Road Bicycle - Reality Check

[Racerbvd]

nikita76 set a bike up for me and I'm very happy, you should check with him....

[JavaBrewer]

I never expected to see a new road bike in the $700 range. I was fully prepared to see $2-3K prices but the multiple racks of $6-8K+ road bikes...that blew me away. Used is definitely the way to go for me. I am 5'-10" with a 31 inseam and used to ride a 55-56cm bike. I have NOT been fitted for a modern frame. Nikita76 - thanks for the offer. A PM will be coming your way this weekend.

[jtkkz]

yes some of those carbon frames are very pricey and more expensive than custom made frames.....

we build custom frames = www.sycip.com

[creaturecat]

Used - get a nice Italian steel frame. DeRosa. Colnago. Masi. Basso. Pinarello. etc.
Get the best and newest that you can reasonably afford.
The desirable frame sets will appreciate in value.
Basically not produced anymore.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by creaturecat

Used - get a nice Italian steel frame. DeRosa. Colnago. Masi. Basso. Pinarello. etc.
Get the best and newest that you can reasonably afford.
The desirable frame sets will appreciate in value.
Basically not produced anymore.

Italian steel frames are still produced. What isn't produced as readily are lugged Italian steel frames.

If you can get one, do it. If you have one, never let it go.

[Sarc]

Been wanting to build one of these for some time...

[MRM]

You may recall my thread about searching for a bike for myself and one for each of my boys. I learned quite a few things that might be of benefit to you.

First, if you are looking for a bike with a $750 budget, I strongly encourage you to look for a new Trek 1600. They don't make the 1600 series anymore; they changed to the 1.6, 1.7, etc. models, but many stores have a good inventory of them on clearance for $999. I read on the internet that the price to the bike store from Trek was about $600, so stores should actually be willing to deal with you on even a $1,000 price tag. The deal with the Trek 1600 is that it has full Shimano 105 components. The models that replaced it have been downgraded. At $1,000 for a new bike that takes advantage of all the current technology, the Trek 1600 is a screaming good deal.

I ended up getting a 2001 Bianchi Talledega from Craig's List for $750. It has a steel frame and full Ultegra components. It's a well enough known bike that others are for sale on other cities' Craig's Lists, so I know I paid ful value. I didn't get a great deal but I got what I paid for. It's very nice and I've put more dings in it in the 60 miles I've ridden it that the PO did on his claimed 600 miles (from the looks of him it was probably closer to 6 miles).

Question for the peanut gallery: does my Bianchi have the lugged frame?

The screaming deal of the year that I saw of Craig's List was a year old Trek Madone (a $3,000 bike) for sale for $1,000 because the seller got injured some how and couldn't bike anymore. It lasted almost 24 hours on Craig's List. It was too small for me and I already had my bike, or I would have bought it over the phone.

So the moral of the story is wait and look on Craig's List if you have the time. If not, or if you prefer the support of new, look seriously at the Trek 1600 and take advantage of newer technology.

[williecoyote]

Originally Posted by creaturecat

Used - get a nice Italian steel frame. DeRosa. Colnago. Masi. Basso. Pinarello. etc.
Get the best and newest that you can reasonably afford.
The desirable frame sets will appreciate in value.
Basically not produced anymore.

Is Bianchi in this league?

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by MRM

Question for the peanut gallery: does my Bianchi have the lugged frame?

Easy to see. These are lugs:

[dd74]

Originally Posted by MRM

I ended up getting a 2001 Bianchi Talledega from Craig's List for $750. It has a steel frame and full Ultegra components. It's a well enough known bike that others are for sale on other cities' Craig's Lists, so I know I paid ful value. I didn't get a great deal but I got what I paid for. It's very nice and I've put more dings in it in the 60 miles I've ridden it that the PO did on his claimed 600 miles (from the looks of him it was probably closer to 6 miles).

Saw a Talladega at L.A. City Hall Thursday. So did a few other people who literally stopped to do a double-take at the bike - it's that beautiful.

Originally Posted by MRM

Question for the peanut gallery: does my Bianchi have the lugged frame?

Nope. The one I saw Thursday didn't have lugs.

Originally Posted by MRM

The screaming deal of the year that I saw of Craig's List was a year old Trek Madone (a $3,000 bike) for sale for $1,000 because the seller got injured some how and couldn't bike anymore. It lasted almost 24 hours on Craig's List. It was too small for me and I already had my bike, or I would have bought it over the phone.

Meh! Your Talladega is twice the bike of any carbon Madone, if in ride quality alone. Talledegas are rare - Treks are a dime a dozen. If I had $700 burning my pocket when I saw that Talladega on Thursday, I would have offered it to rider - the bike was my size.

Also, a Talledega is a Panzer tank compared to a Trek Madone. All you need to know is a dent can be fixed on a steel Talladega. As little as a scratch, in some cases, is a death sentence to a carbon Madone. I've heard of cases where high-end carbon frames have broken in half after falling over on their sides.

BTW: $750 for a full Ultegra Talledega - particularly if it's nine speed, is a steal these days.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by williecoyote

Is Bianchi in this league?

Nope. Not generally. In fact all the manufacturers mentioned above are no longer in the league that made them racing bike legends, as many of their frames are now built in Taiwan and/or China. That's not a bad thing, either. Some of the best frames in the world come out of Taiwan.

If you want real old world hand-built Italian steel frames built in Italy from Bianchi, Colnago, DeRosa, etc., you're going to pay big bucks.

Is it worth it? Yes, every penny.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by Sarc

Been wanting to build one of these for some time...

That's an awesome frame from what I've read and heard.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by williecoyote

Is Bianchi in this league?

Bianchis are in a league of their own. What other frame gets to be associated with a color? I see any celeste bike and I just see Bianchi. Marketing? maybe, but it worked.
Maybe not Masi or Colnago, but a very nice frameset, and plenty of people love 'em.

(No, I don't ride one, I have a Basso)

[creaturecat]

Here is a less than perfect picture of my Tommassini lugwork:

[85eurocarrera]

Originally Posted by jtkkz

yes some of those carbon frames are very pricey and more expensive than custom made frames.....

we build custom frames = www.sycip.com

Nice Bikes! Cool job too.

[creaturecat]

DeRosa supposedly still makes lugged Italian frames. They are the last ones. I have 2 DeRosas, one SLX, one Genius. Both ergo/chorus equipped. Absolutely fantastic bikes.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by creaturecat

Here is a less than perfect picture of my Tommassini lugwork:

Tommasinis are great looking. Rivendell and a number of others also still make lugged frame models. I have a thing for the looks of lugged frames and the hand craftsmanship associated with that method of construction.

http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/tjcycles.htm

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by dd74

That's an awesome frame from what I've read and heard.

Yeah, me too. I've been planning a build using this frame for the better part of a year now, with something always getting in the way.
I was pretty disappointed to learn Excel (the only US dealer if I'm not mistaken) just increased pricing from $700 to $1,000.


I could be wrong, but aren't quite a few of the 'premium' Italian frames actually assembled in Asia (not that it really matters)? I recall some grumblings about this on bikeforums awhile back.

[Sarc]

Here's another beauty I've had my eye on...

[dd74]

Colnago, Pinarello, Bianchi, Cinelli - you name it - it's built in Asia, particularly if it's a known name in the industry. That's how they make their bikes.

But two-thirds of Trek's are made in Asia.

As a consequence, Asia belts out really good bicycles - practice making perfect - they're just all rather ubiquitous and disposable.

Very high end Italian frames are still made in Italy, especially steel.

What you want from Asia is an original Fuji or Miyata. Those frames are the Japanese equivalent to Italian race frames.