I priced a specialized 05 Allez Sport triple for 900, the LBS said they would come off the price some we didn't talk about how much,, I've been looking at a Trek, the 1000 is quite a bit cheaper, I also looked at the 1200.. Anyone that can give me an opinion on which bike is best to get for the money, please help me out.
I just want to get the best bang for my buck.. I intend to ride in the MS 150 next year and do some other tours in Texas. Maybe the race across america one of these days...Help me pick the right bike for around 900 or so.
Thanks,
Michael

Ride them all. The one that you are most comfortable on is the best for the money. Nothing beats a good fit. The Allez Sport has a slightly better component set than the Trek 1000. The 1200 is pretty comparable to the Allez Sport component wise, so that's probably closer to an apples to apples comparison.

Thanks for the input

I would take an Allez Sport over a Trek 1000 anytime. The Sport has a 1 notch higher grade in components. It's also a 9-speed vs the 1000's 8-speeds. Check out the 1200 as twahl stated and be sure to ride ride ride before you buy. Nothing is going to suck worse than buying a bike that you're not comfortable riding.

I have an '03 Sport. It's a great starter bike. I use mine in a trainer. Bought it used for not too much scratch with just under 1000 miles on it. Didn't really need it but it was too good of a bargain to pass up. The Sport is a very nice bike but for $900 I would probably see if I could get a deal on the Elite as I tend to like the 105 components. They offer a very good bang for the buck value.

The only downside to buying a bike with lower end components on it is that many people tend to get upgrade fever right away. If you can resist that temptation (as it's a waste of time and money) then you'll be alright. I've read numerous threads by guys who want to upgrade their 1 year old 105 group to Ultegra. It makes me cringe.

I have yet to meet a trek that is comfortable to ride. That said, I'll echo everyone elses advice and say try em out.

For most of the mid to lower end bikes, Specialized seems to have more bang for the buck as far as frame quality and components as compared to Trek.