I want a new bike...any suggestions?

lesliej

I am currently in the market for a new road bike. I currently do sprint tri's with the aspiration of completing international distance tri's. I have been checking out the Fuji Women's Finest. It is $400 at local shop, which is a very attractive price. Then I saw the Mercier Elle for $800. That is one beautiful bike, but is it worth $400 more? Does anyone have any information on either bike that would help my decision easier? I can't seem to find any reviews on the Mercier, only the Fuji. I appreciate any advice.

gunnar_roadie

Depends what kind of compenents they've got on 'em. Also, what kind of feel are you looking for when you ride-- rigid? soft? Does it have to be a women's specific bike? Are you a beginner or not? What's your budget?
Do you want a lightweight bike? Aluminum frame bikes tend to be a better bargain than quality light steel (like Reynolds) frame bikes. If you compare an aluminum bike and a steel bike which cost the same price, most likely the aluminum will weigh less.

The Fuji has a steel frame (shweet! I'm a steel head..) and Sora components (the lowest quality level of Shimano) which are on the heavy side and (I believe) wear out quicker.Maybe you can ask the shop to swap the Sora with something nicer? I'm afraid I don't know about the Mercier Elle either...Sorry to bombard you with questions. I'd say, ask the shop to tell you the difference between the components, then take both bikes out for a spin and see which one feels better to you.

lesliej

Yes, I am new to cycling. I was a swimmer all my life and after 4 kids, decided I wanted to do something for myself. I love triathlons. There are so many walks of life doing them for all different kinds of reasons. Here are the specifics for the Elle. I can hardly find any info on it which makes me a little hesitant.
Shimano 105 STI - Triple
Carbon Fork
Shimano 12-25t Cassette
Some aluminum stuff
There is more, this seemed important though...It is all greek to me.

gunnar_roadie

Shimano 105 is good stuff, loads better than the Sora components on the Fuji, which is why it's twice the price of the Elle. Have you test ridden it?

lesliej

No, not yet. The Mercier at the shop is tiny. The Fuji rode nice though. I think that I am going to go with the Fuji. I live in Florida and it is flat. So not much shifting going on here. Also, I will need to change the pedals and add aerobars eventually, I want to keep the initial investment down. I am not an avid rider. Again, 4 kids, not much free time. I also need a new vacuum cleaner, so I can use the money I save (or didn't spend) on that. The Mercier sure is pretty though. Oh, well.