| Re: Need advise on a Serotta purchase
loubla...@gmail.com wrote:
> Thank you for your very sound advise. I'm an upper middle age guy and
> the only excersise I get is riding - 100 miles a week weather
> permitting. Being tall and realizing I probably won't be buying too
> many more bikes the idea of having a frame custom built so that it is
> optimized to my physique and riding style is appealling, thus the
> Serotta. Not be up on the road bike scene I was surprised to find that
> a completely built up bike would cost nearly three times the price of
> the frame. I guess my real question is where is my sweet spot? Are the
> components going into this bike over kill and would a bike costing,
> say $500 less provide the same benefit? If the component group is
> indeed that critical and important than perhaps it would also be wise
> to upgrade to a better frame. Of course, the dealers motovations are
> different from mine and his advise will reflect that perspective.
I think a good starting point would be to verbalize what you don't
like about your old Cannondale. What do you want it to do that it
can't.
For your kind of riding (as with mine), reliability, comfort, fit,
smooth shifting, appropriate gearing, good braking, and reasonable
weight are probably your main objectives. How does your Cannondale
stack up in those categories?
In most cases, you should be able to find a stock bike that (with
proper adjustment) will fit you fine. I'm 6'3" and never had a problem
getting a stock bike to fit. It might be more prudent to spend $100 or
so for a good fitting (that takes into account your riding style and
preferences) than to buy a custom frame that you can't test ride until
it's built.
Modern components from Campagnolo or Shimano all work very well, even
at the low end. There's little reason to buy the top of the line
components.
There's nothing wrong with conventional handbuilt wheels, aluminum
seat posts, etc. Fancy looking stuff is often just marketing. You may
find that a $1200-1500 bike will provide everything you want.
Art Harris
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