Originally Posted by
CactoesGel
Hello everyone! I'm an avid runner that wants to switch to cycling.
Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5 105 - MSRP $2,330
Specialized Tarmac SL4 Sport - MSRP $2,100
Trek Madone 4.3 - MSRP $2,099.99
First road bike? I just unboxed and tuned up a Windsor Wellington 3 bike from Bikesdirect.com for a new roadie. $400 shipped. Great starter bike.
On your first bike, you will get the wrong frame size. And you will crash it. It will tip over at some point, or fall off the rack on your vehicle. And when you start wrenching, you will do something dumb such as crush the carbon top tube in the bench vice.
And after about a year, you will eventually want different components than the stock, after riding friends bikes. For example after riding Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo shifters, you will figure out why the Shimano shifters are a distant third in terms of ergonomics. So think as your first bike as an experiment. So don't spend a lot. Ride as many different bikes as you can first.
And, all of the bikes you named are 'big brand' models. Solid, conservative choices, but you'll pay a significant premium over lesser known brands.
Finally, if you ride in a Fondo, with the choices above, you may find some comfort in that you will see hundreds of your same bike on the road.