Good Luck on your bike hunt.
I m going for a ride after work!

What do you all think of the the 2000 model litespeed classic, campy chorus, look carbon fork, cane creek/ITM, selle italia,1 xtra cassette, pump, water bottles for $1700.00 Perfect condition. Thanks from a former lurker.

If it fits you, buy it. Buy it now.

If it doesn't fit you and it's a 50cm, I'll buy it.

hahaha Yeah...what size is it, and where is it??

If your inseam is 2 inches shorter then you likely have short legs for your height, which also means that you have a longer than average torso for your height. Thus the best choice for you is a compact frame. This way you can buy the size which has the right length top tube (the most important measurement) and not have to worry about stand over height. I know that some people on this site are opposed to compacts but for people like you and me, with shorter legs and longer torsos they are perfect. There are many compact frames about now, obviously Giant is good value but you need to ensure that they make a size that fits you. Another good option is Specialized, they make compact frames in 11(?) sizes.

Who cares. Just get one and ride. It's all fun.

I spent $1,100 on a Raleigh R700. Do I need a bike like that - NO.

I ride couple of time a month and average only 40 mile per ride. I got two small kids that take up most of my time.

I got what I could afford.

Get what you like and enjoy it.

Choosing a bike is a very personal experience. I have never been able to test ride a bike long enough to be absolutely sure that is was the bike for me, but I have also never had a bike that I haven't learned to love.

I bought a 2002 Giant OCR 1 in March for $940 American and have enjoyed it very much. I imediately replaced the Hutcheonson tires with Conti Ultra 2000's and the pedals with a pair of Looks. The bike is a little heavy, but I am riding for mental health and to burn calories, so the extra pound or two does not bother me for now. I think that a lot of that weight is in the stock wheels, so they will be my first major upgrade. I also happen to be very happy with the adjustable stem, which was necessary to get the right fit with only three frame sizes. From what I had read in advance, I expected it to have a lot of flex, but have found none. And I find that the 175 mm cranks (as opposed to the 170's that were on my old Cannondale I raced for 5 years) were an easy adjustment because that is what I have on my mt. bike, and they give me more leverage when climbing.

I went for a hard 35 mile ride today with a friend riding a custom frame with Dura Ace. I had no trouble keeping up. As I used to remind the high school team I coached, "Once you reach a certain level of quality, it's not the bike, it's the engine."

If I were racing, I would not recomment the OCR1, but if you aren't racing, I think it will meet the needs of most riders from fast recreational rides, to commuters to century riders.

All:

Regarding the Giant OCR controversy:
I recently had the opportunity to try a Giant OCR 1 ($999 USD)
and a TCR2 ($1300 USD).

All I can say is: It's amazing what $300 more can do for you
when it comes to buying a road bike. And the OCR isn't a
terrible bike by any means. But it wouldn't be my first choice
in a shootout of $1,000 road bikes.

I first rode the TCR2 then I rode the OCR. The OCR would be
a nice entry level roadie for someone planning to do recreational
riding. It was definetely heavier with a different feel than the
TCR.

But if you're obsessed with riding instead of treating it as an
occasional hobby, commute, or race the TCR was hands down
better.

The TCR 2 was (1) full 105 [drivetrain, brakes, hubs] double,
(2) lighter TCR frame [same frame as Team Once rides in
the Tour deFrance], (3) carbon fork+seatpost+stem+steerer
(4) Selle Italia Prolink saddle with carbon frame (5) Cinelli
Altera bar + Cinelli cork tape (6) and Mavic CXP21 wheelset
with (7) Hutchinson Carbon Comp tires.

All of that carbon really smoothes out the harshness of the road
without removing the feel of the road altogether and it's a quick
nimble bike well suited for long rides. I've already put 145+ miles
on it since I got it 22 days ago.

I was considering an OCR as well but am glad I sprung for the
TCR. If you have to save to get one, do it. You won't regret it.

The best thing about it is that the bike is definetely something
you can upgrade to the highest end parts available - the TCR1
is the same frame, fork, seatpost, stem and bar with Ultegra.
The TCR0 is the same with Ksyriums and Dura Ace. And the TCR
team is the Team ONCE bike with Campy.

Whoa, what's the problem with Coda components?? I really want to get the Cannondale, but I haven't heard many positive comments on them in general. ??

Coda is the Cannondale in-house brand for components.

Not known for their excellence. But their bike framesets
are top notch.

Typically Cannondales are poorly spec'd.

Coda components (as alienspore mentioned) are the C'dale in- house brand. Strangely enough these components even seem to be spec'd on thier top bikes. They are typically junk, and most definitely dont belong on CAAD5 frames and up.

When you buy a Cannondale you are paying for the frame. I personally think there are better manufacturers out there, but the frames are nice.

I've been a C'dale fan for a long time, and I would without hesitation agree the less Coda componentry the better. I'll go as far to say I'd see if I could get the LBS to switch it as part of the deal. Especially the cranks. The frameset on the other hand is hard to beat.