I want to first thank all of the contributors who provide such useful information on this forum. I have been a regular reader over the last few months as I researched possible options for my first road bike, but this is my first actual post.

My main reason for purchasing a road bike is my growing interest in competing in triathlons. My ulitmate goal is to regularly complete Olympic-distance events. Over the past few years as I entered the sport, I trained on a Cannondale hybrid I have had for about three years, and while this is a great bike for many purposes, I feel it is time to take the plunge and buy a road bike as I grow more serious about training and competition. I also want the versatility a road bike provides as opposed to the limited uses found with a tri-specific bike. I enjoy cycling a great deal and may venture into some road-bike races.

Over the last few weeks, I have ridden many models from Trek, Giant, Specialized, Fuji, Felt and Cannondale and found the F65 and R700 to fit me best as far as ride and geometry. I did not feel there was a noticeable difference between the two in terms of feel, comfort, and performance as I rode each bike. They both also fall in my purchase price range of $1200-$1500. There are differences in terms of drivetrain (F65 is full Ultegra 10, Cannondale is mainly 105 with Ultegra RD), wheelset, etc., and the Felt does retail for about $200 more. I guess my main concern is I feel that the CAAD 7 frame to be of a little higher quality and I could upgrade the components on the Cannondale at a later date if I found that to be necessary, whereas the Felt appears to be a better overall value, but I do not know as much about the reputation of the comrany or the quality of their frames.

I would appreciate any feedback from forum contributors who have ridden both or either bike and are willing to share their impressions.

Thanks,

Matt