Digital Gee

Well, the 3900 is history.

Now I'm thinking of putting The Diego on the market. I've learned that I enjoy the road bike experience BUT The Diego is probably not going to work, long-term. I just don't think I'll ever get it dialed in.

So, I guess it's time to put it on the chopping block. I'm going to keep the Cypress as my back-up bike, possibly a touring bike, and all-round beater bike, although it's hardly in "beater" condition. But it is more fun to ride for short errands than my Coasters, Click and Clack. And I'd sell the coasters but my daughter would have my hide, so for now, they stay.

Jet Travis

Maybe you should keep the Diego until you've got another road bike lined up that you really love. More than one person on BF has lamented losing a lugged steel classic. But you're point about it not being dialed in is well taken.

Digital Gee

Yeah, but it's not a lugged steel classic. It's an aluminuminumunininum bike. Says so all over the frame. Must have been an innovation back in '89!

LastPlace

Gary,

Go ride a Jamis Coda Sport and tell me 'The Diego' is better. I have a road bike that started life as a Trek 1200, and morphed into a Soma Smoothie ES. It is great for group rides but the Coda Sport is rapidly becoming the tool of choice for tooling around town.

If you have big bucks to spend, you could check out the Trek Pilot series or the Specialized Roubaix stuff or Giant's OCR series. At that point you are looking at some serious coin.

Digital Gee

I've longed to ride the Jamis, actually. There are no dealers in San Diego. I even emailed the company and asked why - but got a response that kind of blew me off.

I do like the Pilots and the Roubaix's, however. And yes, serious coin!

Tom Bombadil

I thought you'd ride it a bit longer before deciding. But if you know already that it isn't the right bike, then move on. I hope you can recoup some of your updating investment.

At the least you learned a lot about your preferences, so that is worth something.

As I don't think you are limited to compact geometry frames, there are a lot of choices out there, both new and used. Are you zeroed in on your size now? 56cm? 58cm?

Digital Gee

Well, I've got 170 miles on The Diego, and I'll put some more on for awhile; I'm in no hurry. I think I'm best at 56cm but I'm going to try 58cm.

As for geometry, this will be interesting. When I first started looking at road bikes, I was still pretty new to biking and found the relaxed geometry to be all that I could tolerate. Having ridden the 1500 for a while, I now know I can choose between traditional and relaxed. I'm going to try things like the Trek 1000 and Giant OCR3 for starters. Different bikes, different geometry. Should be fun to try again.

scottogo

Rans dealer here.
Have you ever checked them out?

Quality Bicycle Sales
3952 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Suite B
San Diego, CA 92117
ph. 858-270-2412

Digital Gee

Nope, but perhaps I should!

centexwoody 

My experience with an aluminum frame was not as positive as I hoped with last fall's German cyclocross bike. Shook me around too much and I was spoiled to the feel of the steel MTB, I guess. That's why I went with a Surly LHT touring bike - relatively relaxed geometry, built up with the components I wanted, etc. Now it's got nearly a 1000 miles on it and I look forward to riding it every day to work and afterwards on longer rides.

my .02 worth

(I think my Clyde status has something to do with a preference for steel but there are thousands who would proffer an alternate opinion...)

Terrierman

To be honest I always wondered why you spent so much time and effort on a bike that is too small for you. Good bye and good riddance is what I say. Oh, wait a minute, was that the bike they had on "Cash in the Attic" the other night? The one that went for 800 pounds at auction to a collector of classic early aluminum framed road bikes with freakishly long stems?

BluesDawg

I remember when you were looking at that bike that it seemed like it was going to be too small for you. But at least you gained a lot of good knowledge about the wonders of road bikes.
Be sure to take off the Technomic stem and bar end shifters, putting the original parts back on. You'll never recoup what you spent on them when you sell the bike. You may be able to use them again if you find a good lugged steel bike in the right size.

CrossChain

DG...........sell the ill-fitting bike. Sell some furniture or whatever. Get yourself a decent new road bike based on your needs now and for this season. Currently you're a city rider; riding the far off rolling hills of rural SouCal is possible, but probably not for a while. OK. That means a relatively upright road bike with sturdy wheels and tires. A trustworthy bike shop will fit you well......for most of us, a custom fitting is preferable but far from necessary. If you have the extra bucks, why not. But don't let not getting a tailored fit deter you. Enough with the half-fanny, used bikes that require "only" a few upgrades. By jingles, get yourself that bike. The years roll by at much greater speed than a fat tire on pavement and then you're left with "wish-I-woulda". There is no Final Bike you settle for till you die. There is no Bicycle Perfecto that, if you just ride one more model & wait for next year's new line, will fulfill your Final Destiny as your once and for all BIKE. Almost all of us are planning our next bike. Eventually, D.G., you have to buy that bike so you can learn more about yourself-- and begin planning the Next Final Bike. Jeez, it's part of the cycling schtick. So do it.

This is like perpetual Cyclismus Interruptus. Eventually you'll pop from indecision.

End of rant.

CrossChain

DG...........sell the ill-fitting bike. Sell some furniture or whatever. Get yourself a decent road bike based on your needs now and for this season. Currently you're a city rider; riding the far off rolling hills of rural SouCal is possible, but probably not for a while. OK. That means a relatively upright road bike with sturdy wheels and tires. A trustworthy bike shop will fit you well......for most of us, a custom fitting is preferable but far from necessary. If you have the extra bucks, why not. But don't let not getting a tailored fit deter you. Enough with the half-fanny, used bikes that require "only" a few upgrades. The years roll by at much greater speed than a fat tire on pavement and then you're left with "wish-I-woulda". There is no Final Bike you settle for till you die. There is no Bicycle Perfecto that, if you just ride one more model & wait for next year's new line, will fulfill your Final Destiny as your once and for all BIKE. Almost all of us are planning our next bike. Eventually, D.G., you have to buy that bike so you can learn more about yourself-- and begin planning the Next Final Bike. Jeez, it's part of the cycling schtick. So do it.

This is like perpetual Cyclismus Interruptus. Eventually you'll pop from indecision.

End of rant.

dauphin

you keep repeating yourself...

Digital Gee

Funny, this time 'round, I don't feel indecisive at all! I've discovered the fun of a true road bike, and it will end up costing me some money but I feel it was money well spent. If I had bought and modified The Diego and learned I didn't enjoy a road bike, I'd still be ahead financially than if I'd bought a new road bike and not liked it.

I'll get a cupla hundred or so for The Diego, and be out another hundred or so. It's okay; it's like renting the bike for a while. It would have been the same had I bought that $200 'bent a while back and then sold it for something better.

So THIS time as I start to consider a new road bike once again, I am armed with a ton more knowledge than last time -- and some of that knowledge resides in my arms, my hands, my legs, my butt and some in my head. I can test ride some newfangled bike and know what I'm looking for, rather than wondering if I'll even like the experience after a few miles. Perpaps I'm not explaining myself well, but I am trying to say that as I begin thinking of a new bike, I am far more informed, both in "book knowledge" and "street knowledge" if that makes sense.

As to when I can buy the bike, well, sometime this spring or summer I hope. I'm doing my best to get my daughter out of the nest, and that's not cheap. So even though it's tempting to just go to the LBS and pull the trigger, I have to -- no, I choose to exercise a little restraint. My current stable of old used bikes ain't perfect, but they do a perfectly acceptable job of getting me off the couch and on the street for now. For now.

CrossChain

Well spoken......and Here Here!

Mojo Slim

I know not everyone likes Bicycling Magazine, but the new issue has a "best of" review of many different kinds of bikes. I'm biased, being a Giant OCR comp boy, but Giants keep appearing in many of the categories.

old and new

you talkin' $200.. is that an issue ?..I spent that this weekend, my wifes birthday.All of us,her friends,we all partied,ate some snacks, c'mon, is everyone so penny-pinchin' 'round here. As far as Jamis, again, c'mon I see 10 sites that DO mail order them,Jamis is an Eastcost based company,maybe weak in Californiabut..? .. Bianchi is STRONG in Cal., weak here in NC. Look at a Bianchi while you're at it.A guy older than you did a 3 or 4000 mole trip on a $1,600 Bianchi recently,anybody read that this fall ?

Big Paulie

DG,

You could just use all the bit and pieces off the Diego and just buy a new (or used) frame and fork...

BluesDawg

Gary has made it very clear that he is not a good wrench. I agree with his plan to buy a new bike.

But I'll say it again, he should keep the stem and shifters that he added to the Diego. Someday, somewhere down the line, long after this upcoming purchase, there will be a day that Gary sees a nice old steel bike on Craig's List or somewhere that he'll want to buy and that can use those parts.

ang1sgt

Part of the problem with Treks Early Aluminum bikes like the 1500 is that they were straight guage tube bikes that while stiff and strong, tended to pound the rider. Or at least that is the way I felt while riding them. I almost bought one new, but found a used Peugeot that was a typical garage queen. Rode about 200 miles and put away never to be riden by the first owner again. Even with the odd mix of parts on that bike, it rode out so well and was very very comfortable. Just after I got it right, someone offered me what I had in it and out the door it went. 7 years later, and I am still looking for that bike or it's sister.

Chris

DnvrFox

Before you buy a new bike, I think you need to buy a garage door first. How else are we going to be able to see it?

Artkansas 

Never judge another person's finances by your own. I can remember a poor time a few years ago, selling a Ford Taurus for $200.00 and being so jealous of the buyer because he had $200.00 disposable income to buy it with.

Times have improved fortunately. But I know poor. I also know that Gary is under a bit of a squeeze now with his daughter transitioning from High School to College.

Tom Bombadil

I've heard this about many of the early aluminum bikes. Nowadays only the most inexpensive AL road bikes lack carbon forks, and most have carbon seat posts, as well as having modified the aluminum tubing to yield a smoother ride.