[wakeboarder109]

I've been thinking about buying a road bike for a couple of weeks now. Only problem is I'm not sure what makes the certain components of the bikes better. If anyone has any experience with them could you shed some light?

I'm deciding between an entry level Cannondale, Trek and Specialized. The guys that I've talked to at the shop say that the Cannondale is the best of the three largely because of the hand built frame.

Models are:

Cannondale CAAD9
Trek 1.2
Specialized Allez

- Greg

[jpsum]

I've heard the complete opposite. I was told that Cannondale isn't as good as it used to be, because it was sold off to another company a while back. Specialized is hand made too, but I think the frames are actually made in China or Taiwan.

[Mossive]

i personally made the purchase as well i went with a scott s40 flat bar. had a lot of fun biking to work a couple of weeks till i sprained my ankle. its a quiality bike and have really enjoyed it. its built real sturdy(im 6'5 290) and the best advice is padded shorts for your ride.those saddles suck!

[gravediggingaditch]

It really depends on what you intend to use it for? Are you planning on using it to commute, exercise, etc? How long of a ride? Are you going to stick with it? Are you going to want to upgrade in a year? If you get into it, you are likely going to want to upgrade - its that bug we always get.

Have you considered getting a used bike?

Remember that you should get a good deal off of MSRP. . . deals everywhere so shop around.

From my understanding, nobody beats Trek's warranty for their frames . .

All three are solid bikes. You wont go wrong.

[joec500]

Originally Posted by Bryan0102

specialized is all crap don't get that. and what kind of name is "specialized"
i love treks. ive got a 5500 series carbon with the easton carbon seat post and handlebars along with the dura-ace components

As a former bicycle mechanic and current cycling enthusiast I can assure you that Specializeds are NOT crap, neither are treks nor Cannondales. Each company has unique technology/manufacturing techniques which differentiate them slightly. Some things to keep in mind:

1. When you say "entry level" I will assume sub $1,000. From what I have seen lately, not ONE of those companies have handmade frames in the U.S. anymore in that price range. Shoot! even the $2,500 FRAME ONLY Titus X is NOT built in the US anymore. Taiwan/China really have it down in Hydroforming Aluminum tubes to create the lightest/strongest frames at a great value.

2. when getting anything under 1,000 dollars they are all going to perform very much close to the same (Trek Cannondale Specialized etc etc) They may have some slight different spec in components and frame geometry.

3. Try all of them, see which frame style fits the best for your body type as that is usually the main differentiator from manufacturer to manufacturer in your price range. FIT IS CRUCIAL

4. Buy the bike from a reputable shop that will support you with any mechanical issues.

5. I have owned bikes from Trek, Specialized and Cannondale and they have all been great bikes. You can't lose with any of those manufacturers.

6. When prioritizing where you want quality, ALWAYS invest in the best FRAMESET possible, as you can more easily upgrade components one at a time then upgrading a frame.

7. Good Luck and ENJOY!!! Feel free to PM with any questions about choosing the right ride.

[wakeboarder109]

Originally Posted by gravediggingaditch

It really depends on what you intend to use it for? Are you planning on using it to commute, exercise, etc? How long of a ride? Are you going to stick with it? Are you going to want to upgrade in a year? If you get into it, you are likely going to want to upgrade - its that bug we always get.

Have you considered getting a used bike?

Remember that you should get a good deal off of MSRP. . . deals everywhere so shop around.

From my understanding, nobody beats Trek's warranty for their frames . .

All three are solid bikes. You wont go wrong.

As of right now my intentions are to use the bike for exercise. Length has yet to be determined. Eventually I'd like to do some 100 mile rides but for now I'm shooting for 20+. If by stick with it you mean continue to ride then most definitely. I'll be sure to shop around and see what kind of deals are out there. Thanks for all the good advice!

[Buegie]

I would personally reccommend a Cannondale, but all three companies make great bikes. I would also look at trying to find a slightly used bike for a huge discount. This year I bought an '09 Six 5 (an MSRP of like $1700 brand new) with about 50 miles on it from a Cannondale sales rep for $900. I absolutely love riding it and I'm going for longer and longer rides each time I go out.

[wakeboarder109]

Originally Posted by Buegie

I would personally reccommend a Cannondale, but all three companies make great bikes. I would also look at trying to find a slightly used bike for a huge discount. This year I bought an '09 Six 5 (an MSRP of like $1700 brand new) with about 50 miles on it from a Cannondale sales rep for $900. I absolutely love riding it and I'm going for longer and longer rides each time I go out.

yea, I decided that trying to find a slightly used bike will probably be the best route for me to take. if anyone knows a rep or someone who has something worth looking into can you let me know.

[magmd]

All three are great options as entry level bike. You will not go wrong. Once you have been riding for awhile, you will see that you prefer certain types of rides, races, events, etc. Then you may want to change things up a bit based on what you like. Maybe you end up doing century rides, maybe crits, maybe time trials, maybe climbing, maybe triathlons, etc. For now, just enjoy riding on ANY of those that you have mentioned. Later, invest time and $$$ on a more specific machine.

[wakeboarder109]

bump, any reps out there. maybe in the Mid Atlantic?

[ACZakka325i]

I actually just got into road cyclying myself. I picked up a Cannondale 6-six. MSRP for $1400 and I got it for $1200. But I was in a bit more for shoes, pedals, and other stuff.

I will say that you should try to buy from a local bike store so that you can go to them with problems or advice. They will also "fit" the bike to you which is HUGE. They spent 2 hours with me measuring for frame size and other stuff. Its a really great hobby man, you will def enjoy it. It also def beats the piss out of running! haha

[wakeboarder109]

Originally Posted by ACZakka325i

I actually just got into road cyclying myself. I picked up a Cannondale 6-six. MSRP for $1400 and I got it for $1200. But I was in a bit more for shoes, pedals, and other stuff.

I will say that you should try to buy from a local bike store so that you can go to them with problems or advice. They will also "fit" the bike to you which is HUGE. They spent 2 hours with me measuring for frame size and other stuff. Its a really great hobby man, you will def enjoy it. It also def beats the piss out of running! haha

Haha true that, running kicks my ass every time. I've ridden maybe 50 miles in the last week on my mountain bike and it's just too much resistance on the street. Did a bike shop give you that kind of discount or did you have a connection?

[Synergy]

i just bought a trek 1.2 a few months ago. i haven't ridden any other road bike to know a difference, however haha. but i do love it!

[KCE90M3]

Originally Posted by wakeboarder109

I'm deciding between an entry level Cannondale, Trek and Specialized. The guys that I've talked to at the shop say that the Cannondale is the best of the three largely because of the hand built frame.

Models are:

Cannondale CAAD9
Trek 1.2
Specialized Allez

- Greg

Hey man just saw this and had to put in my 2 cents. I'm just getting into the road biking thing myself, have a couple of roommates who ride and just got me into it too. I'm not an expert but I just bought a new, never ridden '08 Trek 1.2 for a really good price...factory frame warranty's still good and everything. I've only ridden it a handful of times as of yet, but have really enjoyed it. So if you ask me I'd recommend the Trek, but I never checked out the other two....looked at a Giant Defy also....but ran across the Trek for sale at a dealer price in a local shop...the guy was just trying to get rid of it since it was the last of his stock from last year's model....

Only thing I can really offer as far as the advantages on different parts is the carbon fiber in the fork and the seat post. I know on the two Giant models I looked at the less expensive of the two had only a carbon fiber fork and aluminum seat post, while the more expensive (by $150 or so) had both a carbon fork and seat post. I don't believe Trek offers a 1.2 with an aluminum seat post, so this probably doesn't help much ha. On the Giant subject, you may check out one of those as well, they're pretty nice bikes also and run about the same as the Trek new (one salesman I spoke with spent quite a bit of time explaining how Giant pioneered a lot of the "technology" you see on Treks, etc.). As you can tell I'm pretty new to it, but just thought I'd offer what little I could and wish you good luck in your search! Let us know what you get!

[ACZakka325i]

Originally Posted by wakeboarder109

Haha true that, running kicks my ass every time. I've ridden maybe 50 miles in the last week on my mountain bike and it's just too much resistance on the street. Did a bike shop give you that kind of discount or did you have a connection?

Sorry for the late reply.

Cannondale has offered dealers incentive so there were/are a lot of discounts on those. They also gave me a free-tune up within the first year. I need to use it soon as my cables are stretching after only 100 or so miles. They think i just shift a lot .

I also got 10% off on all accessories since purchase. I didn't even know anyone before I went in the store! Its expensive when you jump right in, but not so bad after that.

In the first few months u will add stuff like a saddle bag, nutrition bars and shit, tire replacement kit, led light (to be safe at dusk), etc. Hell, sometimes I just go over to the shop to look around and ask questions! They're always willing to help! I highly recommend this to my freinds who bought used and now have trouble without the network.

[vgame64]

If you are new, stick with something light-weight. The lower powered Kawi's and Suzuki's are great.
If you want the ultimate machine, get a Ducati.

EDIT: nvm that...I read your post after replying...

Aluminum frame Trek's are nice.