Fuji Silhouette:looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly (or pretty!!)

[runsusie]

In an earlier post about the Silhouette I mentioned that while I was sitting on the bike in Performance, debating whether to take the plunge, I noticed a woman hovering a little distance from me, watching. She finally spoke up. She had ridden a Silhouette for about a year, I think. Loved it. And told me I wouldn't regret the decision. Her words alone wouldn't have been enough to sway me, but it was great to get a thumbs-up from someone who had been riding it for a year or so.

Aah, that was you! I did read that in your earlier post. Thanks for your input.

I did see the bike listed online at Performance, but we don't have any retail stores in my area, so going that route is probably not an option. So yes, I may be paying a few thousand MORE by not getting the deep Performance Bike discount, but I'm okay with that. The only bad part is that I'd have to really think hard about starting to switch out parts (wheels?) because the costs definitely add up fast.

[KathiCville]

I upgraded very quickly mostly because I knew I wanted a triple AND because I had some credit built up at another bike shop in town, so I didn't have to dig a whole lot deeper into my wallet on top of the purchase price. Otherwise I probably would have stuck with the 105 double and upgraded slowly. (I doubt that I would notice the diff between 105 and Ultegra at this point in my limited cycling experience.)

If you're confident buying bike parts online, you could keep your eyes open on geartrade.com, ebay, and other websites that knowledgeable TE'ers use. My BF and I nabbed one brand-new component for my Fuji on geartrade.com for about one-third retail. Of course, it was just good luck/timing that the part was listed for sale right at the time I bought the Silhouette. I'm now keeping my eyes open, casually, for a deal on a handlebar.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your new bike!