Ana,

My DH and I are still about 3 years away from buying and assembling "THE ONE" bike of our dreams but we had a discussion yesterday with a mechanic (and one time road and mtn. bike racer and pro team mechanic) on how do you find and decide on the one bike of your dreams. He had some great advice that I'd like to share with you!!

First off he said that all the brands, Trek, Cervelo, Cannondale, Giant, Felt, Pinarello etc all have great bikes that would and could be "THE ONE". But foremost in getting the right bike for yourself is finding a knowledgeable bike mechanic that can listen to what you want in a bike and fit you as such. There are different fabrics for the seat stem that may make endurance riding more comfortable for you if that is your main interest and way that you ride. There may be a different fork stay that would work better with your body build. At first we thought that we were going to have to go out to all the different bike shops and "test drive" them...........he said no. First off find the right guy with the knowledge and then work with him/her. Also he said that we should be noting after our rides what we like and/or don't like about our current bikes. This will also help in the process of deciding what components and measurements will make it "THE ONE".

Hope this helps and have fun in the process!!! Jo Ann