Don't get me wrong, I doubt I'll ever get another steel fork in my life, but when i tried my
first carbon fork I think I was expecting to almost shoot my load........so, I was expecting too much.

I'll be seriously disappointed if I don't at least get a half-mongrel when I finally hop on something built this millenium.

Yeah, what's the last road bike you had?

I've forgotten

Never owned a roadbike. I'm a roadie virgin. Hence all the stupid questions.

Bought an Aluminium Trek 7000 and the above mentioned 920 from my sister 5 ft 2 inches high) in 1991. Hated the 7000 straight away as the shop I bought it off were idiots and sized it like a road frame so it was waaaay to big. Problem of having to ride it was relieved from me as it got nicked out of my shed later that year. Hope whoever nicked it got their nuts well and truly smashed on the bloody huge thing. So since my sister never rode her bike I nicked it off her just until I could get another bike. Problem was I loved the tiny steel frame, and nobody I rode with could hang with me through single tracks, just because the thing was so nimble. So I kept it. Gradually started riding it more on the road as my mountain biking buddies moved away, and have been doing plenty of miles on the road ever since. I'd hate to think how many miles I've put on it over the years, but it's been an excellent bike. The service I got for it this year was the first major work it had done on it for 10 years. I love that bike still, but its time for something new.

Well, my mate who's probably gunna buy a $1500 Gitane, has pretty much never ridden a road bike, and has a MTB that he only really rides in summer.
He jumped on his brother's 2000(ish) steel Pinarello with Campag Centaur, and
said: "I can't fukkn believe how fast the fukkn thing goes"

So, I wouldn't wanna make any big statements, but you'd have to notice a monstrous
difference going from a steel MTB to an alu LeMond with 10spd Ultegra. I'm kinda jealous
(Have I just stated the bleeding obvious?)

YIPEEEEEEEEE

Yeah, I'm hoping that will be the case. Hence spending a little more than I probably should to make sure the experience is a memorable one.

Man my little steelies fast though.

So, I take it you're gunna just get something from your "local", and scrap the
"bike buying tour" of the east coast?

What else have they got for $3000?

Still Treks?

Well I'm just sick of looking (not that I've done that much). Be buggered if I can find these mythical cheap prices, and no place seems to have any floor stock over about $1200. So I'm just going to cop a decent bike from one of the locals for a (hopefully only slightly) inflated price.

So basically we have the local shop here (Bathurst) who'll do me a Cannondale R900 for 3.2 (they wont negotiate on price). Were talking about an Avanti Corsa for $2900 until they couldn't get any until next year. Top priced model is the Giant TCR Composite 2 for about $3400. Would consider it but I'd get bagged to much by Hitchy so she's out.

I've got to talk with the Orange shop tomorrow. They will haggle on price so I expect them to get down to some other joints prices. Which from them will have a Trek 2000 for $3k, or the above mentioned Lemond for $2.7. The Lemond is basically comparable to the Trek, except with Carbon chainstay in addition to the seat stay of the Trek. Also has the Bontrager Race wheelset instead of the Select on the Trek. Plus other odds and ends means it's a lot better value. Last thing I'll be talking with the Orange shop is whether they can do my a funky Orbea for around the price. That could be a dark horse. Would have talked to them about a Felt around the price, but nobody I've talked to claims they have any clue about getting bikes off Felt.

I'd like the Cannondale, but just to scared that it would bash me up to bad riding out here (I know you're wondering how a dude can bush bash a suspensionless mluntainbike for so many years and worry about being bashed up. I'm not gettng any younger though. ). Not sure of the wheelset plus I know the brakes are crappy on them. Probably overpriced. Lemond seems to be the best value of all so far.

For memory, you said a while back that the Cannondale hasn't got great stuff on it?

I'm not so crazy about Felts -- not at that price.

I LOVE the look of Orbeas

Hey Mr 531....stop talking about me

Thems fightin' words, SJP, if that is your real name

We're talkin about '04 models, right?

I reckon the TREK looks better than the LeMond

I agree with 531...in that the Treks look better...
Buy the way my Pinarello has Veloce 9 speed not Centaur...but its still flys

DOH

The components are Campag Veloce, the wheels are Gimpedywhatever Parades and the brakes are Cannondale *****. Still the bike looks good, and 10 speed Veloce is supposed to be alright isn't it? But is it for that money?

Nah 05's. The 04 Lemonds didn't have the carbon rear ends. I'd probably agree that I prefer the look of traditional frames. Still, I like the symplistic graphics of the Lemond and in the flesh, might come across better than the (seen my bike 50 times on the ride already) Trek.

Yeah, I'd probably prefer Ultegra to Veloce, and you might be saving 500 bucks



Yeah, but still not as bad as Giants.

So I know I should be paying attention to the multitude of Shimano/Campag posts. But is Veloce more equivalent to 105?

Yeah, man the store was pushing giants for all they are worth today. Looks like my mate will be hopping onto an OCR 2 so there'll be another sucker.

Yeah I don't know. Looking at them both I probably do prefer the Blue/Silver of the Trek. It's just that the Lemond has more Carbon Fiber, and isn't the rule whoever has the most Carbon Fiber wins?

Yep, it's equally placed in the hierarchy.

Dunno why, but I'm a Shimano man. Maybe it's a Phil Anderson thing -- he was one of me
heroes when I used to race, and I'm pretty sure he was one of the first
pros (along with his team mates) to ever use Shimano STI. Then he was all "Motorola and Shimano",
and all that stuff. Then, just the other night on Coxy's Big Break, Anderson was on,
and they showed all his old bikes hanging up with Shimano on them.....anyway....I dunno.

I think Ed(073) has worked in the industry, and he said he'd buy
Shimano....if he had to pay for it!!!




Yeah, that's the Hitchy rule

>> He jumped on his brother's 2000(ish) steel Pinarello with Campag Centaur, and
said: "I can't believe how fast the thing goes"

I did the run from Berowra into work this morning and the 1800 is worth at least 10kmh over the old crate and almost effortless in comparison. Pushed the seat back 12mm (about 1/2") and Mr Perinium is much happier. I reckon he's gonna lose his load no matter what bike he gets.

Well if that's the case then I might as well buy the R700 which is about $500 cheaper and has 105 with an Ultegra rear?

gee you guys are talking a fair bit of money here. My Ironhorse was only $1750 with ultegra. It rides so much better than my old 531 Hillman. About 2kg lighter too. Alloy frame and carbon fork feels smoother than the steel, which I was not expecting at all.

ooo, my big chance.....check this out:https://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/IDR022.loop.shtml

Perth https://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/ID...op.shtml#image

oi saccy,

that Lemond looks the 'ducks guts' to me!...I'd be having that over the 'dale any day of the week!........ I leave you blokes alone for a few days of R&R in Bright.....& i come back & some peckerhead has given 531 an opening to post his weather reports!....geez guys...next you'll be asking him what sort of bike he has!........actually, I reckon 531 has a number of nome du plumes around here...he asks himself some of these questions!!!.......Go the lemond Saccy!

Hitchy

Weather is doing its stuff in fast moving waves here in Sydney. Torrential rain at the moment. Bags not doing the ride up the Pacific Hwy in peak hour rain tonight!

I did get busted with another user name. I was "55-9 All Day", in an effort to foil "53-11"

Thought I was funny