I've been out riding all the bikes I can, and I've had a couple LBS's tell me they would personally stay away from relaxed geometry, instead, opting for a race geometry set up for more comfort. Their rationale is that as I get back in shape, I will most likely want to get a little racier, then a little racier again in time. If I buy the relaxed geometry, I can only go so far toward a "race" setup. If I start with a race geometry, but "de-race" it, the frame can handle the racier conversions.

I'm not asking for anyone to tell me what kind of riding I will want to be doing in a year. Even I don't know that. I know I want to be comfortable now and don't THINK I'll want to get too aggressive in time, either.

Anybody have insights from their own experience? Did you regret going one way or another? Wish you had done it differently?

Get a frame that you can set up with your preferred riding position without going over the max amount of spacers (or having too long or short a stem).

Even if you want a racy position you may want a taller head tube and shorter top tube than normal, if you have long legs for your height.
If you're short then a 'race' gemoetry frame may have you in a "relaxed" position with the normal headset spacers.

I'll let you know. I'm moving from a relaxed geo frame to a racing frame, even though I'm basically just a rec. rider. That said, I'd like to go faster, and sometimes it feels like the relaxed geometry frame is holding me back--especially when I ride with other riders who have racing frames. They just look so much more aggressive.

Yes, I'm slowly soaking up the BF Kook-Aid.

I have a relaxed geometry bike. I race. I have 4 inches of drop. I usually finish mid pack, but finished off the season with a 3rd place. I was using the best wheels out there - 2200 gram 36 hole velocity deep vs.

Its not about the bike.

You're getting a Caad?
I thought you were intellegent enough to stick with Giant...
Color me disapointed.

Just think of how much faster you'd be on the TCR SL Team.
With the new Zipp 404s, you'd be racking up the wins quicker than some of the guys on the other side of the fence.

The TCR Advanced (not necessarily the SL) is a very comfortable race frame.
Just shillin'

Exactly.

I'm not sure I follow the LBS logic. Getting a "racing" frame probably means a shorter headtube, wheelbase, and steeper tube angles. None of these things necessarily make you faster, in some situations they would slow you down. I consider myself a racer first and foremost (not a very good one) and I am moving in the other direction. I'm certainly not getting a hybrid, but moving from an aggressive geometry (Scott Addict) to a more relaxed geometry and longer wheelbase (Specialized Roubaix). Chances are if you setup the race bike to be more relaxed it will need a bunch of spacers and perhaps a setback seat post, but will still have a shorter wheelbase and will be what casual riders often call twitchy handling. Also, these frames are usually setup on the stiff side and road imperfections will be felt more which might make you want to ride less. I think it is wise to look down the road on purchases to make sure you are not wasting money, but most of us do not have a crystal ball and knowing what you will want in a couple of years may be a stretch. Another option is to buy a good used bike first since it has already taken the depreciation, ride it, see what you like and sell it. You should get most of your money back and have a really good idea of what you want when you are ready to get a new ride.

Fabian Cancellara seemed to do okay riding a Roubaix in the Spring Classics.

Well, hopefully around Xmas I'll be getting some Vuelta tubies.

Basically what the LBS is telling you is that an extra 0.5 degrees of headtube angle makes the bike cooler, which, of course, is absurd.

Generally speaking, when you pedal a bike it moves forward. And when you turn the bars, the bike turns. All bikes out there will basically allow you to do these two things (move forward and turn) and minor variations in the angle of the head tube and the wheelbase do not dramatically effect your ability to do either. Unless you plan on riding in some sort of uber high-performance type of situation where minor details of geometry really matter, just get what fits and is comfortable and don't worry too much about the other details. You'll still be able to pedal fast and turn the corners no matter which bike you buy.

It's a start.
And congrats on your good results racing this year. a 3rd place finish for your first year racing is impressive.
Stick with the training this winter and even better things will come your way next year!

To be fair, he could rip my legs off riding a unicycle.

Training? Ha! I've done 6 CX races since September 22, and have 5 more to go. 10 more if I double up.

Did the shop have a bunch of "race" bikes sitting on the floor and minimal "relaxed" bikes? Not that bike shop would ever steer a customer in the wrong direction to make a sale. Were you in a Specialized shop by chance? I've heard there have been some supply issues with Roubaixs, especially high end ones.

King Tony is spot on. To make a race bike more "relaxed" is just going to make it twitchy and as far as the cool factor is anything more ridiculous looking than a race bike with a bunch of spacer and a +16 degree stem. Like someone said earlier pros race relaxed frames so they can't be giving up too much performance.

They definitely had more race than relaxed.

No. The last one was Giant but they had a TCR and a Defy Alliance so I'm not sure what was up.

When I got back into road cycling after a longish absence I first bought a TCR. Great bike. However, a couple of years later I also bought an SCRC4 (a predecessor to the Defy advanced) because I was doing a lot of long rides and wanted to try the more relaxed geometry. Suffice it to say that I don't use the TCR much. It's still a great bike but I'm not racing crits so its faster handling doesn't matter to me, and it isn't as comfortable when I'm going to be out for 3, 4, 5 hours. For all normal purposes I'm just as fast, and more comfortable, on the SCR.

Just my two cents. As others have said, it's not about the bike, but for a LBS to be encouraging the more aggressive set-up on grounds of comfort is slightly odd, in my opinion.

@PJ - The way I read it, I don't think those LBS actually asked you of your wants and needs. All 4 LBS I had talked to, along with Trek Store, had pointed me to the right direction after the initial conversation. I walked in, told them that it's been such a long time since, how I was then, and how I am now. Then they responded by asking what my goals are, if there will be a great chance of me racing in the future, or if it will only be for leisure and fitness. I gave them my answer and some of the issues, then we went from there. A couple of race geometries were offered due to their comfort level, yet was also warned that if I have issues on my neck and back, that the comfort level may only last a few miles. So a relaxed geometry that can handle both worlds were offered then. Then the conversation went on and tested a few and so forth.

I feel that an LBS should treat you this way and not the way they try to lure you in a race geometry because of a possibility of... They should offer a bike that you need now and can be tweaked later rather than a bike you may never need in the future that is tweak for what you need now.

What he was saying really struck me as odd. Thank you all for reaffirming that I'm not nuts. I'm sticking with the relaxed.

I don't see anything wrong with a "relaxed" bike. (Full disclosure I have one)

I use it to commute, do hammerhead group rides, and occasionally race. I am happy with it

I think if your goal is to get in shape and do some group rides a relaxed bike is fine. If you want to start racing you might want a race bike (note racing = race bike. Not racing = not race bike. Funny how that works.) The good news is if you start racing you should crash shortly and destroy your bike. You can then buy a race bike if you want one.

No, I picked up a 2003 Klein Q-Carbon Race from another BFer. Sweet frame, from what I can see. By Sunday it will be festooned with black 105 components, Psimet wheels and my trusty Bontrager Inform RL saddle. I'm giving the OCR-1 to my sister.

What a nice brother you are
I would've sold it to her so I'd have some extra money for the wheels I want. But that's just me.

Enjoy the Klein.

considering the ridiculous amount of spacers that most rec riders run, i suggest 'relaxed', unless you're limber and/or planning to race.

I'm not all that nice. She lives in Wisconsin and I'll be spending more time out there from now on, so I need something to ride while I'm there. I told her she could use it the 48 weeks I'm not around. She really needs to get into road riding. Right now she's into riding a hybrid on the MUP in Madison, so I figure once she gets a taste for the open road, she'll pick up her own bike--and have a good idea what she wants.