Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wild Bill on December 18, 2009 at 12:01pm

I'd worry more about the components. If I were going to spend $1200 on a road bike, I'd try to get 105 components. The Trek 2.1 MSRP is $1370, so you could probably pick one up for $1200 now. The Cannondale Synapse 5 and CAAD9 5 both have MSRPs of $1500 and you could probably get one for $1300 if the dealer has what you want in stock.

Also, you want to buy from a bike company that actually spends money on engineering and R&D.

I would go on some group rides with some roadies, and see what they ride/recommend. You might even get a lead on a nice used bike. I'd much rather ride a couple-year-old aluminum-framed bike with full Ultegra gruppo than a new carbon with Tiagra components.

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on December 18, 2009 at 6:56pm

Is that a baby sheep in front of your bike in the top picture?

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Permalink Reply by Alan Matejka on December 18, 2009 at 7:54pm

read this, then decide. http://www.rivbike.com/article/bicycle_making/the_big_picture

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on December 19, 2009 at 4:48am

Sam, I encourage you to spend the dough and get it, but I would keep your fixie if you are worried about parking the road bike. Take your time, test ride a number of bikes and I believe you will find you can do better then the Scattante in this price range. Scattante is the "Performance" house brand..and well...no comment. There are some other good suggestions in this post. 2009 models that are left over (and from prior years even) are all on sale now and shops are desperate for sales. You should be able to test ride whatever you want.

As for the price, think about other items society is happy to fork over a thousand dollars for without thinking twice:

1) a large screen TV
2) a wedding ring
3) a cemetery plot
4) a car

Isnt a bike worth just as much if not more? In the end, you wont think about how much it cost, you will think about how much farther and faster it has taken you, and there is no price you can put on that experience.

Sam Schild said:

I probably wouldn't lock it up anywhere, ever, which would prove very annoying I think. I'd only be using this for recreational rides and any triathlons or other races I do in the future--the types of rides that start and end at the same location. Buying this bike is going against most of what I believe bikes should be used for (besides the going really fast on open roads part), but I still would love to have it to go really fast!
Tony Adams said:

I can't imagine spending $1200 on a bike. It seems insane to me. I would never want a bike that I'd be nervous about locking up anywhere or would be reluctant to take out in the rain or snow.

But you may be right. You may never be able to justify it or afford it again, and that sounds like reason enough to do it now while you can. The LBS, even if it is a Performance, could probably really use your money right now so dumping some cash into the local(ish) economy would be good for all of us. Go for it. As for selling the fixie, $200 seems to be on high end of what people are asking for conversions on CL. It seems a bit high, but having dumped > $400 into my Schwinn Continental conversion already (including the original $80 for the bike), if I was in the market for a cheap fixie and didn't enjoy the process of building one up, $200 would be a better deal than doing one myself. But somehow it still seems high. If someone just wanted a fixed gear bike and didn't want the joy and fun of doing the work themselves it seems like coughing up an additional $150 or so to get a bikesdirect bike would be a lot more sensible.

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on December 19, 2009 at 5:29am

Amen to that. Well put.

chixieonfixie said:

....As for the price, think about other items society is happy to fork over a thousand dollars for without thinking twice:

1) a large screen TV
2) a wedding ring
3) a cemetery plot
4) a car

Isnt a bike worth just as much if not more? In the end, you wont think about how much it cost, you will think about how much farther and faster it has taken you, and there is no price you can put on that experience.

>

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Permalink Reply by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on December 19, 2009 at 7:11am

chixieonfixie said:

Isnt a bike worth just as much if not more? In the end, you wont think about how much it cost, you will think about how much farther and faster it has taken you, and there is no price you can put on that experience.

If you are serious about wanting a nicer road bike, chixie is right on. After you ride a nice bike, you understand why some bikes cost more than others. And after six months on that bike, you are likely not going to be asking yourself "why did I pay that much money for this bike?" Rather, you are more likely to ask, "why didn't I spend the additional money to get that bike with the XXX groupo, or the XXX frame?"

Get yourself to a shop that carries a number of different bikes, and check out different frames and groupos. See whether you really want a carbon frame. See whether you want to go with a better quality drive train. You might not end up spending less money, but the more you look around and check stuff out the more likely you are to spend that money wisely, and end up smiling every time you ride that bike.

And be sure you like the bike. Don't spend $1,000 (or more) on a bike you're not sure about, just because you think you're getting a good deal. Go for the good deal, but more important, buy a bike you think you will love.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Schild on December 19, 2009 at 9:16am

that is, in fact, a dog, I wish it was a sheep.

mike w. said:

Amen to that. Well put.

chixieonfixie said:

....As for the price, think about other items society is happy to fork over a thousand dollars for without thinking twice:

1) a large screen TV
2) a wedding ring
3) a cemetery plot
4) a car

Isnt a bike worth just as much if not more? In the end, you wont think about how much it cost, you will think about how much farther and faster it has taken you, and there is no price you can put on that experience.

>

I second that amen. thanks. Well, I'm still looking for that perfect bike, thanks for all the advice. And I'm probably gonna keep the fixed gear, for a while, at least. I don't think I could actually bring myself to sell it--too much of me is in that thing.

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Permalink Reply by jonathan kabb on December 21, 2009 at 7:15pm

after the holidays, i would assume prices would drop even more.

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Permalink Reply by dan brown on December 22, 2009 at 4:55am

for this and other types of inquiries; check out www.roadbikereview.com
they have great reviews of everything (bikes, wheels, etc.)

I prefer aluminum with carbon fork...but that's just me.

DB

Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:

Ya, I noticed too late. Deleted my post.

Kelvin Mulcky said:

I linked to that horrifying site in an earlier post.

Good call to skip on the Scat.
Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:

Full carbon, eh?

Check out this site: Busted Carbon

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on December 22, 2009 at 6:25am

chixieonfixie said:

Sam, I encourage you to spend the dough and get it, but I would keep your fixie if you are worried about parking the road bike. ...
As for the price, think about other items society is happy to fork over a thousand dollars for without thinking twice: 1) a large screen TV 2) a wedding ring 3) a cemetery plot
4) a car

Isnt a bike worth just as much if not more? In the end, you wont think about how much it cost, you will think about how much farther and faster it has taken you, and there is no price you can put on that experience.

I agree that a bike is a better thing to have than anything on that list. But we are comparing Apples to stuff that isn't even fruit!

I have to protest the notion that one needs to spend $1k to go "farther and faster". This is not always true. Going faster or farther is more about the rider than the bike - especially the "farther" part. For example, I did my longest tour (> 2000 miles) on a $300 Ross hard-tail mountain bike. I've done all of my tours and my countless* centuries on bikes that cost $300 or less.

*countless because I have not kept track of such things.

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on December 22, 2009 at 3:20pm

Tony I agree you dont need a carbon bike to haul ass. The engine is always the same no matter the frame, and some engines are better then others. Given your impressive history Im sure you have a mind blowing lactate threshold, a staggering VO2 max, and legs like tree trunks. All im saying is if the man wants to buy a carbon bike, he should buy a carbon bike. For *most* people a carbon bike will take them farther and faster. All Im saying is that a bike is a beautiful machine, and to spend some cash on any expensive bike is justified, especially given how much as a society we spend on stuff that really isn't helping us lead healthy lives.

Tony Adams said:

chixieonfixie said:

Sam, I encourage you to spend the dough and get it, but I would keep your fixie if you are worried about parking the road bike. ...
As for the price, think about other items society is happy to fork over a thousand dollars for without thinking twice: 1) a large screen TV 2) a wedding ring 3) a cemetery plot 4) a car Isnt a bike worth just as much if not more? In the end, you wont think about how much it cost, you will think about how much farther and faster it has taken you, and there is no price you can put on that experience.

I agree that a bike is a better thing to have than anything on that list. But we are comparing Apples to stuff that isn't even fruit!

I have to protest the notion that one needs to spend $1k to go "farther and faster". This is not always true. Going faster or farther is more about the rider than the bike - especially the "farther" part. For example, I did my longest tour (> 2000 miles) on a $300 Ross hard-tail mountain bike. I've done all of my tours and my countless* centuries on bikes that cost $300 or less.

*countless because I have not kept track of such things.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on December 22, 2009 at 5:02pm

Tony Adams said:

Going faster or farther is more about the rider than the bike - especially the "farther" part. For example, I did my longest tour (> 2000 miles) on a $300 Ross hard-tail mountain bike. I've done all of my tours and my countless* centuries on bikes that cost $300 or less.

I agree that a nice bike will not magically make a person a better rider. But having done my share of tours and riding on less expensive bikes, I believe that having a nicer bike often makes for a nicer riding experience. To make a car analogy, there is a difference in how a BMW 3 series drives and how a Chevy Malibu drives. If you appreciate that difference, you understand why the BMW costs more.

Similarly, there is a difference between how a $300 bike rides and how a $1000 bike rides. The rider isn't any different, but the ride the rider experiences will be much different. Given the choice, I'd never go back to riding across Iowa on my old bikes. The ride was much more fun with a better bike. If you can afford the better bike, and ride well enough to appreciate the difference you get with a better bike, you won't ever regret paying to get the better bike.

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