USA-made road bike for under $2K?

[eofelis]

but I'd want to build it up with decent components and good wheels--and that really adds up.

My bf bike mechanic/wheel builder has Mavic Open Pro wheels (Ultegra or DA hubs) on all 5 of the road bikes in our house. He likes those wheels a lot. They are not fancy looking boutique low spoke count wheels. But inexpensive, easy to maintain, ride great.

[indysteel]

My bf bike mechanic/wheel builder has Mavic Open Pro wheels (Ultegra or DA hubs) on all 5 of the road bikes in our house. He likes those wheels a lot. They are not fancy looking boutique low spoke count wheels. But inexpensive, easy to maintain, ride great.

I don't doubt that, but a lot of men can get by riding beefier factory wheels. Women--depending on their weight--often benefit from wheels built for lighter riders. I am a big fan of my low spoke count handbuildts. They're a pretty basic build, but have a really nice ride. Regardless, decent wheels can make a huge difference in ride quality, be they factory or handbuilt. And it's an expense a lot of people don't factor when considering the cost of buying a custom bike. That was the main thrust of my comment.

[java]

Rodriguez bikes are made in the US and they have a model that is about $2000. http://www.rodbikes.com/

I love my Rodriguez Rainier. I use it for commuting and organized rides. The steel and a custom fit made all the difference for me.

[LanterneRouge]

Does anyone have (or know someone who has) a Seven bike? I ordered their catalog and I am really liking this company's outlook on biking, business, and life in general. Their emphases on building a quality bike AND taking care of their employees were refreshing to read about.

Has anyone heard any friends' testimonials on whether they're happy with their Seven? Their bikes are all out of my budget, but I might be open to expanding my budget or possibly buying one used. All of their bikes are custom, so I'd still have the issue of ordering a bike without ever having test-ridden it.

[OakLeaf]

I have two friends with Sevens ... a woman pretty close to my size (roughly 48-49 cm frame) and an average sized man (I'm not sure but probably in the neighborhood of a 56 cm frame). Both of them were super happy with their fit, and they were measured by different shops. What I don't know is how well Seven trains their affiliate shops ... I'm going to have to say that quality of the fit is going to be pretty well dependent on quality of the measurements. But given that these two people were measured by different shops in different states, that speaks well for the program.

That's going to be WAY out of your specified budget, though...

[tulip]

Does anyone have (or know someone who has) a Seven bike? I ordered their catalog and I am really liking this company's outlook on biking, business, and life in general. Their emphases on building a quality bike AND taking care of their employees were refreshing to read about.

Has anyone heard any friends' testimonials on whether they're happy with their Seven? Their bikes are all out of my budget, but I might be open to expanding my budget or possibly buying one used. All of their bikes are custom, so I'd still have the issue of ordering a bike without ever having test-ridden it.

You are in a whole different league now. Sevens are amazing bikes.

[emily_in_nc]

Used to ride with a gal who had a custom ti Seven. She absolutely loved it. I know there are some on this forum who have Sevens. You should probably start a new thread with an appropriate title so they'll see it.

[indysteel]

Everyone I know who owns a Seven loves it. You might PM TE members 7rider and nscrbug. They both have a Seven.

[LanterneRouge]

There are two models of steel Sevens that are $3,695 and $3,795 new, so if I am lucky enough to find a used one of those in my frame size, a Seven might fit into my budget. But yes, a new model by that company is in "a whole different league" as far as price is concerned.

I was also looking at Devinci bikes, made by our neighbors to the north, in Canada. There are a few bikes under $3,000 (the hubs got on board with a budget of 3G). I figure if I can't buy an American bike in my budget, then I would expand my search for "ethically produced" bicycles, so I can sleep more soundly about folks getting paid fair wages and working in safe conditions to make my bike. That would then include Canada, the UK, Italy, or Japan. (Those are the major countries I'm aware of that make road bikes.)

[tulip]

There are two models of steel Sevens that are $3,695 and $3,795 new, so if I am lucky enough to find a used one of those in my frame size, a Seven might fit into my budget. But yes, a new model by that company is in "a whole different league" as far as price is concerned.

I was also looking at Devinci bikes, made by our neighbors to the north, in Canada. There are a few bikes under $3,000 (the hubs got on board with a budget of 3G). I figure if I can't buy an American bike in my budget, then I would expand my search for "ethically produced" bicycles, so I can sleep more soundly about folks getting paid fair wages and working in safe conditions to make my bike. That would then include Canada, the UK, Italy, or Japan. (Those are the major countries I'm aware of that make road bikes.)

Many bikes are made in Taiwan. Pretty sure those would meet your criteria.

[Crankin]

I am very happy with my custom titanium Guru, made in Canada. The fitting is amazing and the bikes were made and delivered in 6 weeks. You can get as expensive or cost saving as you want with components. Check out their website.

[eofelis]

I don't doubt that, but a lot of men can get by riding beefier factory wheels. Women--depending on their weight--often benefit from wheels built for lighter riders. I am a big fan of my low spoke count handbuildts. They're a pretty basic build, but have a really nice ride. Regardless, decent wheels can make a huge difference in ride quality, be they factory or handbuilt. And it's an expense a lot of people don't factor when considering the cost of buying a custom bike. That was the main thrust of my comment.

My 2007 Specialized Ruby came with Ultegra 6600 wheels. Low spoke count, bladed spokes. Nice wheels. When we switched my bike to a 11-36 cassette that was the one hub that the cassette wouldn't go on, so we went to the Open Pros on 6700 Ultegra hubs. I did notice a big improvement in the ride quality of the bike with the Open Pros, compared to the 6600s. Sold the 6600s to a friend that likes to ride fast and wanted stiff wheels.

[eofelis]

Does anyone have (or know someone who has) a Seven bike? I ordered their catalog and I am really liking this company's outlook on biking, business, and life in general. Their emphases on building a quality bike AND taking care of their employees were refreshing to read about.

Has anyone heard any friends' testimonials on whether they're happy with their Seven? Their bikes are all out of my budget, but I might be open to expanding my budget or possibly buying one used. All of their bikes are custom, so I'd still have the issue of ordering a bike without ever having test-ridden it.

I have friends (a couple) who have 2 Seven bicycles each. One set is steel road bikes with couplers. The other set is ti cross-type bikes with couplers. They are all sort of radical looking road bikes with almost step through frames (these are older riders). They have travel cases for these bikes and they pack them up and take them all over the world. Yes I am envious of their travels. As an aside: they were in Christchurch NZ the day the earthquake hit a couple of years ago. Their bikes, packed in their cases, were left in a hotel that they had to vacate in a hurry. They were refugees for a couple of days until they were evacuated out of the country. They didn't get their bikes back until a few months later when people could go back into that building. Quite the story.
Anyways, they are very happy with their bikes.