Stick Legs

Ok, so I'm not single...but the rest is true! Hey gang, new poster from Toronto-ish Canada here. I'm getting ready for the RTCC and as my training rides get longer I'm discovering 2 things: 1) I really enjoy road cycling and 2) my 1999-ish Giant Iguana SE aint really the best bike for this sort of thing - not by a long shot.
So I'm thinking about getting a decent road bike and a $1000 ceiling is one I got into my head for some reason. Nice round number I guess. After the RTCC my riding will be for personal enjoyment and fitness/endurance training. I'm toying with the idea of trying a tri next year but I don't have any plans for competitive cycling. I'll be 40 next week so this bike would be a birthday present to myself.
My LBS (BikeSports) has a 2011 Specilaized Allez Sport with full Tiagra components and Sora shifters for $1000 taxes in that would seem to fit the bill. But I don't think that bike came with full Tiagra from the factory, did it? Maybe they added it to make the 2011 more appealing? Anyway, I rode it and it felt great...but I'm comparing it to my old Iguana so of course it felt great and fast.
I was wanting to try the Giant Defy 2 as it, on paper, is a comparable bike. More money though (2012). Trek 1.5 seems to be one I should consider too. Others?
Is it safe to assume that virtually ANY bike in the $1000-ish price range is going to be "decent" and just boil down to a personal choice and fit? The Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra are all decent cars - some being better in certain areas but all in all they'll all get you where you need to go, right? Can the same sort of thinking be applied to entry level road bikes or are there ones that stand out as being exceptionally good or bad? I'm guessing no but I'd like to hear from those more experienced than I.
Today I was in another LBS (SpokeO'motion) and the girl there after hearing what i was looking for seemed very keen on the new Norco road bikes. Apparently, Norco is quite new to road bikes and are pricing theirs very aggressively to get some exposure. The one I am looking at is the Valance Alloy 1. Full 105 components which is a big deal in this price point according to her as anything else in that range (MSRP $1385 + taxes) would be Tiagra at best. Make sense? Does anyone have any experience with this bike or Norco in general? I'm going to go back and try it out soon but on paper it seems like a great value. For a rider like me how much of a factor should the 105 componentry come into it? What do they do better than their Tiagra and Sora counterparts and is that something a rider like me would even notice?
Thoughts?

P.S. Here are the specs on the Norco:


Frame
Double butted Endurance road frame

Fork
Carbon blades w/alloy steer

Rear Shock
N/A

Wheels

Rims
Shimano - Black

Tires
Continental Ultra Sport - Black 700x25c

Front Hub
Shimano R501

Rear Hub
Shimano R501

Spokes
Shimano bladed spoke

Drivetrain

Shifter Front
Shimano 105 ST-5700 - Black

Shifter Rear
Shimano 105 ST-5700 - Black

Front Derailleur
Shimano 105 FD-5700 - Black

Rear Derailleur
Shimano 105 RD-5700-SS - Black

Cassette
Shimano Tiagra CS-4600 12-30T 10 speed

Bottom Bracket
FSA MegaExo BB-6000

Crankset
FSA Gossamer CK-C6020ST 50/34T - Black

Pedals
N/A

Chain
Shimano Tiagra CN-4601

Components

Seat Post
Norco - Black w/Red

Saddle
Norco Sport - White/Red w/Red

Headset
FSA Orbit CE - ACB Integrated headset

Stem
Norco - Black w/Red

Handlebar
Ritchey Comp Curve - Black

Grips
Norco Gel Wrap - White

Front Brake
Norco Sport Brakes w/SureStop pads

Rear Brake
Norco Sport Brakes w/SureStop pads

Brake Levers
Shimano 105 ST-5700 - Black

Misc

Colour
White

Sizes Available
48,51,54,57,60

Bike Weight (lbs)
20.50

Bike Weight (kgs)
9.29

pdedes

Brevity is your friend. At your entry point, there is little difference. A bike that fits and you like the look of are enough.

Ghost Ryder

Norcos aren't very popular, only here on the west coast/North Shore.
On the shore, you'll see so many norcos going up & down all the mountains here.
Norco makes solid bikes, I believe they been making road bikes since 2006, & every year they get better.

I'm considering the Norco when I decide to go carbon(CRR SL/ Maybe even the CRR LE),I like standing out from the crowd.
(I have a hook up with Norco so I can get really good deals from the factory. Friends & family discount )
That's why I've been riding my CX with skinny tires on my group ride.

IMO having 105 is enough to consider going for the Norco/
My 2 CX's have both Tiagra & 105, I prefer the 105 a lot more even if it's 3 year behind.
I'm tempted to do the "swap over" since I log most of my KMS/miles on my Tiagra equipped bike.
Whatever you choose make sure you take them for extended ride to get a feel for how they'll feel when you own one of them.
Some shops even let you test saddles, this would be the best chance to do this too, saddles are almost always the 1st thing changed.
You might even be able to save a few $$$ if you ask them to swap it out before you buy the bike you choose.
Make sure you take you time, do your research/test rides, etc. Don't rush into anything, or let anyone talk you into anything that doesn't feel right.

From 1 Canadian to another...
Good luck on finding the bike you want.

Velo Vol 

Racist.

Ghost Ryder

Who me???

Stick Legs

Ya, the fact that Norco is a Canadian company MIGHT help sway me if the decision gets close. Then again how much of the bike is actually Canadian?
One other thing with Norco: As a sponser of the RTTC, if you buy this bike soon they will donate $100 to your campaign. $150 if you buy a Carbon framed version. Not exactly a reason to buy it in and of itself, but not bad!

baj32161

Hey, welcome aboard. I am also riding the RTCC and I am in the GTA (Burlington). That is a pretty decently spec'dbike for $1000. At $1000 (especially here), you don't often, get much for your money. At your level of riding...even at mine...the difference between Tiagra and 105 are negligible, if even noticeable at all. Heck...even Sora works, although I do not care for the shifters. I am currently riding a Cannondale Synapse alloy w/105 and really like it a lot. You are not likely to notice any performance difference at that price point, so fit (and looks) will be key. The Giant Defy 2 is a really nice bike and I happen to like the looks of it, although I have never ridden one. Either way, you will be fine and you will enjoy whatever bike you choose. They are all darned good bikes, much better than entry level bikes from, even just a few years ago.

Whatever you buy, don't stress over it and enjoy the ride and I look forward to the RTCC. I will be riding a black Cannondale Synapse and riding with Steve's Cycle Paths (white kit with green trim....there will be about 75+ of us...I will be the only SBM feeling like a grain of pepper in a salt shaker

Cheers,

Brian J.

nickp08

i shopped around that price range last year... i tried the raleigh revenio, trek 1.2, felt z100, specialized allez, and cannondale caad8.

i truly truly hated the sora shifters and was leaning toward the Felt, but I ended up getting a good price on a tiagra equipped CAAD8 at $850 and pulled the trigger on it. i set a hard cap of about $900 for myself since i knew after taxes and some accessories i'd be over $1k which was my absolute limit. very happy with my decision, but if i was doing it over again i probably would have saved up just a bit more and tried to shop in the low $1k/full 105 price range.

-Nick