$800 Road Bike - new or used?
I need advice. I am 54 and never really stopped ridding bikes - mostly to the beach or to get around the neighborhood. Well, while biking for rehab after ACL replacement I got the road bike bug. My normal ride is about 25 miles on fairly flat roads. I am currently riding an old Nishiki mountain bike and would really like to go faster and longer. I am looking at road bikes with a budget of $800 +/-. I have ridden a 58cm Trek 1.2, and a “large” Giant Defy 3 at two different LBS. Neither LBS took measurements – is this because these are low end bikes? I rode each bike for about 15min and they both felt ok - the Giant maybe a little better than the Trek, but neither one was adjusted for me other than the seat height. I am also considering a 61cm 2005 Lemond Alpe D'Huez available locally on craigslist. I am about 6'2"+ and my barefoot standing inseam is a bit over 90cm. Here are just two of the many questions I have rattling around in my head.
Is a new 3-4 year old bike with 105/Ultegra components better than a new one with Sora components?
Is a 3 or 4 year old aluminum frame / carbon fork different than a new aluminum frame / carbon fork?