| Road, touring or cross bike?
I need some help deciding on a new bike. Here's the story: I made a
deal with my wife. If I can lose 53# and my Clydesdale status, she
will buy me a new bike. I'm almost there and looking to save some $
by buying a closeout 2004 model. My limit is $1000 for a complete
bike. I would like 105 as the minimum component group. My question
is: do I buy a touring bike, road bike, cross bike? I've done quite
a bit of touring in the past on a mountain bike. In fact, that is my
"road" bike right now-an early 90s steel Fisher mtn bike with slicks.
It is heavy, slow, and the perfect bike for losing weight. Do I keep
it as my touring bike and buy a faster, lighter road bike? Or do I
buy a decent touring bike and use it for all of my road riding? Will
I notice the difference between a road bike and a bare touring bike,
especially at my size? If it matters, I've never ridden a "real" road
bike since I've been a mtn biker for 20 of my 42 years.
Secondly, can anyone recommend some models for me to check out? I
think I would prefer steel, due to its durability and longevity. I
plan on keeping the bike for a long time. I realize that fit will be
a big part of the decision but I'm just looking to narrow the field a
bit. The brands available locally are: Trek, Specialized, Lemond,
KHS, Marin. I'd be willing to drive a bit if you have recommendations
other than these brands. If anyone can point me to a source that
breaks down bikes by steel, aluminum, etc., I would appreciate it. By
the way, I'll be using the bike primarily for fitness rides of 20-60
miles, but working up to a century ride. I'll also be doing 1 or 2
two week fully loaded tours/year.
Thanks for the help!
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