best bang for the buck ?

[Fixed]

carbon fiber bikes that are the best deal. bro
some cats going to say fuji .

[CPP]

My Parlee Z1 frame for 2 grand
CPP

[Avispa]

At what end of the spectrum?

Is a Fuji a better buy than a MeiVici; needless to say, if money was not an issue?

Where do the mixed materials bike fall, then?

[Dave]

Undoubtedly someone will post about various offbrands that are much cheaper than the big names. Generally you do pay a lot more for the name and/or a frame that's just a few ounces lighter.

I'd seriously consider a LOOK 585 for $2200, the 565 for $1850 or the 555 for $1500 at Bicycle John's on e-bay. I would doubt that this seller can provide a valid warranty, since LOOK requires the warranty card to be signed/stamped by an authorized dealer and returned to LOOK. I paid full price for mine, only avoiding sales tax and shipping thorugh Wrench Science. I still had to return the warranty card to them, to stamp/sign and send back to LOOK. Now Wrench Science has a 15% discount on all LOOK frames, which makes for a pretty good deal on a warranted frame.

[mike p]

Rode a jamis CF that was pretty nice and cheap, if your into slopers. Retro paint too.

Mike

[1centaur]

Pedal Force at $650 and not far off 1 kilo seems to be the stealth low priced weightweenie brand.

http://pedalforce.com/online/product...roducts_id=348

[Steelman]

Originally Posted by Dave

... Now Wrench Science has a 15% discount on all LOOK frames, which makes for a pretty good deal on a warranted frame.

If one is concerned about warranty and therefore longevity/design/mfgr issues, they might be looking at the wrong brand of frame or the wrong type of frame.

[obtuse]

Originally Posted by 1centaur

Pedal Force at $650 and not far off 1 kilo seems to be the stealth low priced weightweenie brand.

http://pedalforce.com/online/product...roducts_id=348

anorexia is the only way to go. but $650? i spend that much on shoes.

obtuse

stop posting pics of my little brother

[slowgoing]

Originally Posted by CPP

My Parlee Z1 frame for 2 grand
CPP

No joke. Someone ought to snap up that frame in the classified.

07 Fuji has a claimed weight of 14.5 lbs. out of the box. Funny thing is, it looks just like the Scott.

[bshell]

Check out the "silk carbon" at ibisbicycles.com. It is light, very attractive, and fairly easy on the wallet. Click on the photo a couple of times to blow it up, it's pretty.

[bigbill]

Colorado Cyclist is selling a carbon frame/fork under their Douglas moniker for $1500. I have never heard anything negative about their products.

[Lanternrouge]

Originally Posted by Dave

Undoubtedly someone will post about various offbrands that are much cheaper than the big names. Generally you do pay a lot more for the name and/or a frame that's just a few ounces lighter.

I'd seriously consider a LOOK 585 for $2200, the 565 for $1850 or the 555 for $1500 at Bicycle John's on e-bay. I would doubt that this seller can provide a valid warranty, since LOOK requires the warranty card to be signed/stamped by an authorized dealer and returned to LOOK. I paid full price for mine, only avoiding sales tax and shipping thorugh Wrench Science. I still had to return the warranty card to them, to stamp/sign and send back to LOOK. Now Wrench Science has a 15% discount on all LOOK frames, which makes for a pretty good deal on a warranted frame.

Bicycle John's is a legitmate shop and I'm quite sure an authorized dealer since I can't imagine they would have purchased that many frames other than through Veltec. I think Colorado Cyclist has the 585s on sale for $2200, which makes for a really good deal if you are also in the market for a DA10 kit.

i can't resolve the words carbon and value together. bike companies have decided that carbon is "best," and hence use that material for their highest price point frames. is a meivici a value because of the customization, build quality, and tube shapes? a good rhetorician could persuade you that it is. is a fuji a good value simply because it is very inexpensive? one could concoct a perfectly good argument there as well. is a c-50 a great value because it is, as my buddy andy maintains, the best race bike going?

there are plenty of great bikes made out of the black stuff. however, i thinik if someone is looking for "value" they might be better off looking at other materials.