I Dig Mine....
weasy said:
I'm looking for a new ride. Been on a '95 Cannondale (pre CAAD) for a while and it is beating me up. Looking for something I can ride longer than an hour and half and do some centurys and fast riding on.
I've really like the Trek 5200 and have pondered Litespeed but don't think I can afford it.
Some of the Dean specs look really impressive and I know they've been around for a while but have never heard any opinions on them.
I have been riding a Dean El Diente CTI for about a year now -- and I love it. My prior "good" bike was also a Cannondale, a CAAD3 for me.
The Plusses:
Nicely made, clean welds, alignment was good
You can get a semi-custom at no charge -- they will tweak with tubing gauge (wall thickness) to match your weight and desires. I'm big (190 lbs.) and like a stiff bike, so they beefed up the down tube and chain stays.
Comfortable geometry -- it's more stable than my Cannondale, and very comfortable over the road. Stiff in the bottom bracket, yet compliant. It has big tubes, like my CAAD3, so I think of it as my titanium Cannondale.
Service -- I had an "issue" with a stuck seatpost (it wedged itself immovably in the seatpost sleeve that Dean sticks in the seat tube -- I got the post out only after the sleeve parted company with the frame). Dean repaired the sleeve at no charge, sold me a new seat post (an Easton, to replace the Campy that got stuck) at their cost, and had the bike back to me in a week.
John and the guys in the shop are great to talk to and work with.
The Minuses:
Delivery was a nightmare. My frame took a trip to Spectrum for powdercoating, and it is claimed that this caused the delay in getting my bike. Basically it was three months late from when it was promised.
The Powdercoating: It looks killer, but it isn't bulletproof. It's very strong up to a point, but when you pass that point it chips pretty bad. I may take it off at some point.
The decals suck. They are vinyl. "Suck" may be a bit strong, because so far they are holding up. I'd prefer decals. And the headbadge is hideous.