Quote Originally Posted by Regina View Post
And, yeah, "carbon wrapped aluminum". Can anyone say "superfluous redundancy"??
I once had chocolate covered ants Is that the same thing? Just kidding. Seriously, there are many ways to get a quality bike for less.

My namesake, my Trek420 was an entry level road bike. I couldn't afford and didn't need anything more. But it had an "upgrade worthy frame" Over many years as I wore stuff out and replaced with better it became a head turner "woah, a Trek 420 with Ultegra and check out the wheels "

By the time I was done I'd have had to pay 3K to get new with that kit. So in random order

Option 1: get a quality frame now, replace/upgrade as you go.

Option 2: close outs, last years models. See above option 1.

Option 3: check your local bike club and shops, find swap meets in your area. Nooooooooo, not flea markets which is where our stollen bikes often go. I mean bike specific swap meets. They sometimes have great deals.

Option 4: Some LBS sell used as well as new.

Option 5: Craigs but be careful that it's an honest deal.