I'll stop drooling...

[Owlie]

Okay, so I'm sort-of in the market for a new bike. While I won't be able to make a purchase for several months, I may as well start researching (or, well, salivating) now. It'll be a fun bike, that much I know. (My current "fun bike" is becoming a commuter; it's time for her to grow up a little, like her rider.)

So, can I get some input on what I'm considering here? I don't know much about SRAM or wheels, for a start, so any help on that will be appreciated. I'd like to look at Trek if I get the chance, but I don't know a dealer around here.

Here they are:
Cannondale CAAD9 Feminine 5
http://www3.cannondale.com/bikes/10/...el-0RW95C.html
Pros: Cheapest out of the bikes I'm considering. Most aesthetically pleasing out of the bunch.
Shallow: the white and red that I would want (if I buy it in the next...8 months) coordinates nicely with BF's bike. We can be nauseating together. (okay, you can all stop gagging now!)
Cons: I don't know if I'm ready/need/how comfortable I'd be with something that's quite a bit more aggressive that what I currently have. No triple option.

Cannondale Synapse Feminine 5
http://www3.cannondale.com/bikes/10/...5C_0RWC5T.html
Pros: Carbon. Option for a triple. (I like my triple.)
Cons: Carbon. I don't know much about the relative merits of carbon, except that it's lighter and more expensive. Also not crazy about the paint, but the red's not too bad (assuming that I buy it before they run out of 2010 stock. They'll probably come out with something horrible next year...)

Cannondale Synapse Feminine 4
http://www3.cannondale.com/bikes/10/...el-0RWC4C.html
This is where it gets strange. The 3 is the Ultegra version. This is Rival. I don't know where Rival falls in the scheme of things, so any advice is appreciated.

Giant Avail 1
http://giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bike...ed/3881/36262/
Pros: Same frame as what I have now, but better components. It's familiar. Also, triple!
Cons: It's silly to re-buy the same frame, really, even though this option would cost less overall than to upgrade my current bike.

Giant Avail Advanced 2
http://giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bike....2/5683/37054/
Pros: Same geometry, but nicer materials. Also, nicer components. On the cheaper side, too.
Cons: Same geometry. I'm scrunched up on my current bike, I feel, and I'll see if adjustment makes a difference. I'm not tall enough to ride a "large", not that they make this bike in that size anyway.

Thanks for putting up with me posting another one of these threads...

[Zen]

Two words.
steel Jamis

[Owlie]

Two words.
steel Jamis

Sadly, no Jamis dealers for miles! I'd be interested in trying it out, though. It's not something that I'd look at if no one suggested it.

[Cataboo]

I guess my recommendation for now would be... just ride the bike you have for now... You have 85 miles on your current bike, which is great - but it's not quite yet enough riding that you really know what your riding style is going to be and what you really want out of a bike yet. I know in the first year I was riding, I was switching things out and switching bikes a lot - and yes, definitely important to figure out what seat works for me, etc., but a lot of what was happening was just because I needed to develop my core muscles, and as I did... positions that were previously intolerable (mostly because of too much weight on my wrists), were suddenly fine and riding in a much more aggressive position was fine. I'm pretty sure what I ride now & love wouldn't have been quite what I picked if I'd put the money into it when I first started riding.

If you can find a cassette that works better for you for that, I'd definitely upgrade it...

After you have ridden more, have built up your core a bit - your riding style will evolve a bit more and then you'll be in a better position to really know what you want to buy... you don't want to buy another bike that you're going to outgrow quickly like the avail.

And as for what bikes you should be looking at.... test ride, test ride, test ride... and since you're looking to do it several months from now, that gives you time... Since you've mentioned you think you're cramped on your current bike... I don't think you should buy another version of that bike. You should probably consider fit more important than colors.

So SRAM vs shimano shifters - you're going to have to test them both out, sram's got the double tap system which lots of people seem to love. you mentioned you really like the short reach on your bike's shifters... and didn't like the shifter reach on the 105 bike you borrowed, so you probably need to be looking at something with the r700 or r600 short reach shifters, or realizing that you're going to have to shim or pay an extra few hundred to get the short reach shifters. Sram might have better reach.

aluminum can be harsh on bumps or long rides - so you might want to consider steel like Zen suggested or titanium or carbon. I haven't had any problems with any of the carbon components that I have. Steel can be heavier (definitely not always), and if you're trying to keep up with your bf, that might not be good. if you do go with aluminum, I'd say you definitely want carbon fiber seat stays and fork at least.

[Kiwi Stoker]

To be honest your next upgrade (and I totally agree with Catronia, ride what you have for a while longer) probably should be a new frame material (TI or carbon). Then after that you can slowly upgrade that bike (which you will!!!) with new cassettes, new shifters, wheels etc because you porbably don't stop buying stuff for the bike - stuff wears out, gets damaged, becomes uncomfortable, but if you have a quality light frame then it just becomes an upgrade. And not bike number 3.... unless you want to of course!

[Maxxxie]

I have the 2009 Cannondale Synapse 4, and I absolutely love it. I ended up choosing it over another Cannondale because of the SRAM shifters. I couldn't get my head around the Shimano shifters. But the SRAM shifters just made perfect sense to me. I love how easy they are to operate!

I also agonised over triple vs compact double. I'm absolutely terrible at hills, so I thought a triple would be a must. But none of the bikes I wanted came with triples, only compact doubles. I eventually decided I should just HTFU and stop being a baby about hills. Only once or twice have I encountered a hill that I really felt I could've done if only I had a triple. So the compact double really does fit the bill 99% of the time. At least, it does for me. Your mileage may vary.

I agree with the others. You really need to spend a lot more time on your current bike to get an appreciation of what works for you and what doesn't. Once you have that knowledge, you'll get a much better outcome when buying your next bike.


Max

[Catrin]

Two words.
steel Jamis

This is a beautiful bike! I keep telling myself that I wouldn't like the bent-over position.... but I keep looking at "true" road bikes... I can't buy another bike until I get THIS one paid off