Iron Horse Bicycle Company, Inc. 2000 Victory

Price Paid:  $799.00 at Nashbar

Favorite Ride:
six 5-mile hilly park loops

Bike Setup:
Terry Fly saddle. Specialized Armadillo 'puncture-proof' tires. Cateye 5-led headlights.

Summary:
I've never spotted such a good a deal before or since. 853 thinwall lightweight steel with Ultegra is 'as good as it gets.'

Strengths:
Resilient 'eager' feel. Comfortable. Precise handling. Why pay lots more and get no more?

Weaknesses:
Nipple tore out of Sun rim on 1st ride. Relaced myself with $25 Mavic.

Similar Products Used:
You name it, I've probably ridden it.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at Nashbar

Bike Setup:
Reynolds 853 frame, Ultegra 9-speed, Cane Creek headset, Venus rims, Selle Italia Trans Am Flite saddle, LOOK pedals, Profile carbon fork (all except the saddle and pedals are original package)

Summary:
A fantastic ride for a competetive rider looking for a dependable, race-worthy ride, as well as a newcomer looking for something afdfordable- this bike has both.

Strengths:
I bought this bike for specific use in time trials and triathlons, with road training in between (I made my debut at triathlon this year, and it's my only bike). The "steel is real" frame is super comfortable on long rides, and I have nothing bad to say about its performance on cranking 15K time trials. The Ultegra gruppo is fantastic- the shifting is far smoother than any bike I have ever used. The wheels (Venus) were true right out of the box and have needed no adjustment after 1500 miles of riding. Kudos to the Iron Horse customer support- I was missing a brake hood cover when it arrived, and they shipped it Fed-Ex next day. I use it on everything (triathlon, TT's, group rides, and hillclimbs), and I wouldn't want anything else. A fast, comfortable bike that performs how you want it to. An EXCELLENT deal for the price.

Weaknesses:
big, bulky Nashbar saddle
no pedals included (but still a great deal)

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $850.00 at Nashbar

Bike Setup:
Stock

Summary:
Great Value! I think it rides better then my other bikes (listed above), fast, light, comfortable. For $850., you can't beat it. For $1300.+, you can. After dealing with Nashbar since the late 70's, I was disappointed with them. My order was placed the first day the bike went on sale. They sat on the order. When I enquired back, they sold out of my size so I had to go up 1. Needless to say, the whole process took 5-6 weeks.

Strengths:
Ultegra, 853 tubing, Profile Carbon fork.

Weaknesses:
Frame build - water bottle bosses off center.

Similar Products Used:
Lemond, Specialized, Giant

Price Paid:  $850.00 at nashbar

Bike Setup:
pretty much spec--subbed out seat, still adjusting, unfortunately

Summary:
all ultegra and carbon fork--got to be kidding at this price. Nicely set up. Rides very well and fast, even for a big guy (6'3" and 200 lbs). If you can find it for a price anything like this--you've go to be crazy to get most anything else.

Strengths:
great components for the price (got real cheap when nashbar was closing out their bike line)

Weaknesses:
needed a little truing and adjustment

Similar Products Used:
None

Bike Setup:
Full Ultegra, Mavic Open pro 32h, Dura Ace rear cassette, Michelin Axials, Sigma computer. Nice, cheap Nashbar pedals. Don't laugh, they work well and you can get them for peanuts.

Summary:
This is a good bike. I'm not sure if it's the best bike at the price. There are several other mail order places that have bikes at similar prices and have some nicer specs. I got mine at a significant discount and didn't have to have it shipped. I don't think that buying a $1000 bike without riding it is an intelligent move. I got to ride this bike before I bought it, which helped me with my decision. There are better bikes, and better deals. For someone who loves steel and wants race-level parts, this may be the way to go. I've put many miles on it (as many as a full time student can) and have been pleased with the bike. The bike has it's strengths and weaknesses. I'd say that the strenghts are greater. I'm gonna keep it.

Strengths:
The full Ultegra group, enough said. Wheels (note: I have the Mavic Open Pro rims, not the Sun rims that Nashbar provides standard. I'm not a big fan of the Sun rims. The bike rides very smoothly just as you'd expect from a steel frame. Geometry is typical of racing bikes, steers fast, corners well, comfortable at speed.

Weaknesses:
I'm a big rider (6'2" 220) and I flex the bottom bracket--a lot. This is a problem on almost any non-carbon fiber frame for me and would likely not affect most riders looking to purchase the bike. There is also a problem on many of the frames with the rear brake bridge being welded on crooked (I worked for Nashbar a couple of summers before Performance took over). The frame in general, other than the Sun rims, is my biggest complaint. The bike's a bargain, but Iron Horse brings the price down in the frame, not the parts. I think that it should be the other way around. It's not a bad frame, but at this price range, I would expect a better frame. That said, the frame does have some really nice touches-chromed seat and chain stays etc. It's a good functional frame, but it's what holds the bike back from being anything spectacular.

Similar Products Used:
Trek, Specialized, Schwinn, Cannondale, Lemond, etc.