Last fall, when I bought my TREK (which I highly recommend!), the bike shop owner walked me thru all the brands of bikes that were in my price range (even those that weren't in his shop at the time) and gave me his pros and cons on each. In his mind, it all depends on what you're going to do with a bike. Are you going for long distance riding, racing, touring, recreational riding... it just depends.

I wanted a bike to ride competitively with, so we chose the TREK which is lighter and has the components I need. He also had a FELT bike, which would've cost considerable less, but didn't meet my needs. It rode pretty well, and if I were just going to ride recreationally, I'd probably look at it.

The Bianchi bikes are nice, as are the LeMonde bikes. My friend just bought a steel LeMonde and she loves it. I think she only paid about $700 for it a year ago. It's just too heavy for me.

The Fuji bikes, I've only seen on the net, so I can't speak to their components or durability. When I was shopping, that was my main concern. By the time I get this thing paid for, is it going to be trash?

As far as a used bike goes, someone wiser than I...on this board matter of fact... suggested steering away from that unless you KNOW the person you're buying it from. You never know if the bike's been taken care of. Major wrecks can weaken the frame, bend parts that are difficult to fix or replace...on and on and on!

Last note: the LBS said something to me that has stuck in my brain..."I've never heard anyone say...'I wish I would've bought less bike'........just something to think about."

Good luck!
Kim in TN