HeIncreasesMe

So I am in the market for a road bike. I am trying to get the best bang for my buck. I've never heard of this brand....but most of the components (to my untrained eye) look pretty decent.



What do you all think about the bike? And the price?

Wheelset: Alex ALX-220 Wheelset
Seatpost: Carbon Micro-Adjust, 350mm
Fork: Dynamic Carbon Damping, Carbon Fiber blades w/ Aluminum steerer tube
Crankset: FSA Gossamer Compact MegaExo, 50/34T
Bottom Bracket: FSA MegaExo w/ External Bearings
Stem: FSA OS-170LX
Handlebar: FSA RD-300
Grips/Tape: K2 Logo Cork Tape w/ locking and end plugs
Saddle: K2 Performance
Frame: K2 Reflex Mod 7005 Butted Aluminum w/ Flat Oval Toptube and Carbon Seatstays
Tires: Kenda Kontender, 700c x 23
Rack Mounts: None
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
Brakes: Shimano 105 Dual-Pivot
Chain: Shimano 105 for 10-speed
Shifters: Shimano 105 S.T.I
Levers: Shimano 105 S.T.I.
Cassette: Shimano 105, 12/25T, 10-speed
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra
Headset: TH 1 1/8” Integrated
Pedals: Wellgo W-41, Single-Sided Clipless

entukay

I have a K2 mtn bike.

It's probably a decent bike, but K2 is very popular for one reason or another, but 105 at that price seems like a pretty good deal.

idcruiserman

Sierra Trading Post? I've got a few K2 mountain bikes, and I've happy with them. K2 has been around for a long time, but I don't know anything about their road bikes.

HeIncreasesMe

Right now Performance is loading up tons of deals on road bikes. I got a feeling that this might be the chance to get a great deal on last years or the year before model.

DrDrew

I have a K2 Mach 2.0 and it has been a great first bike for me. Other bikes with the same components were more expensive - I think K2 saves money in the frame department by being a little heavier than their competitors and the wheelset is not particularly great. I'd upgrade to a pair of Mavic Open Pros with Ultegra hubs and ride it into the ground! For the price, you can't go wrong and later on in time you'll know more about what you want out of a road bike.

DrPete 

Seems like a pretty good deal. The frame is nothing special but it looks like a decent ride for the money. 105 is going to serve you well, be it on long recreational rides, racing, etc. If you really get the disease you'll probably want to upgrade, but if you decide you hate it it probably won't be because your equipment failed you.

HeIncreasesMe

I have hybrid right now. Trek 7.3FX. If I have my understanding about bike parts right...

It looks as if this road bike only has a double crank. Is it better to get a bike with a triple crank?

I am going to be moving soon and there are some major hills in that neighborhood. So is this flaw to this bike. Or do most road bikes only have a double crank.

robvas

A compact double is smaller than a regular double, so you might be fine with that instead of a triple. Some people prefer a double either way.

mtnbiker5

I actually came across the identical deal at a Performance shop here is Pennsylvania. I am looking to get into Road Biking (from mountain biking) and was impressed by the components at the price. They also had a similarly priced Fuji with Tiagra instead of Ultegra/105. Thanks!

telebianchi

I got one of these from Performance. Performance had bought out some other store's stock and that's why they had them for $799. This is replacing a 2003 Fuji Cross as my road bike. The Fuji will become my commuter/winter ride....and maybe actually get used for some cyclocross type trails.

The K2 is what I expected. Based on my bathroom scale it's a little over 20 lbs. The full 105 + Ultegra rd works great. Comparing those components to any other $800 bike and this is a great deal. The saddle will work well on my commuter....I didn't even bother to sit on it; just stuck my Specialized saddle on there.

I had already put a compact crank on my Fuji so no difference in the gearing. The K2 is a 10 cog rear vs. the Fuji's 9 cog, but on my four rides so far I don't notice the difference. Shifts go where I expect them. I haven't mounted a computer yet, so the rest of this is just what my body and brain are telling me:
Flat ground: No perceived speed difference
Moderate uphill: The K2 feels faster....like it's carrying the momentum better
Steeper Uphills: No perceived difference.
Descending: The K2 is so much better. On hills where I was grabbing a ton of brake on the Fuji I am in the drops and pedaling the K2. This made me smile and stopped any questions I had about the purchase.
General Feel: This could be the "new bike effect" but the K2 with carbon seat stays and post seems smoother. There are a couple of places I've been riding for years with a slight washboard in the road that the K2 was noticeably easier going over.
Fit: I'm still going to have to play with that but initial setup was fine. A strange thing is that being in the drops feels closer but being on the hoods feels more stretched out. The bars are thinner which will take my hands a little getting used to.

I have a set of Open Pro/Ultegra wheels on the Fuji that I may switch over to the K2 to see if there is a difference (would need to switch the cassettes but I don't have the tools right now).

At $800, I think this was a great deal. Figuring that last year the Pedal Force frame group buy got to (I think) $480, I could possibly get a full carbon frame/105 bike for under $1300 + assembly. Not too shabby.

(No pictures yet....my digital camera has a stuck lens so I took film shots but need to get them developed.)

pagliaci

If that bike is close to 20 lbs. like another reader stated, that is a good deal. Good specs for the components (105, FSA) except for the wheels.

mtnbiker5

Thanks all for the feedback on this bike. I had been shopping around looking for as much bang for my 800 bucks as I could get. Most of what I had seen at this price point were at best Tiagra/Sora. I guess my trepedation was the fact that this is a bike that was 2 model years old, but I certainly understand Performance buying up some overstock and passing on the deal. K2 is an old reputable company, so from that perspective I have confidence.

So far the bike feels great. As an avid mountain biker, I am used to a triple crank, so I was mildly concerned with the compact crank, but had no issues climbing a few fairly steep grades so I doubt that the loss of the third chain ring will matter all that much. The 105/Ultegra feels and shifts great.

As I read various posts about some of the components (wheelset - Alex 220 and FSA Bottom Bracket) - those might be the first candidates for an upgrade, but not until I get some more time on the bike and have an issue, they feel great new. I said the same thing about a Shimano LX bottom bracket on my mountain bike which still serves me very well.

Anyway - thanks again everyone for the input. I am excited about getting on the road for the first time with a decent bike!

ShadowGray

Yeah I saw that bike at Performance, it looks like a solid deal.

intence

I actually rode a Mod 3.0 for a while and it was great. In the end, I wasn't a fan of the compact geometry, but the bike itself rode well.

On my Mod 3.0 frame, there was a Kinesis stamp (but it wasn't colored in any way, so it was hard to see), i'm assuming they made the frames for K2. Overall a great bike, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. The wheels (also the Alex 220s I think) were fine, no major problems with them, they worked.

Overall it was a great bike.