road bike help

[bpmojo]

So i've been riding a mountain bike for a while but want to get more serious about racing and whatnot, and also use it for any future tri's I do. I'm looking in around the 1000 dollar range and this is what I found around town.

 

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Felt F85 '08 - 1,099

 

Scott Speedster S40 '08 - 1000, S50 '08- 875 (they would order them from scott and would take 5 days to get it, really emphasized that they would do an good hour long job of fitting)

 

Scott Speedster S40 '07- 800 (frame was a little big I think though..needed a XS?)

 

Specalized Allez Elite '08- 1200

 

Specalized Allez '07 - 739

 

Specalized Sequoia Elite '07 950 )

 

Bianchi Via Nirone '08 - 1099

 

Trek 1500 '06 (said it was between 1.5 and 2.1) - 1050

 

Specalized Allez elite '07/'06? - 1000 (this was all 105's if I remember..the guy at the store was keen on this one)

 

(they also deal in Lemond and the guy there was pointing out something that was similar to the allez elite In price and parts i think)

 

 

**

 

anyway just wondering if you guys had any suggestions from those listed.

 

thanks!

[Guest]

For the money the Allez is a nice bike. Specialized has much better quality control for the entry level price range than Felt(I've seen some terrible things done on entry level bikes) and a bit better than Trek. Bianchi used to have high standards for their entry level aluminum bikes but they've waivered quite a bit. Personally I'd look on ebay for a used bike. You can get a bike with much better specs for that money. If you do get a new bike I say make sure it doesn't have any parts lower than Shimano 105. However you can get a used bike for the same price with Ultegra which is way worth it.

[bpmojo]

that via nirone 08 is acutally only a tiagra

 

http://www.bianchiusa.com/08_c2c_nirone_tiagra.html

 

So I'm leaning toward the allez elite for 1000, checked around craigslist/ebay but nothing really came up yet. So well see though

[bpmojo]

Specialized has much better quality control for the entry level price range than Felt(I've seen some terrible things done on entry level bikes) and a bit better than Trek.

 

 

When I read that I imagined people choking babies while riding an entry level Felt.

 

But for reals, just like poorly assembled?

 

That Felt seems to have the best components though, even better than the allez elite and for only 100 more. well I guess the main difference is that its a 10-speed not a 9-speed and the r. derailer is ultegra.

 

http://www.feltracing.com/08/product.asp?catid=1504,1515&pid=8667

 

 

But I trust Potters opinion and don't want any choking babies.

[Guest]

Nope not poorly assembled(bike shops do that part) but terrible welds and sometime very very crooked frames. I actually saw a 58cm frame once set up for 650c wheels on the rear and 700c wheels for the front on a felt. If that happened with one frame they had to make dozens before they noticed since they had to set up a jig improperly to do that. Thats a very very stupid mistake. I've also seen unthreaded bottom brackets and a few bikes with no stops for the cables to be routed...kinda like a baby made the bikes...I mean these are really stupid mistakes similar to buying a new car without an engine or transmission.

As for the components on Felts you're right but thats because they put so little money into their entry level frames. You're much better off getting a well made but heavy frame with crap parts that you can upgrade than a light poorly made frame with good parts since you won't want to upgrade a frame unless you're running Dura-Ace. If you can wait a bit I recommend saving up and getting a Cannondale CAAD 9. Its not an aero bike but its the second stiffest bike on the market(as of last year but its probably 3rd or 4th now). And for about $1500 you have a bike thats as stiff as almost ever bike in the pro tour. You'll also be able to ride it for a long time before you feel like upgrading frames since you can't get much better without spending double the money. You'll probably only need new a new rear derailleur, after a couple years...along with a new chain and cassette overy 6-12 months.

[bpmojo]

I know the suspense was killing everyone but I ending up going with Allez Elite, which acutally ended up being a 2005 Allez Elite Cr-Mo Triple which has a steel frame.

 

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2005&spid=21292

 

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2005/bikes/05AllezEliteCrMo27_l.jpg

 

Can;t wait to get home tomorrow and ride it all I want and also for the first time in clip-in's!.

[Guest]

Steels good for a first bike. When you get another one you can always keep riding that for base miles...much more comfy than a stiff aluminum bike. I definitely wish I got a steal bike before anything else.