster. For others it's the Ti/Carbon w/ all the bells and whistles. Me? I think whatever bike I'm on is the best bike there is, since riding anything at all sure beats the alternative.

Originally posted by pgreene
i don't think questions of need enter into a thread like this. For example, saturday i did a local hill-climb that's just on the line between fun and painful. Now, my 20 pound Schwinn Super Sport GLX w/ Ultegra/105 components worked; i got up the hill. BUT, would I have enjoyed myself more riding some gossamer 16 pound beauty? possibly so. Would I have gotten to the top faster and with less effort? i think undoubtably so. If I had the money to blow on a C-40 or equivalent, and it would make me happy to climb that hill a couple of minutes faster, NEED is not an issue. For that reason, i think the best bike is whatever ride you think would put the biggest smile on your face at the end of your favorite ride. For some, it's the 25 year old lugged steel monster. For others it's the Ti/Carbon w/ all the bells and whistles. Me? I think whatever bike I'm on is the best bike there is, since riding anything at all sure beats the alternative.

I realize that for the most part we are talking about our dream bikes here, but living where I live (right outside DC) it makes me laugh to no end at the number of people I see decked out in full gear sporting Trek US postal replicas or equivalent bikes, or guys who go on and on about needing to upgrade their components to the latest model year campy record....while this thread is fun, it scares me when I see people actually riding 4000 bikes for recreation/ fitness purposes. Id be too embarrassed to even sit on a C40 unless I was a professional rider....

h20.1, i don't disagree with you at all. the word "poser" comes to mind when i ride past someone whose bike costs 3-5 times what mine did and weighs 3-5 pounds less. but if someone wants to blow cash on a bike "beyond" their abilities, far be it from me to stop them. i might snicker as they get dropped, but i suppose i'm happy they're out there riding anyway.

oh, and i used to live up in d.c. the poser factor up there is extreme- what you get when you combine youth, lots of money, and status-craving.

Originally posted by pgreene
h20.1, i don't disagree with you at all. the word "poser" comes to mind when i ride past someone whose bike costs 3-5 times what mine did and weighs 3-5 pounds less. but if someone wants to blow cash on a bike "beyond" their abilities, far be it from me to stop them. i might snicker as they get dropped, but i suppose i'm happy they're out there riding anyway.

oh, and i used to live up in d.c. the poser factor up there is extreme- what you get when you combine youth, lots of money, and status-craving.

"oh, and i used to live up in d.c. the poser factor up there is extreme- what you get when you combine youth, lots of money, and status-craving. "


Yep, I realize this thread is not of that nature, but Im glad you know what Im talking about. This area (DC) is horrible for that, I guess its kind of made me have a knee jerk "anti" reaction whenever discussion of exorbitantly priced bikes comes up.

For pure class you cannot beat this DANISH beauty.

PRINCIPIA REX PRO: Eat your heart out guys

Much like cycling clothing, bicycles have precise character regarding fit and usage.

Frame construction, materials and fit are always a compromise of values that take into consideration a range of riders.

I am going on an extended ride next week and will be "tailoring" my bicycle to what I expect the route conditions to be.

A particular set of wheels, with a change of gearing and tires will be configured. I'm considering a "quick-release" seatpost rack for additional storage.

The bicycle will be quite different from when it rolled out of the LBS.....

Several other bicycles setup for differing purposes will remain home.

Best Roadbike for the money? Trek Y-Foil. Little known UCLV bike from Trek, only built a couple years, were outlawed from sanctioned racing because they were to fast.

Still lots of them around. I bought a brand new one in Feb of 2001 for $1100. Has Shimano Tiagra components though. Just as fast as the High buck stuff, not as durable.

Lots of used available too.

:crash:

Originally posted by nebill

Waterford or Rivendell. End of thread, they are top of the line.

For me, "Steel is real" and I love my Waterford framed Schwinn....

Get a bike that fits, ride it a lot, and that is your best bike!

Agree, agree, ...
Took delivery of a new Heron Touring in June, and waiting on one for my wife to arrive. Rivendell and Waterford were a little too much for my buget...maybe someday.:D

IMHO, Lugged steel is real.

The bike that you like to ride IS the best bike.

A custom steel frame by Richard Sachs would get my vote as the best road bike. Beautiful workmanship, fully-lugged, fabulous paint by Joe Bell, and custom-built to meet your needs.

Colnago are the Rolls Royce of bikes....not to some tastes though, but I love the paint jobs (I own one now:D )

De Rosa make lovely light frames.

Trek......yes some good bikes are made outside of Europe.....make a frame that nearly tempted me to get the credit card out...the Team Replica.......WOW.

Cannondale, I had a Cannondale MTB and that was superb, I can't afford a Road version though :mad:

Those are my choices.

Zippy

The best road bike......... a Seven of course. However, you can't go wrong with Waterford, IF, Calfee, Serotta, Bianchi, Colnogo.

Actually, the best thing is to find a bike that not only fits, but also suites your style of riding. Are you a distance person? Are you a racer? Are you a sprinter?

Everyone has a different opinion about this question.

Good luck on your quest.

I'm sorry kids it has to be my Cramerotti Meastro, beautifully made, lots of chrome, flawless enamel paint, light and a dream to ride the steel all day!

After doing many miles on bikes that offer up much resistance riding (bad berings & hubs, parts falling apart, toeclip pedals, etc...:( ), my dream bike has to do three things:

~Extend beyond my abilities enough for me not to worry about her holding me back for the next few years,
~Fit properly
~Work and perform the same (right) way every time I place a demand on her.

BTW, ever notice the male tendency to call any beautifully crafted mechanical object "her" or "she" (i.e.- ships, nice cars, bikes, etc...) :)

I don't know about you guys, but the bikes I have available to me now makes me wish for a Trek 1000 or a Giant OCR 3. And yet, I still love to ride. :beer:

Don't try a Colnago C40. I bought a C40 (all carbon frame) 18 months ago and the bottom bracket shell (metal) which is bonded to the carbon frame became completely disengaged due to either a bad bonding chemical or bonding process.
Either way, Colnago WON'T WARRANTY THEIR FRAME!!!

This is not what you expect from the makers of high end frames.

You don't expect shabby construction or warranty issues when you pay $3500 for a frame.

My dream bike is the Pinarello Prince and I can't wait to someday wake up and get over this dreaming. My pillow can't take all this night time drooling. Some others that I would like to own are De Rosa and Colnago. I also like the Eddy Merkcx Team SC model which is really sweet. I suppose the list could go on and on but I will keep my sites set on the Pinarello for now. No use in splitting up the hopes!:D

Originally posted by nebill
Comparing what "Lance and the boys" ride to a garden variety Trek is like comparing the space shuttle to a Geo Metro....there is no comparison! Athletes like Lance and his ilk don't stop by the LBS for an off the rack bike.

Lance Armstrong rides a stock 5900. Here a couple of snips from an article at VeloNews (http://www.velonews.com/race/tour2001/articles/1164.0.html)

There are four different colors of Treks you will see U.S. Postal racing on in the Tour. These are two different road bikes and two different time trial bikes. The two road frames you can buy, and there is no difference between them and models sold in bike shops...The OCLV technology of bonding tubes into carbon lugs built in-house at Trek does not lend itself to making custom frames, because the expense of each lug mold is so high, and the lugs cannot be flexed vary the tube angles. There is little doubt that they are indeed stock.

Based on this information, I would classify the 5900 as one of the best all around racers, but the best racer isn't the best touring bike...etc,etc.

LA rides a stock 5500 for everything but the mountain stages (where he rides the 5900). Pulled from his website;

Now that the road is turning up, LA will switch to his other ride. He has been riding the flat stages on his 5500, the dark blue bike with the red and white stripes. Made from the slightly heavier, yet slightly more flexible and comfy OCLV 120 (120 grams of carbon per square meter of material), the 5500 is well suited to Peloton life in the flat stages.

The 5900 Superlight will now be the bike of choice... Made from the lighter, stiffer, more efficient OCLV 110 (110 grams of carbon per square meter of material), the 5900 will shave crucial weight, and provide a more responsive, stiffer frame for putting all of LA's power from his crank to moving him briskly up the hills.

As to if it's custom or an off the shelf frame that's hard to say, everybody (mechanics, team, Trek, etc) all say he rides a stock bike. It would be fairly bad press if all of the marketing turned out to be total BS.

Andrew

Mine, of course

As a fitness road cyclist, I feel comfortable riding my steel Fuji Roubaix-Pro about ten miles a day at a fast clip. It is significantly better than the bottom-of-the-line, steel Trek 320 it replaces. Now I can keep up with my buddy who rides a Klein. I have full 105 components, a Reynolds 853 frame, carbon fork, Ritchie offset-rim tech wheels, etc.

Then Friday I wandered into a LBS in New Orleans and saw a blue Serotta California III and a couple of higher models. They also carried a bottom-level Lightspeed and two higher models.

The Serotta really caught me eye. Understated, beautifully built. I started thinking, "do I really need, and can I afford, a $2200+ road bike?" I just paid $1350 for the Fuji not too long ago.

So if I got the Serotta, I'd probably start lusting after a $3500 bike, then a $4500 bike, and I'd be asking myself, "Why did I settle for the 'entry-level' Serotta?"

Question: Bikelust--where does it end? Especially when you walk into a showroom. There's that new bike smell, and everything looks so delectible.

Eric

Originally posted by condor

Then Friday I wandered into a LBS in New Orleans and saw a blue Serotta California III. . .
The Serotta really caught me eye. Understated, beautifully built. I started thinking, "do I really need, and can I afford, a $2200+ road bike?" I just paid $1350 for the Fuji not too long ago.

So if I got the Serotta, I'd probably start lusting after a $3500 bike, then a $4500 bike, and I'd be asking myself, "Why did I settle for the 'entry-level' Serotta?"

Question: Bikelust--where does it end? Especially when you walk into a showroom. There's that new bike smell, and everything looks so delectible.

Eric

Condor,
Ah bikelust a wonderful thing.
The Serotta was probably a Colorado III.
I'll tell you what to do, buy an old Serotta steel frame from
e-bay (or elsewhere), build it up with modern components
and just enjoy it.
From there you can begin to look at mid to early 70's Colnago's,
60's Masi, and older Hetchins and Herse. it gets really weird
much before 1960 tho.

Marty

Gios.

I want a classic mid-80s Gios.

Blue like the heavens...

Originally posted by velocipedio
Gios.

I want a classic mid-80s Gios.

Blue like the heavens...
Are you sure you're not Italian? maybe Itaian in a past
life?
Mateo? sure sounds eyetalian to me. . .

I want a 1969 Masi, or maybe De Rosa.

Marty

Actually, the coolest bike I ever had was a 1962 (?) Atala Sport. This was an urban bike, not a racing bike. It had the tiny little clubman handlebars with the brake lever mounts welded to them and "Atala" (one "L" or two?, I forget) embossed on them.

The bike had a 5-speed Campy changer, a chainguard, and fenders. The whole bike was candy-apple red with raised chrome stripes down the center of the fenders. Chrome lugs, naturally. There was a bell with "Atala" on it, a pump, and a small leather seat bag with a tool kit. Gorgeous little bike.

I bought it in a bike shop in Verona, Italy, while on The Grand Tour with my grandparents. I had it shipped back to the States. Most of the accessories got ripped off en route. The second day I had it home, I was so engrossed in looking down at it and marveling at its coolness that I ran straight into the back of a parked car. Bent the fork. Imagine my chagrin.

Hobbled home in tears. "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!" Got it fixed somehow. Rode all over Dallas in my troubled teenage years, using that bike for cruising as opposed to an MG or GTO like my classmates.

Eric

The best bike...you have to answer this question first...How much money do you want to spend!;)

Best roadbike - My custom built Kerry Hopkins racer :D
Which was recently destroyed. It waged battle with a Ford station wagon.
Ford won:(

Rest In Pieces bike:(

My colleague at work is building up his ultimate bike from a custom Al frame. It will be sub 11lbs with 700c wheels. Cant wait to check it out.

Originally posted by MichaelW
My colleague at work is building up his ultimate bike from a custom Al frame. It will be sub 11lbs with 700c wheels. Cant wait to check it out.

wha??? I hope he weighs less than 100 lbs or that thing is gonna break http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~lponced/icons/biglaughb.gif

Litespeed, Seven or Serotta in Ti. Sachs, Serotta, or Rivendell in steel. I'm not up on the Euro Mfg, but I'd not sneeze at Colnago or DeRosa.