Need Advice on which bike to buy.... POLL

Chappelaw

So, im in the market for my first Road bike... I've been to a couple of Shops around town and so far I have liked A Scott Speedster S60
http://scottusa.com/us_en/product/70/798/speedster_s60
And a Specialized Allez
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32189
I liked Both bikes... The Allez is a 08 model and the Scott is a 07 (i believe)..
The Allez is $769.00 while the Scott is $600...

I'm kind of Ignorant on this topic. However, they looked liek very similar bikes to me when i saw them... The only MAJOR difference i saw was that the Allez Had some sort of red thingy indicator on the brakes... And the Scott didnt...

WHAT do YOU think???
Which bike is the better buy? Considering that there's a $169 difference.
Should i consider something else?

redbacks

If your planning to race I would consider a bike somewhat lighter with an upgrade in componants. But if your just a recreational rider go for it! The Specialized sounds a better deal.

Scotttri

+1 for the specialized it has better components.

fstrdr7

specialized!

Chappelaw

NO, i dont plan on doing any kind of racing or anything.. Just riding on the street... IS there any other Bikes i should consider? If so,which... Notice that also, i am on a budget, and the specialized is pushing my budget some. .... Thanks all.

AngryPenguin

Its worth paying a bit more for good kit, consider 6 months down the line, if you have problems with a cheap bike its going to cost you at least $100 later on and also you wont be as enthusiatic to ride it, you will think well I cant be bothered to fiddle with it today so I will just take the car instead.

It is painful to the wallet at first but in the long term you get more miles for you money and less fuss. I learned this lesson to my cost when the back end of my cheap bike died a few months back and I ended up replcing the back wheel, cassete, derailier, chain and tyre which cost me nearly as much as the bike itself.

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Chappelaw

Is the scott a cheap bike??? I was told by the person who was selling me the specialized that it was a great bike they were selling me... But if its a cheap bike, then i guess i should coinsider it... I was almost sold on the scott, but.. IDK..

alfeng

FWIW. IMO, you should save the money & get the SCOTT ...

I don't see any components on the SPECIALIZED that are truly better than on the SCOTT ... 8-speed vs. 9-speed? Heck, you'd want to sell those shifters, regardless, and get some Campagnolo shifters when the time comes (YES, they can be mated to either a 9-speed or 8-speed Shimano drivetrain).

The 20% discount on a 2007 bike is about right ...

Heck, the SCOTT has a triple crank -- generally, that's a good thing. The ONLY thing about a triple is that the front derailleur requires a slightly greater amont of attention when being set up (hey, you're paying the shop a premium, already, right?) & during the life of the drivetrain. Setting up and/or maintaining a triple is NOT DIFFICULT ...

If your MTB had a triple (don't most?), you probably know how to maintain the cable adjustment (or, you should learn how to do it) ...

AND, if you never shift down to the granny, well, it's a small amount of extra weight to carry around ...

ALSO, having a granny will prevent having a "dropped" chain.

Don't worry about the wheels. The difference in quality probably isn't that great, and for about the difference in cost you could buy a set of nicer wheels.

Your other option is to go the mail-order/eBay route ... NOT buying from a shop requires a minimal amount of technical knowledge & mechanical skill ... which you should acquire at some point EVEN IF you have the shop do the work in the distant future BECAUSE it is good to know what needs to be done and/or if the fee they are charging is reasonable.

Chappelaw

Well, the shop that's selling me the scott, will custom fit me to the bike.. They said they'll replace any of the componets on the bike FOR FREE to make a custom Fit.. (which is also FREE with the purchase of the bike)... Also, i get FREE LIFETIME maintenance on the scott, at their shop of course.....

I'm leaning more towards the scott right now.. Plus im on a budget, and i also have to buy Gear, pedals + shoes...

Chappelaw

PS. I just called the shop, and they said that the Scott is an 08, NOT an 07...

Chappelaw

Also, they have this 08 Raleigh Sport
for $499... Should i even consider iT??? I'm not feeling the red at all too...
http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=5&itemid=413

alfeng

That's a pretty good price for an entry level bike from a bike shop ...

To state the obvious (for those who may not care to look at the specs), the biggest difference is that the Raleigh has a steel fork. Although that means the Raleigh is at least a pound heavier than the other bikes you are looking at, a steel fork has the advantage of not being as potentially fragile as a carbon fiber fork.

BTW. I own numerous frames (various materials) running almost the entire price range, and I have to say that I now think of the frame as mostly something to hang the components on ... but, at some point, parts-is-parts ... so, for non-competitive riding it's just about "bragging rights" for the frame & parts (nothing wrong with that, BTW).

I don't mind RED for a bike frame, so if 'I' were working with a limited budget and just looking for a new bike with an alloy frame, I might put the particular Raleigh pretty high on my "short list" of possibilities ... but, I would pull those shifters, sell them on eBay for $100+, and put on a set of Campagnolo 10-speed shifters for about the same amount of money!

However, if you don't like either the available RED -- or, YELLOW -- frame color of the Raleigh, then you should probably get the SCOTT ... your LBS is making you a pretty good deal on the SCOTT.

garage sale GT

I like that Raleigh too. I noticed the low end shimano brifters have a lot of plastic. Are they worth getting? How long before they take a crap?

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Chappelaw

I alsothought the Raleigh wascool. But RED and YELLOW are two colors that GROSS me out.. LOL.... I thnk im gonna get the Scott... Get some clip on pedals and later on a set of Nice wheels... Im a sucker for modified things.. Cars, motorcycles, ect...