glade

Hi everyone. I'm new around here and new to road cycling(this will be my first road bike), I've been getting by riding my old MTB, and more recently, my dads MTB(I'm 16) around on roads, but the sluggishness and 28-32lbs of bike to lug around is getting on my nerves. Also, I had a near religious experience riding a friends roadie a few months ago, flying solo down a a long straightaway that leads into a small town, I simply put my head down and decided to turn the pedals over as fast as I could comfortably for that distance(about 4 miles). Partway through I glanced at the bike computer to see it register 25mph, a speed I've only reached down hills on my MTB. The feeling of gliding along so fast under my own power was addictive to say the least.

Anyway, I've been working all summer caddying at a local country club and saving up for a road bike for myself, and I've finally begun to amass enough money to think about pulling the trigger(so to speak) on one soon.

My budget is essentially $1200-$1300, including new clipless pedals and road shoes. With that in mind, I've got it narrowed down to two bikes that are the main contenders.

On one side is the Airborne Thunderbolt with full Ultegra 10 setup for $1100, which is a steal, and was what I was originally looking at. My only concern is that I most likely won't be racing, maybe club rides in the future, but mostly longer distance, solo or small group rides, and since I only weigh about 140 pounds, the thought of a stiff aluminum frame scares me a bit. If I want to go out and log 50 or 60 miles, I don't want to go numb from the mediocre at best road surfaces in my area(northwest New Jersey). Plus, it is the high end of my range, with shipping, shoes and pedals thrown in.

Option two is the Motobecane Le Champion SL, again with Ultegra 10 and an FSA Compact crank. Another very nice bike, and since the price difference isn't much, I'm somewhat conflicted as to which to buy.

Any opinions about either of these bikes, or just basic input about what you think I should do would be great. After all, I would like to get a solid few months in on whatever I buy before it gets super cold. Thanks in advance everyone.

Serpico

get the la raza, sweet rig

and you'll have dough for some extra gear

sunninho

I'd go with the Salsa. It's an intriguing bike as I like steel and hear great things about Salsa's quality. You save money, get a fairly unique bike and make both you and your friend happy (since s/he also knows its going to a good home).

dfw

Don't believe all the hype about frame materials. There are many other aspects to a bike which are more important to comfort than frame materials. One of the most important aspects of comfort, and one you didn't mention in your post, is size and fit. The Salsa La Raza sounds like a great deal, but are you buying it because it's the right bike for you, or are you buying it because it's a great deal? Believe me, if you buy a bike that doesn't fit, it's not a good deal regardless of what you pay for it. You may think it fits from a test ride, but if you're not an experienced roadie, you probably won't be able to tell that you got the wrong size until you've been riding for a while. Some people ride the wrong bike for years uncomfortably until they buy a new bike and get sized properly.

For your first bike especially, the best advice I can offer is to go to your LBS and buy a bike from them. A good LBS will help you select the right size, and they will set the bike up so it fits and functions to your body. Something like a Trek 1200 or a Specialized Allez should be in your budget and you should be able to get Tiagra or better components which will serve you very well.

thewalrus

If you can squeeze it into your budget, a full ultegra-10 bike (the airborne) will be a much better choice in the long term than a used bike... Decent clipless pedals can be had for $65 at various online stores, plus another $75-90 for road shoes, which stays within your $1300 budget.

Vibration on the aluminum vs. steel frames can be debated, but I think the difference will depend on your tires and pressure - one frame might feel radically different on a rough road with 10 psi higher or lower pressure.

There's nothing "wrong" with the 9-speed ultegra setup but it is a 7 year old design now - and if you buy the Airborne you'll get a chain and cassette that haven't received any wear.

you might also want to look at the one of the Bikesdirect $1095 Motobecanes - similar spec/setup with ultegra-10 + FSA carbon crank.

glade

Hmmm, the Motobecane is a very interesting bike. The only thing I've heard(again, not sure if there is any truth to it) is that bikes like that tend to use lower end frames in order to be such great deals, resulting in a harsher ride and less durability. I'm sure there are plenty of people on here who could either proce or disprove that very quickly. Honestly I like the idea of a new bike more than a used one, and the Motobecane seems like a better deal than the Airborne, although the former does have Tektro brakes instead of Ultegra, any thoughts on their overall quality?

We'll see how much I can make this weekend down at the country club and that might help me decide.

nomo4me

If you think the Salsa might fit you don't feel too bashful about taking it down to the LBS and paying to have them put the bike in a trainer and judge the fit. You can also then look at some new bikes in your range and ride both in the parking lot to compare the feel. If buying the Salsa you could also propose something along the lines of "if I buy $200 worth of stuff will you waive the fitting fee?" Just pick a good shop with a nice selection of accessories. If you are buying one of their bikes don't expect to be charged for a cursory fit.
And good on ya for working to save your own $$ to get that bike. You are going to enjoy it so much more for having earned the money yourself. Let us know how your purchase and first rides go, it's a great sport.

michiganj.frog

Tough choice, but I'd have to go with the Airborne. Kinda partial there since I have a Blackbird with the ultegra 10. Something else to think about, is warranty issues. With a used bike from a friend, there isn't a warranty.

glade

OK, slightly revised now. The Salsa is out of the running for various reasons.

So now it is down to the Airborne Thunderbolt with full Ultegra 10, or the Motobecane Le Champion SL with Ultegra 10 and the FSA Compact Crank. The price difference works out to be $85, since Airborne charges $80 for shipping, but thats not a huge concern of mine, I just want the best bang for my buck so to speak. The weight difference is about 2.5 pounds, but that doesn't really concern me, I'm more concerned with the quality of the frame and the wheels, since I know the other components on both bikes are essentially the same and both very good.

So with that in mind, which would you choose in my position and why? Thanks again for all the information, being that I'm self educated about road cycling(although I do watch all the coverage I can of it on TV for the last 4 or 5 years[Thanks Lance]) and the nearest LBS is about 40 minutes away, and is part of a chain of stores, it makes things bit more tricky. I do appreciate it though and will be sure to post pics and some words about my first few rides on whatever bike I decide to buy.

Spin_Dr_Tio

Glade: I cannot help your cause specifically, but I might be able to shed some light...

First, I would check the geometry of the Airborne (especially the tube top length), for Airborne's are a bit unique (at least some of them used to be when I bought mine in 2000). I own a Zepplin... and to put it into context, I like this bike so much that I have made it a commuter/beater after a few years of use (if you understand the sarcasm - albeit true). I have heard great things about Airborne... but like a number of reasonably priced/smaller frame builders, I wonder if the notoriety is more resultant of the owners' believing that they got a deal as opposed to a more objective appraisal of the bike (e.g., Airborne, Felt). Personally, it is the least favorite road bike that I have owned &, yet, it is durable - great commuter (but I could have found a great Ti commuter at a more thrifty price -- okay, too much info). Now, take this with a grain of salt; there are a number of people who are Airborne zealots and would consider my opinion and usage of my rig heresy!!!

My buddy picked up one of the bikedirect.com bikes -- the Mercier Draco, I believe -- and it impressed me... certainly more than I anticipated. Sharp looking, speced out, and a responsive ride... That said, if you are not good at wrenching, you might want to consider the cost of taking it to your LBS to get you dialed in and properly set up (but I recommend this regardless).

Now, I am not advocating the Champion over the Airborne; I am not familiar with either bike specifically. I generally have one maxim that I assert on these forums, namely I advocate that the buyer purchase the bike that she or he will really love. Cycling is a sport of passion. You will spend many-an-hour atop your rig... more hours thinking about riding, scoping out new rides, searching these forums for tidbits, etc. Even at the expense of stretching the budget (if you have Maslow's basic needs accounted for!!!), buy the bike that will be a pleasure to ride often, for long durations, fast, and with love.

Good luck brother!!!

fmw

The frame isn't bad. It appears to be the 2004 Fuji Team frame. My plan is to strip the parts from my frame and put them on a new carbon fiber frame. The final price after I finish selling off some of the parts like the frame that I'm not going to transfer should be around $1300 for the finished bike. That's a pretty reasonable price for an under-16 lb. carbon road bike with Ultegra drivetrain and excellent parts throughout. I don't see how you can go wrong with the Motobecane. It is exactly what Bikes Direct says it is. Great value. I bought a Motobecane comfort bike for my wife at a price you couldn't find at Kmart and it was an equally good value at the lower end of the price scale. Good luck.

Grasschopper

Hmm for some reason the LaRaza has dissapeared from your selection list. The Motobecane isn't going to beat you up any less than the Airborne.

Here is my vote:

sunninho

I still agree with the Salsa. Test ride a similar bike to the Airborne and Motobecane at your LBS, maybe a Felt F70 or Trek 1000. Then, ride the Salsa and see which is better.

glade

As much as I'd like the La Raza because its made by a smaller company and a beautiful bike, it isn't in the kind of shape I initially thought. It isn't beat to hell, but it isn't in great shape either. If it were in better shape, I'd buy it hands down over the other two, but alas, it isnt. I was awed by the deal when I first looked at it seriously, but upon closer, more objective inspection, it isn't all that I thought it was. Oh well.

The only thing about the Motobecane that concerns me a bit is the wheels, but since I'm pretty light, I guess they won't really be an issue.

Laggard

Get the Guerciotti.

texascyclist

The Thunderbolt double is sold out. I am not sure if there will be any more since this is a limited time offer. FWIW I am impressed with the Motobecane SL. It is my understanding that it is basically the same as the Fuji Team SL, maybe except for the down tube. I believe you are really starting out with something nice in a <16lb bike. I would highly recommend you go through a fitting. At least do the procedure at competitivecyclist.com. Take 2-4 measurements on each side of your body for each measurement and average.

crb189

I bought the le Champion, and granted I only have about 100 miles on it, I have been somewhat impressed. Time will tell if the frame holds up, but IMO, the components justify the price. I was looking for something with ultegra to upgrade my current bike, and I just couldn't find a better deal than that. The longest ride I've done is 50 miles, and the frame seemed to dampen road vibrations pretty well (tire pressure at 115 psi).

glade

I actually went with the Iron Horse Triumph Race through Performance Bike. The bonus 20% off last weekend sealed the deal for me. I managed to get the bike and associated accessories for just over $1,100 including shipping, so it was a steal. That bike has essentially the some component buildup with more durable wheels(heavier, but 300-350 grams doesn't matter much to me, I'm 16). And besides, if I wanna drop rotational weight I'd rather but light tires and tubes on a more durable wheelset since I plan on doing some longer distance rides near my house in the Adirondacks, which means some rougher roads which might be tough on an ultralight wheelset. Oh yeah, and the Iron Horse has Ultegra brakes instead of Textro's, which is nice too. I might swap out the cassette on the I.H. though, since it comes with an 11-23, I'm thinking a 12-25 or 12-27 will be better suited to my climbing style(more spinner than masher). Although it might not be needed with a compact crankset.

Also, the Motobecane was a nice bike, but the fact that it is essentially an internet only deal scared me in the event I needed something warrantied. At least the Iron Horse is a company that is distributed to stores around the country and I could take it to a local Performance store if needbe. Can't wait for it come so I get out there and start logging some mileage.

ohplease

I came very close to buying that same bike. I think it was a fantastic deal (like $950 shipped?) - maybe even better than the le champion sl (which I bought) as it's got a megaexo fsa crank instead of the older fsa isis on the motobecane.

Ultimately I couldn't get past the compact geometry and the color, though. That said, if you've got a performance near you and you don't do your own wrenching the Race is absolutely a no brainer. Enjoy your bike.

glade

The compact geometry doesn't really bother me since I've been riding mountain bikes up until now that have a more pronounced compact design than the Iron Horse does. Although it may sound picky, another thing I didn't like about the Motobecane was the amount of rake on the fork, I prefer the look of a fork with less rake, but thats just me. Does anyone know about what the Iron Horse weighs? Just from looking at the setup on it I would guess around 17.5lbs, but I'm not totally sure.

It was just too good a deal to pass up, the bike came out to $864 without shipping, so I got the bike, 2 pairs of shorts, a bike computer, shoes(tried on in a shop beforehand and just ordered from Performance) and pedals for less than I planned to spend on just a bike without pedals. I'm proud to continue my tradition of never paying anything that even remotely resembles retail for sports related gear.

Now I'm already lusting after a Real Designs titanium stem and seatpost, maybe next year.

Phantoj

...

glade

I should have clarified, I tried them on in a Performance Bike store, and ordered them online, I didn't go down to my LBS and try on shoes then buy them somewhere else.

Phantoj

Well, okay then.