Steel?

[Trekie]

Steel frame lovers step up.
I have a nice Trek Carbon Fiber (WSD), but it's 6 yrs old and time for something new.
I had picked out my Terry and was ready to go. Called my bike shop to be sure they would assemble and fit the bike as Terry arranges.
My favorite bike guy now has me all confused.

He questioned my decision and said that if I were to purchase a steel frame, why not go with Serrota and get the "perfect fit"? I agree with the fit issue, but when I look at the website, I see too many decisions. I mean, do I really want to pick out my logo color?

My Trek does fit me pretty well. Many many miles of happiness, but as I age I feel things not felt before.... hips, shoulders, you name it.

Also, the Serrota is more expensive...(same with the Luna, out of price range).

Any one have experience with a Terry and can advise?
Thanks!

[Biciclista]

you tell us. Have you fit comfortably before on an off the rack bike? I had trouble so I went custom.
And oh gosh, it's fun to pick the colors!!!
PS I love my steel bikes.

[indysteel]

They're all fine bikes, so it really comes down to what you want/need. What Terry bike are you considering and what is the frame material? How confident are you that the geometry will work for you? What about handling? How do you want the bike to ride?

Last I checked, Serotta was at the high end even for custom. There are a lot of good builders out there. If I were to go that route, I'd cast a larger net than just Luna or Serotta (although to be honest, Luna would make my own short list).

[TxDoc]

He questioned my decision and said that if I were to purchase a steel frame, why not go with Serrota and get the "perfect fit"?

I guess the question would be - can you get the perfect fit on a stock bike? Some of us can - in that case there is no need to go custom unless we want to pick colors and design. For other cyclists custom is a need - because the majority of stock bikes do not fit them properly.
My suggestion would be to find out what is your perfect fit first - and then if a stock bike is what you need, then that's it, and if not consider custom.
And of course come back here and show us the photos when you have your new bike

[eofelis]

How about a Gunnar steel frame? Stock frames are around $800, custom geometry is $300 extra. (Prices may have changed a bit since I last looked). That's a pretty good price for a custom frame!

I have a custom Gunnar Sport and it's a great ride. (It was a custom for someone else, I got it on ebay, but it fits my quite well.)

There is a thread on Gunnar bikes....

[SpeedyChix]

Mike DeSalvo makes a fine steel frame and is pretty reasonably priced and wait time isn't too bad either. Ride is great.

[indysteel]

Out of curiosity, I just looked at Terry's current offerings, most of which appear to be in the range of $3500. Maybe I'm missing something, but from a price perspective, Luna (and any number of other steel builders) could put you on a custom complete bike for about the same amount of money as a complete Terry bike. That's not to say the OP shouldn't just stick with Terry, but if price the factor, she shouldn't rule out custom builders.

[sundial]

I'm curious as to why your LBS has you entertaining the thought of a custom Serotta? Perhaps he sees the Terry as a bike with a higher price point given the components it has? As for the ride quality of steel, it will soak up the road noise and give you a smoother ride. After I retired my carbon fiber bike, I went back to steel and haven't regretted it.