Best way to upgrade ride?

[TxDoc]

Oh, look at the 'for sale' section of the bike forums too - sometimes there's good deals that pop up on there!

[Yelsel]

Thanks, this really did help. I now own a 1998 Eros bike - the components weren't quite as good this year (Avanti/Mirage), but I was a sucker for getting the lugged frame in Celeste - this is the last year they were lugged. I still might change the cassette on the Castro Valley, though. (Even better, buy a cheap wheel for the trainer and stick the old cassette on that, so that I don't have to swap tires.)

[Pedal Wench]

Not sure if this is what you mean about the cable stops, but many high-end bikes use a clamp-on FD as opposed to a brazed-on.

[aicabsolut]

I think what she means is that there's nowhere for the FD cable to go along the downtube (holding the cable in place--where your barrel adjuster or DT shifter would be and then again at the BB), because the bike was not designed for a FD.