italianstallion

* UPDATE post 13 *

So a little background on me: I'm 25, 6 foot, 180lbs. I run and lift 4-5 times per week. Back home in NY my gym was equipped with spin machines and screens and I really enjoyed spinning for an hour every other workout day. Now I've moved to Florida and my current gym does not have spin machines, but I live in close proximity to a variety of very long bike/pedestrian trails that I want to ride on.

So my desire for a bike is two-fold: first to workout on and second to access the small little towns and villages that are within a 5 mile radius of my house without having to get in my car.

My budget is $1000 max (tax and other accessories not included). After a few days of research and visiting local bike shops that gets me an aluminum frame and a carbon fork. There are a few cobblestone roads I'll need to navigate, but they can also be easily avoided and I won't be traveling on such roads at speed.

After visiting a variety of large and small shops, I've decided to stick with a local shop. But it seems every local shop carries their own special brand they like. After a few days of footwork I've narrowed my choices down to the following bikes, and just wanted to see if anyone had any input on these choices.

Choice 1: Bianchi Via Nirone Sora (msrp $970)
Via Nirone Sora Compact | Bianchi USA

Choice 2: Bianchi Via Nirone Claris (msrp $850)
Via Nirone Claris Compact | Bianchi USA

Choice 3: Marin Argenta A6 Comp (msrp $980)
Marin Bikes | Argenta | Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, and City/Commuter Bicycles | us

Choice 4: Marin Argenta A6 Elite (msrp $1150, a bit above budget, some of the hardware is different than the A6 Comp so I just want to know if it's worth going over budget for the hardware)
Marin Bikes | Argenta A6 Elite | Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, and City/Commuter Bicycles | us

Choice 5: Fuji Roubaix 1.3 (msrp $1169 but the shop sells it for $960)
https://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/roubaix-13

Choice 6: Fuji Roubaix 1.5 (msrp $1049 but the shop sells it for $870)
Fuji Bikes | ROAD | COMPETITON SERIES | ROUBAIX 1.5

So that's it. All of these brands mean nothing to me, I've never heard of them and have no technical background on the components they use. All of these bikes come from local shops where they'll fit me for the bike (included in the cost) and provide warranty and repair support.

Thanks for the help!

bt

do you happen to live in the bay area?

the Marin would be a good choice if you do.

milkbaby

They'll all be pretty much fine for what you're planning on doing with the bicycle, all three companies are reliable bicycle companies. If I had to vote, I'd go for the Fuji Roubaix 1.3 because it comes with 11 speed components which is the most current. If you wear out a drivetrain part or desire to upgrade, then you will already have all 11 speed stuff on the bike (the chain, chainrings, cassette, freehub). With the other bikes you're looking at 8, 9 or 10 speed, all of which are fine, but if you decide to upgrade, most of the more expensive stuff is 11 speed and you'll have to buy new chain, cassette, etc.

If funds are tight, then any one of those bikes will probably be just fine for your purposes. Remember to budget some money for pedals, shoes, helmet, clothes, roadside repair kit, floor pump, chain lube, lights etc. That could easily be another $100 to $1000 depending on how lavishly you want to spend.

achoo

Fuji Roubaix 1.3 with Shimano 11-speed 105. All the other bikes have lower-grade components. Given the prices are all about the same, that seems to me to be by far the best deal.

dtrain

Only two of those are Italian. (Well only about 20% Italian, but you get the idea.)

EastTNrider

I didn't look at all the links but if the Fuji is around the same price and is the only one with 105 11spd, then you should absolutely take that one...as long as they have your size that is!

Hotsacue

What is everyone's favorite bikes?

qclabrat

+1 for the Roubaix 1.3 assuming fit is good and that you must buy new
I see many good bikes on CL in the Florida area, can probably get a carbon bike with 105 for about the same price if you don't mind used

jerrycan42

Fuji 1.3 is a keeper value bike. Go for that.

italianstallion

I'll have to go test a few test rides now, but thank you everyone for your replies. I'll see how the Roubaix 1.3 fits and go from there. It sounds like it's a good platform to start with.

And I never even thought to check Craigslist, so I think Ill give that a shot as well and see what's out there

lyrictenor1

Another vote for the Fuji Roubaix 1.3. Best value, and the Roubaix is a good frame.

TheRef

+1 for the Roubaix. I have a Gran Fondo and I gave a brand new Roubaix to my brother. He Loves it. I've ridden a few times and it's solid.

italianstallion

Alright I've got an update. Went to my local bike shop intent on buying the Fuji, but with the sales this weekend I found a 2015 Scott Speedster 20 for $1,299 which I was able to talk down to $1,150. Blew my budget by $150 but after looking at the components on both bikes *I Think* the Scott was a better deal.

let me know how I did or if I should've gone Fuji.

SCOTT Sports - SCOTT Speedster 20 Bike

bigdo13

the Fuji, easy... has the best groupo, and Fuji is a tried and true brand... also, pretty good brand for people who are looking to get into cycling...

I will say, for sentimental reasons that the Bianchi is my fav in terms of looks and brand name, but on a Shimano Sora or Claris group, ehhhhh, nah...

As for the Marin... I own a Marin Venenzia ... I will say, they are pretty good road bikes, but you can find a used one, as I did for just commuting or sightseeing waaay cheaper and get the same kind of use out of it...


edit:

looks like you went with a brand new (2015) Scott Speedster 20 for about $400 clams over what you initially set out to spend...

only thing that matters is the fit and the ride... if they both agree with you and you can do 5 hrs on it and feel like you could do another 5, that's literally all that matters... You're not racing crits or anything like that, so yeah, I think this is a pretty good bike for you... you went over budget, but I'm thinking it's going to be well worth it...

italianstallion

Yeah at the end of the day I knew I was making an investment in myself with this. I was set on the Fuji but when I showed up to the shop this morning the sales person had me hop on both bikes. He told me the Scott was $1299, and I told him my max was $1000, at which point he pulled up the specs for both bikes and left me alone to look at them. They both had a lot of the same components, but the Speedster had a few better components than the Fuji. The salesperson came back and I told him, yeah the speedster looked like a better bike on paper but it was out of my price range. So that's when he came back with $1150 with fitting and lifetime maintenance (parts excluded). I was pretty much sold, but left to do some quick research at Starbucks and it sounded like the Speedster might be worth the extra coin. So I went back and got it. I go back later this week to get it all dialed in and fitted for me.

italianstallion

I got to swap out the pedals, but here's the new Speedster 20

Smithson1

I've been riding a Fuji Roubaix for 6 years. Other than general maintenance, I haven't had any problems with it and I'm still riding it today. You won't find a better bike for $1,000.

dtrain

He had to pony up an extra 150, seems worth it.

alexaschwanden

My 2013 Raleigh revenio 2.0 was 599$ with a carbon fork, modern 9 speed and a light atomic 13 SL frame.

mrblue

Build it yourself. You know, no matter which one you choose, you'll be upgrading parts left and right in no time. So, you might as well just buy a frame and build your dream bike. I typically build my own.

dtrain

The last two posts don't apply the to OP anymore.

sheltonlp

I just bought the Scott Speedster 20 as well. A local REI had a 2014 in the shop that was my size for $900 so I jumped on it. Great feeling bike, with nice components. I'm changing out my seat, adding lights, a computer, as well as a small bag for commuting. So far I'm very happy with mine. Yours has a more "sporty" paint job though...

Here's mine: