Any cyclists in here?

[surreal1221]

Cannondale vs Giant?

My eye and budget is falling for the Cannondale R400 from last year. . . any other suggestions?

 

[PHiuR]

i just like the brand cannondale more.

 

[surreal1221]

So do I, but a couple guys I work with also suggested Giant bikes.

 

[PHiuR]

what about trek and specialized

edit: i don't think you can go wrong with giant or cannondale because they are both good companies...id just see what's the better deal you can get.

 

[surreal1221]

Yeah, Im not finding much luck in online searchs of any bikes. Trying to find a good site that offers a good "price" suggestion of what the bikes would cost. Just not having much luck finding such a site.

 

[notfred]

I Like Cannondale better, but there's nothing wrong with Giant. Cannondale jsut makes sexier bikes.

 

[surreal1221]

Wouldnt happen to know of any online bike retailers now would you? Im going to head to a local shop tomorrow and get sized, but im a rather tiny guy in the sense, only 5'5" and 125 pounds. Once I know my size, i'll be ready to search further for good deals.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: surreal1221
Wouldnt happen to know of any online bike retailers now would you? Im going to head to a local shop tomorrow and get sized, but im a rather tiny guy in the sense, only 5'5" and 125 pounds. Once I know my size, i'll be ready to search further for good deals.

Most online bike retailers only sell second-tier brands. The premium brnads (like Cannondale and Giant) dont seem to like having thier bikes sold online.

 

[boyRacer]

What's your budget?

 

[surreal1221]

Honestly, would like to keep it at or around 550-600 dollars. So a bike that is used, but still in good shape, would be perfect.

 

[DVad3r]

Cannondale

 

[bigrash]

Go with Specialized.

but out of those two, I'd go with Cannondale

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: surreal1221
Honestly, would like to keep it at or around 550-600 dollars. So a bike that is used, but still in good shape, would be perfect.

That R400 should be fine for most people new to the sport. But if you end up wanting to upgrade later, it will cost you more since you'll have to swap out the whole drivetrain. The R400 has Sora 8-speed components which are not compatible with almost everything out there that is worth upgrading to... 9-speed or 10-speed.

Here is the hierarchy of Shimano road components.

The R500, Trek 1200, Specialized Allez Sport, and Giant OCR2 are models with components above Sora. You can definitely find them used for around $550-600. The new 2006 bikes are coming in the next few months and your local dealer will want to clear the 05 bikes and might give you a deal for a brand new bike. Those are just the well known brands, if you don't care about the fancy name brand, go ahead with your idea of getting fitted then shop online for a better deal. Supergo.com has a 20% coupon out and you can have a bike fitted with 105 components (2 levels above Sora) for a bit over $600.

...OR you can just ignore everything I said, go for the R400 and be done with it. When you're sure you like the sport and you're itching for an upgrade, you can just buy yourself a whole new bike.

 

[boyRacer]

Check out this thread for more recommendations. Good luck...

 

[LongCoolMother]

im a mountain biker, so this might not help with the road bikes. but for mtn bikes, both giant and cannondale make excellent frames+bikes but the cannondale parts (fork in particular) are very proprietary, making it very difficult to repair/replace in the long run and very limiting in flexibility.

 

[surreal1221]

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: surreal1221
Honestly, would like to keep it at or around 550-600 dollars. So a bike that is used, but still in good shape, would be perfect.

That R400 should be fine for most people new to the sport. But if you end up wanting to upgrade later, it will cost you more since you'll have to swap out the whole drivetrain. The R400 has Sora 8-speed components which are not compatible with almost everything out there that is worth upgrading to... 9-speed or 10-speed.

Here is the hierarchy of Shimano road components.

The R500, Trek 1200, Specialized Allez Sport, and Giant OCR2 are models with components above Sora. You can definitely find them used for around $550-600. The new 2006 bikes are coming in the next few months and your local dealer will want to clear the 05 bikes and might give you a deal for a brand new bike. Those are just the well known brands, if you don't care about the fancy name brand, go ahead with your idea of getting fitted then shop online for a better deal. Supergo.com has a 20% coupon out and you can have a bike fitted with 105 components (2 levels above Sora) for a bit over $600.

...OR you can just ignore everything I said, go for the R400 and be done with it. When you're sure you like the sport and you're itching for an upgrade, you can just buy yourself a whole new bike.

Excellent info man, greatly appreciate it. I'll take a look at the R500, cause I certainly want to buy one bike, and upgrade it in the future, then maybe 5-6 yrs down the road, buy a new machine. Right now I want an upgradable bike, that will last me for some time.

and thanks for the link.