Purchasing new Road Bike - So Confused!

[Owlie]

Thanks for the reply! I'm actually curious. What made you want to go to a Steel bike after riding an aluminum bike?? I would think that you would have went the other way and upgraded to Carbon or something? Isn't steel going downwards in quality and performance? I'm new and not very knowlegable so I'm sorry if I'm way off. I just want to know all my options before I buy.

While money IS an issue, if I like the bike and it's comfortable, I'll want to get out there and ride. If I don't like the bike, it won't be fun and I won't use it as often. I will think of it as a wasted $700 vs. a well spent $1400-$1800. I also like buying quality items. I don't like getting something and saying 2 months down the road...."Oh man, I could've bought that for only $X more. What was I thinking!"

Crankin already hit this, but I want to reiterate that steel can be just as comfy as carbon and light as aluminum--and it's cheaper. And it can be repaired. My next bike will be either carbon or steel. (Leaning toward carbon, but that's an availability issue--I can find Specialized or Trek almost anywhere, but there are fewer Surly or Jamis dealers.) And Crankin--my bike does rattle me, but I ride it anyway!

My current bike (entry-level roadie, aluminum) cost $750. While I certainly don't feel I wasted my money (I had no idea that I'd like it as much as I do), if I had to do it again I'd have done my shopping a little more carefully and bought something...maybe not carbon, because I couldn't have afforded that, but certainly something with nicer components. Depending on your roads, aluminum might be okay. But if I were you and could afford it, buy carbon. Get to know components and geometry, and buy what feels best within your budget.

[roo4]

I'm new here, but I just purchased a Trek Madone 3.1 wsd and she is fantastic! I was a bit scared of the price tag, but after a week or two of riding I have decided it was worth it. Enjoy!