Pondering A New Bike

[arielmoon]

I said I wouldn't get a new one...but I am considering it nonetheless Silver will have substantial influence on this, but in big decisions, sometimes it's good to have objective input from knowledgeable friends

Although this post is long, the key question is whether I risk more than I may gain by changing.

First: I LOVE my 49cm Lemond Reno with RaceXLite wheels. I've got about 4,000 miles on it in 18 months and I've never had a blister, ache, or pain that I would attribute to the bike.

Initial LBS Recommendation is a Trek Madone 5.2 or Madone 5.6...and they did a perfect job in fitting me and steering me to the Lemond (even though I went in to buy a Trek Pilot).

Concerns:
- Clearly, the geometry of the Reno suits my body. Will a change in geometry impact my comfort substantially? What considerations should I anticipate?
- The current Madone will cut about 6 pounds off the Reno's weight (and I weigh in the 160's). Is a 4% combined weight reduction (along with my continued weight loss) a motivating consideration or just 'nice but not relevant'?
- Will I feel a material impact with better components?
- If I have a choice of ultegra SL or Durace, should it matter?

Finally, does anyone know what Trek's '09 price increase will be? Rumors are it will be 'substantial' and that may impact my decision as well...

Goals:
My goal for next year is to compete in an endurance competition.

My BF has a Madone 5.6 and let me ride it on our first two rides. I loved it! (It still doesnt make him faster than me on his Trek 2300 but hehe oh well) It is super light and very smooth. In fact I am considering a WSD Trek Madone 5.2 for myself. I dont know about your other questions but good luck!

[Mr. Bloom]

Today Fred at the LBS said he's recommending Madone 5.5; doesn't recommend 5.5 Pro...to my surprise (darn it, I wanted the yellow bike!)

Hmmm...

[Mr. SR500]

5.5 = NICE!

Great choice, looks great plus a good price point and you can keep you new wheels and stick the Race Lites on the LeMond.

Does he have one to ride?

I agree, the non-pro would likely be the way to go.

[Mr. Bloom]

Does he have one to ride?

Are you kidding? In a 50cm????

I have this problem with suits too!

[DrBadger]

Hey Mr. Silver...

Ohhhh.... have fun bike shopping! I went through this in the late fall, and given how much you love you LeMond, I have another reccommendation for you... try riding one of the specialized bikes...the Roubaix or the Tarmac. I liked the LeMonds that I test rode because of how zippy they were and how they responded to me... while the Madone was a really smooth ride, I didn't get the same responsivness from it. Now the Specialized bikes... perfect blend of smoothness and zippienes. At least for me. Also, my bike shop (which deals in Treks, LeMonds, and Specialized) said that I got the best bang for my buck with the Specialized in terms of components and such.

Now you may LOVE the Madone, but always worth trying something else too :-)

Have fun, and keep us up to date!
Ellen

[RolliePollie]

Have fun shopping, Mr. Silver!

I think we're a bit similar in that I've also been riding for about 18 months and I have about 4,500 miles on my bike. I'm starting to shop for an upgrade too, and although it's fun, it's also overwhelming. There are soooooo many bikes to choose from...how do you decide? Every bike shop I go to recommends something different, which is good I guess, but also confusing. I'm on a budget, so one shop tells me to go with full carbon and 105 and the next tells me to forego the full carbon and get Ultegra. I'm trying to figure out what's most important to me and what my goals are so I can choose the right combination. It sounds like you have that part pretty well figured out. Now the perfect bike just needs to jump out at you. Good luck to you in your search...I hope you find exactly what you're looking for!

[Blueberry]

Mr. S - no advice to offer, except to say wow on the progress you've made.

RolliePollie- Components wear out, and you can always upgrade them. Not so with the frame.

CA

[Aggie_Ama]

Rollie- I was in the same boat and opted for the 105 and carbon instead of Alum/Carbon fork and Ultegra. I do have the Ultegra rear deraileur. Anyway, my bike shifts very smooth and I am happy. Would full Ultegra be better? Probably. Am I disappointed in my decision? Not at all. My old bike was Sora, so this is a nice upgrade for me. As parts wear out or budget allows I will eventually make her full Ultegra. I love my carbon frame though .

[Mr. Bloom]

Update:
I decided that the Dura Ace/Ultegra SL difference probably wasn't worth the $800 difference, at least to me.

But, the Madone 5.2 is not currently available.

Trying to get the 5.6 down to a price point that I'm able to swallow, I asked them to throw in the Dura Ace pedals...and they offered 105's instead.

So, we're a set of pedals away from making the deal, but I'm already feeling that the purchase is a little excessive...

[Mr. SR500]

Congrats, I assume you mean 5.5, Sweat!

Hold out for the pedals! Or shop around a bit and see what another dealer might do - road bike sales typically slow down now (maybe a little bump with the tour, but Spring is road bike buying time). Also new models are usually out in August, so something else to consider. Finally, if you have not ridden it, will he give you a refund if you don't like it or want something different?

P.S. What does Silver say about all this?

[Mr. Bloom]

P.S. What does Silver say about all this?

Silver is supportive and encouraging...I think she doesn't understand why I'm holding out...but this is an expensive impulse

[Mr. Bloom]

Yep, we went to the LBS and ordered the Madone 5.5 with full Dura Ace this morning

I hope it will arrive this week

I hope to have pics this weekend!

I got nervous about the upcoming price increase (whether it's 4% or 20%, it's still a lot of $) and possible delays getting my short size once the new models are released...so I took the plunge.

Maybe one of the more indulgent things I've done...(the avatar isn't an indulgence, it's an enjoyable investment)

[rij73]

Woo hoo! Good for you!

[Mr. SR500]

Sweet!

I'm guessing you'll have it Thurs/Fri!

[spokewench]

I never finished my point about the Madone...
I think you can get a comfy set up on the Madone as you did the Reno. If it were me, I'd probably just go w/the Ultegra as I'm not super obsessed with grams of weight and I think the diff b/t the Ultegra and DA would be negligible. But that's just my opinion of course!

I used to think that the difference between Ultegra and Dura Ace was negligible, but that is not true. The Dura Ace does perform better; but the question is does it perform enough better to justify the cost? I got my Dura Ace for a considerable discount so that is why I bought it. Before I had a deal, I always bought Ultegra.

spoke