Scott Contessa Speedster and asking for discounts?

[Kiwi Stoker]

No, the production schedule is always done months in advance and where I worked the next years numbers were done almost a year in advance.

I suspect everyone thought the recession would last longer or people wouldn't be spedning so quickly, so cut the quantity of high level bikes down and now have been caught!

Also I know that component companies (like Shimano) might of done the same so even if you have frames made up in your factory you might not have the components to put on them and so a decision trickle down effect happens.

[pinkbikes]

I just recently bought the 2010 Scott Speedster S20 FB. It is a flatbar version of the Speedster at just above the component level of the Contessa you are looking at. It runs Ultegra on the back and has the 105 Hollowtech triple crankset and chainrings. And of course it has flat bars and the new 105 trigger shifters.

I have enjoyed the Scott very much so far. It rides well. The only thing is it is a very short frame. Scott is one of the few that don't make separate geometry frames for their WSD line. The frame dimensions are the same for the WSD and unisex bikes. The tweaks are all in the components, stem, seat etc to make it WSD. This works pretty well since the frame is so short that it is not too long for me.

That said, I changed out the stem the other night for one with a little more lift and a little less reach. I also swapped seats for one the same as on my road bike when I bought it. I am also considering a seatpost with rear offset, since I have the seat all the way back and still feel I could go further. I think this is because I have long thighs for my height (and still longer than for a man of my height). But I think I am pretty much there now. I like it a whole lot.

But on the subject of haggle... I don't. But I don't know that the Scotts are under-produced to the extent that Trek is from previous posts. I looked at the bike and ummed and ahhed a bit. The seller said she'd "take care of me" on price. And she did - about $220 off the list price of AUD$1899. But I'd probably never be any more forthright than to ask "Is that the best price you can do?" and then accept it if they said it was.

[artifactos]

I disagree with everyone telling you that you should spend less money on your first road bike. If you know what you want, like the bike over less expensive options, and can afford it (don't forget the cost of the accessories you will need to get set up to ride - helmet, shorts, gloves, pedals, computer, lights, bag & emergency repair kit, etc.), I say go for it! I bought my first road bike in September (Trek 2.1) and spent about $2,000 on it within the first two months getting set up, and I've spent more since then since I've been exploring different saddles. That said, I'm VERY happy I didn't get a less expensive bike - this one handles very well, is quite speedy, and is going to be great for me in triathlons. The components are high-quality so my LBS has had an easy time of making any adjustments and they are happier to see me as a result.

Edit: You also won't have a less expensive bike sitting around when you want to upgrade, and if you NEED the money from selling the first bike to buy the second, you may be bike-less for a while. I spent less on a mountain bike because I knew I'd be using it on college campuses where its chances of getting stolen are a lot higher than my road bike hanging out in a locked garage and only coming out for rides.

[zoom-zoom]

I disagree with everyone telling you that you should spend less money on your first road bike. If you know what you want, like the bike over less expensive options, and can afford it (don't forget the cost of the accessories you will need to get set up to ride - helmet, shorts, gloves, pedals, computer, lights, bag & emergency repair kit, etc.), I say go for it! I bought my first road bike in September (Trek 2.1) and spent about $2,000 on it within the first two months getting set up, and I've spent more since then since I've been exploring different saddles. That said, I'm VERY happy I didn't get a less expensive bike - this one handles very well, is quite speedy, and is going to be great for me in triathlons. The components are high-quality so my LBS has had an easy time of making any adjustments and they are happier to see me as a result.

I can ditto this. My bike was about $1400 and I'm guessing I've spent about $2k when all the necessities were factored in. I would have been happier with a less expensive bike, but my hubby encouraged me to go with nothing less than Shimano 105 components for long-term happiness with my ride.

I think another thing to consider is your personality, esp. regarding athletic endeavors. Are you likely to not keep at it long-term? Do you have a spouse/SO who rides? In my case I'm married to an uber bike geek and our son definitely seems eager to get on a bike of his own once he's a bit older. It's been kind of a natural transition for me to go from running a lot of miles/week to running fewer miles and substituting biking, since it's something I can share with my family a lot easier. My bike is definitely not at any risk of ending up covered in cobwebs.

[MartianDestiny]

But I don't know that the Scotts are under-produced to the extent that Trek is from previous posts..

It is not just Trek. Though I haven't heard about Scott in particular, it seems like Orbea and Specialized are also sold out of some models or waiting on the next production run at this point.

Honestly, this isn't a particularly new phenomena, especially in the much higher end bikes or in unusual sizes. People seem to be talking about it this year, so maybe it's a bit worse, but nothing new.