Woe is me - I am overwhelmed by the plethora of bike options

[InspectorGadget]

I don't expect this thread to lead me to a solution, but I thought I would put it out there and see what you knowledgeable people have to say.

Let me give you an idea of where I'm at bike-wise. I sold my Colnago (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=90614) this spring and bought a new 55cm Raleigh International (http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/international-11/). Before you throw me to the wolves for buying the Raleigh in the first place, I got a helluva deal on the bike and you probably would have bought it too at that price. Unfortunately, the rear triangle of the International was cocked to the right so the tire is 5+mm right of center under the brake bridge. Raleigh sent a second and then a third replacement frame and they all had the same alignment problem. To their credit, Raleigh has been really great to work with.

I now have a decision to make - send everything back for a full refund or keep all the components and return the frame and fork.

While I don't want to spend big money on a new bike or frameset, I don't know if I want a 10 year old bike either. Although, if I were to buy an older bike, there are some pretty good candidate available. I have access to employee purchase programs with several manufacturers besides Raleigh, but each brand is sold out of their 2011 inventory in anything I'm interested in riding. Whichever way I go I have to resolve my issue with Raleigh first.

Ideally my next bike will have a 54.5 to 55cm top tube. A taller head tube than the Colnago would be desirable as well, say 150mm +/-. I do not want a twitchy race bike, but I don't want a sluggish touring rig either. Given my choice, I would wind up with a steel or titanium frame. Carbon is acceptable too, but it's definitely in third place behind the metal choices. I ride because I enjoy riding and I love bikes, I do NOT race.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[/blog]

[Joachim]

I've seen a 55cm Merckx Corsa 01, NOS go for $999 on Ebay from a bike shop. That's what I would get (since I already have a MXL).

[phcollard]

There are indeed a LOT of options so before the flood starts maybe let us know about your budget? New or used?

As for the Raleigh I'd send everything back and start from fresh :)

[AngryScientist]

suggestion #1: dont buy any more bikes just because they are a screaming deal, i suspect you've already learned this lesson.

suggestion#2: define a budget, you really must in order to get the best bike you can i think

suggestion #3: decide if stock geometry frames are OK for you, if not, and you really will be better fit to a custom, there are a number of lower cost custom options available to you, gunnar comes to mind.

suggestion #4: dont rush it, in conjunction with suggestion (1), i've fallen into this trap many times, dont hop on the first thing that catches your fancy, take your time and find something ideal.

suggestion #5: dont discount older frames, i got my Merlin Ti for a steal, its an older bike, but one of the best rides i've ever ridden, and i've ridden a few

suggestin #6: if you're looking for steel, there are just a ton of guys making nice frames right now, consider someone local to you, who may surprise you with how inexpensive they can get something very nice under you, and be there when you need them

just some thoughts off the top of my head, good luck!

[false_Aest]

Return the Ral's frame keep the components (I dunno but after 3x . . . I loose faith in important things like dolphins, toasters, banjos and people).


Call up Bruce Gordon. Tell him what you're in the mood for.
Expect delivery in 4-6 weeks just the way you like it.

Hrm. Mebbe Bruce is out of your price range but damn dooooode, 1850 for a custom from a dude that knows his ***** and that fast sounds pretty dope to me. Probably worth giving up on the sauce for 6 months.

Orrrrrrrr.

spend ttime and time and time searching for whatchuwant and cross ya fingers ya find it.

[oliver1850]

I'd ditch the Raleigh if they haven't gotten it right yet.

Fuji Connoisseur Reynolds 725 framesets at Nashbar for $325. Geometry is nearly identical to older Serottas, but TT length is either 53 or 55.

[uber]

Agree with Angry Scientist.
I would always wonder about the condition of a used carbon frame, but a used
Merlin or Moots would be at the top of my list. A good fitting ti frame could last a lifetime.

[eddief]

Get one, ride it, quit torturing yourself.

New Gunnar costs 2x the Soma. The Soma will do the job. Used 54 cm Specialized Roubaix, due to how many zillion are on the market, are a good bet.

[Hanlonj]

The "no racing" part of your spec kind of narrows your frame choice to steel or ti in my humble opinion. I rarely race and had an nos Cannondale Team Seaco model built for that purpose. In addition, I own a Cannondale cross bike, and two steel road bikes I purchased used. I enjoy riding the steel bikes much more than the others. I have owned a carbon Specialized Roubaix and a bunch of other bikes, but when it comes to responsive, comfortable, non racing performance, a quality built, lightly used steel or ti bike will last you a lifetime and will always be cool.

If I was buying new, I would look at a Gunnar or a Waterford or something similar. Of course a more local builder works too! I too have fallen into the trap of quick purchases or settling for what seemed to be a good deal for something close to what I wanted - Never works out.

[firerescuefin]

The "no racing" part of your spec kind of narrows your frame choice to steel or ti in my humble opinion. .

Certainly wouldn't steer you away from Steel or Ti, but there are great non aggresive carbon bikes out there, if that's your fancy.

[InspectorGadget]

For what it's worth, I by no means made a hasty decision about the Raleigh. It appealed to me on several levels - lugged steel frame, Reynolds 853 tubing, very nice build spec, etc. It doesn't show up in the photos on the web, but the paint has a really nice pearl that looks great in the light of day.

There have been several frames in the classified forum that I would have bought in a heartbeat, but I didn't act fast enough. For instance, I would have been over the moon to be riding this Spectrum (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=91058&highlight).

I do not have an unlimited budget, but I will look at any complete bike around $3000 and will give serious consideration to spending more for the right bike over that price. I have been looking at several older steel bikes, i.e., Schwinn/Waterford, Merckx, Colnago, Wilier, Pinerello and the like. The good news about several of these bikes is they are all less than $2000 for a nice, complete bike. I've also been looking for the right Serotta, Seven, Spectrum, Merlin, etc. in the titanium class.

Keeping the build kit from the Raleigh means finding that just-right frameset. A Waterford would be ideal, but the Gunnar is more in the budget if I keep the Dura Ace build kit from the Raleigh. I have line on a Guru New Steel frameset; the paint is definitely not what I would have chosen, but it's not baby poop brown or worse.

Regarding the carbon option, I have been looking and there is no shortage of choices. But this very abundance of options is contributing to my struggle. All-in-all, it's not a bad problem to have.

[fogrider]

For what it's worth, I by no means made a hasty decision about the Raleigh. It appealed to me on several levels - lugged steel frame, Reynolds 853 tubing, very nice build spec, etc.
lugged steel with 853...really?!? 853 was designed to be tig welded...it's my understanding that the steel got to full strength when heated. I know there are guys out there that like the look of lugs, but with 853, the lugs just add extra weight!

in ti, I've been seeing some great deals come up, keep your eyes open. if you want steel, there are many builders that will build you a frame for your budget.

the bottom line is what kind of ride quality are you looking for...i pretty much have a bike in every material except wood and bamboo. I would say ride as many bikes as you can and then get what rides best. my current go to bike is a scandium rock lobster.

[Hanlonj]

Another way to narrow the possibilities is to consider the reason you would want - let's say an Italian made bike vs. a Belgian vs a US made, etc. I have gone through this thought process myseld and it helped me narrow down the bikes I own now. I prefer domestic manufacturers (lots of relatives who work or used to work for GMotors give me a soft spot for domestically produced anything) I personally can't see myself riding an Italian or Belgian made bike. Not that they are inferior in any way, they are just not me. Same with Asian produced bikes. Probably really nice bikes made by nice people, just don't fit my personal style or purchasing philosophy. Good luck!

[R2D2]

You could just buy a real International from the early 70's. There are plenty around as well as other makers.
Or just belly up and have some thing made for you.

[oldpotatoe]

I don't expect this thread to lead me to a solution, but I thought I would put it out there and see what you knowledgeable people have to say.

Let me give you an idea of where I'm at bike-wise. I sold my Colnago (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=90614) this spring and bought a new 55cm Raleigh International (http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/international-11/). Before you throw me to the wolves for buying the Raleigh in the first place, I got a helluva deal on the bike and you probably would have bought it too at that price. Unfortunately, the rear triangle of the International was cocked to the right so the tire is 5+mm right of center under the brake bridge. Raleigh sent a second and then a third replacement frame and they all had the same alignment problem. To their credit, Raleigh has been really great to work with.

I now have a decision to make - send everything back for a full refund or keep all the components and return the frame and fork.

While I don't want to spend big money on a new bike or frameset, I don't know if I want a 10 year old bike either. Although, if I were to buy an older bike, there are some pretty good candidate available. I have access to employee purchase programs with several manufacturers besides Raleigh, but each brand is sold out of their 2011 inventory in anything I'm interested in riding. Whichever way I go I have to resolve my issue with Raleigh first.

Ideally my next bike will have a 54.5 to 55cm top tube. A taller head tube than the Colnago would be desirable as well, say 150mm +/-. I do not want a twitchy race bike, but I don't want a sluggish touring rig either. Given my choice, I would wind up with a steel or titanium frame. Carbon is acceptable too, but it's definitely in third place behind the metal choices. I ride because I enjoy riding and I love bikes, I do NOT race.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[/blog]


Get a bike fit that centers on what you want the bike to do for you..not just some 'points in space' type, overly complicated type fit. Turn that into a custom steel road frame. I sell lots of Waterfords, custom steel is what he does. There are a lot of custom steel makers in the US...do that.

http://www.watwerfordbikes.com

[DreaminJohn]

I would call Bruce Gordon in a heartbeat. Just sayin.

Good luck with whatever direction you choose.

[rdparadise]

If you are looking for steel or titanium road bike, I would check out Pride Cycles, in Tennessee. I don't have first hand knowledge of these guys, however, for $1175 you can an american made titanium road frame which IMHO is an outright steal!

The owners are former Litespeed operations manager so they have a great deal of experience with titanium frame building. Personally, for price, I don't believe you'll find better. Regarding ride and build quality, I cannot attest to this however, if the guy was a leader at Litespeed for years, I would expect that he/she would have the expertise to build a quality frame and it comes with a lifetime/transferable warranty which means they stand behind what they build. Additionally, custom is available.

Regarding Raliegh, my first true road bike was a Raliegh. However, since that time (mid 70's) I don't believe they build any bikes in England anymore as is the trend with just about every major manufacturer. Secondly, after having a couple of frames come in with bent rear ends, it shows the quality control is just not there. Return it if you can for a full refund and move on. Screaming deals, are only screaming deals when the goods purchased meet their intended uses. In this case, that didn't happen so all it's been is one big pain in the ass!

Regards,

Bob

Ps, here's a page from Pride's website. http://www.pridecyclesusa.com/Pricing.html

[veloduffer]

If you are looking for steel or titanium road bike, I would check out Pride Cycles, in Tennessee. I don't have first hand knowledge of these guys, however, for $1175 you can an american made titanium road frame which IMHO is an outright steal!

The owners are former Litespeed operations manager so they have a great deal of experience with titanium frame building. Personally, for price, I don't believe you'll find better. Regarding ride and build quality, I cannot attest to this however, if the guy was a leader at Litespeed for years, I would expect that he/she would have the expertise to build a quality frame and it comes with a lifetime/transferable warranty which means they stand behind what they build. Additionally, custom is available.

Regarding Raliegh, my first true road bike was a Raliegh. However, since that time (mid 70's) I don't believe they build any bikes in England anymore as is the trend with just about every major manufacturer. Secondly, after having a couple of frames come in with bent rear ends, it shows the quality control is just not there. Return it if you can for a full refund and move on. Screaming deals, are only screaming deals when the goods purchased meet their intended uses. In this case, that didn't happen so all it's been is one big pain in the ass!

Regards,

Bob

Ps, here's a page from Pride's website. http://www.pridecyclesusa.com/Pricing.html

There was a lengthy discussion about Pride on roadbikereview.com. Caveat emptor!

[dekindy]

There was a lengthy discussion about Pride on roadbikereview.com. Caveat emptor!

Yes, Pride is a very poor recommendation when there are so many good choices at competitive prices.

[veloduffer]

I don't know if it is in your budget, but you could perhaps consider a Lynskey Cooper. They've got a deal on a complete Cooper for $2199 with a 105 build. I bought my wife a Cooper CX (cyclocross) and it is really quite nice.

If you talk to the rep, they often have deals (usually for upgrades at discounted prices).

[InspectorGadget]

lugged steel with 853...really?!? 853 was designed to be tig welded...Now you tell me. :crap:

[fogrider]

will this work for you? http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/2513244874.html

[InspectorGadget]

will this work for you? http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/2513244874.html
Nice bike, thank you. Too bad it's too small for me.