DBordello

I have recently gotten into cycling. For the last couple of weeks I have been riding ~75 miles a week on an Trek mountain bike (singletrack 800, my guess is ~12 years old).

I am looking to buy a road bike. My use is casual, but am interested in getting more into the sport. I mostly ride for fitness and enjoyment.

I explained the situation to a local bike shop. I told them that my budget was around $1000. They had me ride two Cannondales, 1) Cadd 9 ~$1200 and 2) Carbon Six ~$2200. Both bikes felt nice. However, I really shouldn't have been riding the Carbon, since it was out of my price range.

I went to another bike shop that only deals with Trek and Fischer. The person who assisted me was very helpful. He was retired and spent additional time fitting and adjusting the seat. I rode the Trek 1.5 (I believe 2008). One thing I noticed was that you could not upshift from the drops.

I am leaning towards the Treks. The salesperson wasn't trying to upsell me and suggested that the 1.2 would be sufficient.

I have become familiar with the Shimano product line. Mostly that 105 > Tiagra > Sora.

Does anybody have any thoughts on these bikes? Any ideas would be appreciated. Are any of these more relaxed than racer than the other? Or should I stop poking around the internet and go on some more detailed test rides?

Thanks,
Dan

EKCooper

Of course, get the one that's the most comfortable and within your price range. I did not like Sora shifters (sounds like that's what is on the 1.2), so if you have that concern, stay away from it. There are some great sales out there right now. If you liked the Cannondales, you should try the Synapse - very comfortable. However, the Treks are nice. Was the 2008 new or used?

DBordello

All of th bikes I mentioned were new.

StefanG

Assuming you have access to more bike shops, I suggest test riding more bikes. There are lots of options out there in that price range, just make sure to pay attention to what components are included, as that has a significant impact to price.

bonz50

I HATE buying something only to upgrade soon after... I'd rather buy in a couple rungs further up the ladder and have it last a bit longer... that said, local shop has the trek 2.1 for $1200 and one of the Specialized Secteur's for about the same price... both 105 equipped bikes... in my experience, 105 equipped bikes seem to be the break point at which you start getting diminishing returns on your investment... 105 bikes seem to be what I would consider and entry level high end rig, where the tiagra equipped bikes would be more of a high end entry level rig, if you understand what I'm gettin at....

I've said it before many times "I can't afford to buy cheap stuff"... I will not buy a bike that I'm going to have to "upgrade" components, I'd rather get one that's where I need to be for a good long while up front, 9x out of 10 it ends up being cheaper to do so, just a slightly higher cost of entry up front, but long term you save money... better to save your pennies for a few extra weeks/months to get where you wanna be... just my take

DBordello

The area that I am in only has two local bike shops. However, I am in Chicago often. I was planning on buying it local for the service that I would get down the road.

I will take a look at how much a 105 bike is. If I could get something with 105 components for ~$1200 that would be too tempting to pass up.

ancker

This was pretty much my exact dilemma a few weeks ago when I went to purchase a road bike.
I already owned a Trek 7.2 FX hybrid but wanted a road bike for fitness.

I did a lot of research and found that for my particular needs that a Trek 1.2 was sufficient. Everyone I spoke to said that 105's were better, will last longer, blah blah blah. This is all true, but given my needs (which sound similar to yours) a Trek 1.2 with Sora's will likely be all the bike you need for a good while. I had a great LBS (Local bike store) to give me that advice and it sounds like you found one too.

I'm normally in the "buy more than you need so you don't have to upgrade later" camp, but I didn't want to spend more money than I needed.

Also, with a Trek 1.2 (roughly $799) you'll be getting to that $1000 budget when you factor in a mirror, bike computer, water bottles/cages, an under-seat pack, clipless pedals/shoes, and any apparel. (assuming you don't already have these)

bonz50

I'm in the far north chicago burbs, the shop that had the 2.1 was in libertyville (this was about a month ago)...

harry2110

Have you looked at bikesdirect.com some shops will even build the bike for you and the size runs the same as the trek.

jasandalb

I had a cannondale r700 with downtube shifters as my first bike...then bought a Trek 1.2 as my first "serious" bike. Its a great first bike...but you might get a bit tired of it after you get going. for the price point...I bought from my LBS at $850 ... you could go the bikes direct route and get something with better components. I would also say search craigslist and ebay.

ptle

Most bikes in that price range will be similar... I would try to get some shifters that have the paddle shifters instead of the thumb shifters found on Sora and lower.

Go with whichever you personally like the most. The more your like the bike, the more you will want to ride it. Also take into mind comfort. Both companies make bikes with more relaxed geometry, if that's what you're looking for.

Are there any Specialized dealers around? The Allez/Secteur are in your price range.

Also save some money bibs and shoes/pedals.

aglio

I'd stay away from Sora equipped road bikes if you're going to get serious about riding. I have Sora shifters and components on my commuter/cyclocross bike and I do like them for commuting duty...I have Tiagra/105 mix on my road bike and it's like night and day. The thumb shifting on Sora isn't terrible while commuting/messing around...but just wouldn't work for me on a spirited road ride. I have to also chime in on the high end entry level vs entry level high end point...definitely stretch your budget a bit if you can find something that is all 105 or even 105/Ultegra mix. Upgrading components is expensive and can be a pain if you're doing it piece-meal. I wish that I would have spent the extra couple of hundred dollars on mine as my Tiagra bits are starting to wear out/get finicky.

DBordello

Thanks for the input.

I just got back from the shop with the Cannondale bikes. I read some reviews of this LBS and they are not that great. However, the Trek shop has excellent reviews. The assistance was better at the Trek shop as well.

I rode a CAAD 9 6 and like the way that it fit. The shifters were smooth and worked well ($1200, Tiagra). I also rode a CAAD 8-? ($900, Sora). It also felt comfortable, but it did not shift as smoothly and had some rattle in some of the gears. However, I assume that is just and adjustment. I guess the biggest difference is that you cannot shift from the drops; but at this point I am not sure that is very important to me.

I am going to go back to the Trek shop and ride the 1.2 and 1.5 and make a determination from there.

DBordello

I have searched craigslist in my area and there is not much available. I am hesitant about bikes direct, is that recommended for a beginner? It is my understanding that fit is one of the most important things.

DBordello

Thanks for everybody's advice.

I bought a Trek 2.1 Compact for $1300. I am excited to pick it up tomorrow (with all of the accessories installed: Water Cage, Saddle Bag, Wireless Computer).

I am glad to get into the 105 components.

Dan