Gunnar Roadie

Price Paid:  $1500.00 at Hearn's Bikes, Ashev

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere in WNC

Bike Setup:
Bike it set up with triple for mountain terrain, relatively high stem/bars for comfort.

Summary:
54 cm metallic blue Gunnar Roadie, Reynolds Ouza comp fork, Ultegra brakes and rear derailleur, 105 10 speed shifters, Centaur front derailleur,FSA Gossamer triple crankset, Chris King headset, Mavic Akysium wheels, Thompson seatpost, Hutchinson tires. 20 lbs.

Strengths:
beautiful build quality, good climbing ability, wonderful rides on rough surfaces, fast enough for me, refreshing for a long ride.

Weaknesses:
Could use better quality crank. I also wish it had fancy lugs like my Paramount.

Similar Products Used:
1991 Paramount
Bianchi Veloce
Viking from Les Holland

Price Paid:  $750.00 at eBay

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere

Bike Setup:
Full Ultegra, Shimano wheels (not sure of make), King headset, your usual inexpensive stem, seatpost and bar.

Summary:
I adore this bike, just ask my girlfriend. I bought this Roadie, which is from 2001, on eBay other this winter, and I regard it as one of the best purchases I've ever made. I'm logged nearly 3000 miles on it, despite the winter and the exceedingly wet spring, since February.

I'm hardly nationalistic, but I take a bit of pride in knowing that my bike was handmade in America by a skilled builder working in the legendary Waterford plant.

I find this bike is great for the type of riding I do, which is local road races and lots of long, fast rides through various locales and terrain. The Roadie definitely has "aggressive" geometry, which is exactly what I wanted. The steel frame does a great job of absorbing road vibrations, which is nice if you live somewhere where potholes never get patched.

Since February, this bike is my daily commuter. I own a car, but it's rarely used since I work less than a mile from my home, and everything I need is within reach (or my girlfriend brings home for me). It's definitely NOT a do-all bike, for that, I have a Surly Cross-Check, but I love this bike so much, that I find every excuse I can to get on and ride. I'll leave the panniers at home and take my messenger bag with me to the store, just so I can get more quality time with the bike, even if it means that my cans of orange juice concentrate stab me in the back on the ride home.

If you're considering getting a Gunnar, I wouldn't hesitate. It's far and away the best value is handmade steel around. It'll probably be the least expensive lifetime investment you'll ever make.

Strengths:
Weight - My 51cm weighs in at 19 lbs. with mountain bike pedals, cages, lights and framepump. "Race weight" is probably closer to 18 pounds, which is one-fourth more than the Specialized Roubaix we just had in the shop. If I put got some Ksyriums or Zipp wheels, it could also get into "weight weenie" territory.

Stiffness - I notice no discernible flex in the frame, no matter how hard I am pedaling, or what hill I'm climbing. It rides extremely similar to my old Giant TCR, which I consider to be a very stiff bike.

Steel - As cliché as it sound, steel has a ride quality that was absent in most of my other bikes. It's also durable, which I fortunately don't need, since I don't crash much, but it's nice to know that it's there. This bike should last me a lifetime.

Geometry - I honestly don't know how Gunnar could have done it any better than they did with the Roadie. More than one person has asked me if it's a custom job, because the bike fits me so well. Maybe I just got lucky, or maybe the Waterford guys know how to design bikes. I like this geometry so much that if I were ever going full-custom (doubtful), I would have the builder base my bike on this.

Weaknesses:
Paint chips if you look at it wrong.

Frame seems to attract water if you ride in the rain. Somehow, it gets wetter than my other steel bikes. I applied Frame Saver, but you never like to see water dripping out of your chainstay.

Similar Products Used:
Lots of steel road bikes of various vintages, a Trek 5200 and a Giant TCR0.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Allanti Bicycle Co.

Favorite Ride:
The Derby

Bike Setup:
campy record 10, chorus ultra 10 crank, ritchey wcs alloy support, ritchey pro ds wheelset sam marco rolls saddle.

Summary:
When i decided to set myself up with a new bike, I wanted to give new steele a try. After 20 years racing, I really didn't compete anymore. I wanted something that was going to be a blast to ride if I felt like commuting, touring, or racing. I was looking at Waterfords, but after some extensive fitting, i found I didn't need to go the custom route, so i settled on the Roadie frame in a 62 cm size. In the last 2 years, I have logged about 4500 miles on my Gunnar and have even discovered the fun of racing again. The bike is light for anything it's size at 19 lbs. (especially considering that it was built to handle a 230# sprinter). just like everyone else, the paint chips easy, but you can easily pay a little more for the full waterford paint treatment (rustproofing, and baking). I always think about getting a new bike, but I just can't find something that rides as beautifully as this one (at the same price anyway). Steele still runs the show.

Strengths:
Best non- custom steele frame on the market. The geometry can accomidate a wide variety of riders. You order the frame from your LBS and then you can customize the build. Believe the hype, once you ride high end steele, you will be a fan!

Weaknesses:
weaknesses? well, I really like cheeseburgers and good lager. oh, and you may want to get the Waterford paint treatment for your Gunnar. It's worth the few extra bucks for the long term.

Similar Products Used:
trek madone 5.2, Raleigh R-700, Seven Axiom Race (can't knock the seven, it just cost too much for now)

Price Paid:  $1400.00 at Stone's Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
marin county

Bike Setup:
Ritchey WCS, Flight saddle, full Ultegra

Summary:
Best bike I've ever ridden. Stiff, fast and steady. If you're not in the Tour, steel is the only bike to ride. Pick up a Gunnar and leave it to your children, if you have them, and they'll love you forever.

Strengths:
stiff, light (relative), color

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
trek 5500, Orbea Starship, Fuji Roubaix SL

Price Paid:  $2300.00 at Just the Right Gear,

Favorite Ride:
Gunnar Roadie

Bike Setup:
Ultegra drivetrain with exception of Truvative Compact Crank (36/50) Reynolds bar with FSA Aluminum Stem and FSA carbon seatpost.

Summary:
This is a great riding bike that should last a lifetime. It replaced a 1993 Bridgestone RB1 that had a run in with an SUV with me on it. The ride quality is very similar. The weight is lighter. The biggest difference is the lateral stiffness of the roadie. I can stand up on this thing and put my 185 lbs behind it and there is very little give in the bottom. Even on the trainer there is little give. The factory carbon fork is stiff but comfortable.

The finish seems to be much improved from previous posts. It has yellow on gold that was a color of the month. It has a clearcoat over decals that makes it shine like the sun outside.

Strengths:
Ride feel. Paint finish is excellent. I have dropped the chain and has some chain suck issues (see below) but the paint has not been chipped or scratched.

Weaknesses:
Welds not the prettiest ever. Seat collar is rough. I kept dropping the chain when shifting to the lower ring but I think that has been remedied by canting the derailleur cage a couple of degrees out.

Similar Products Used:
Bridgestone RB1