PJ352 said:
Understood. I personally don't care for Giant's sizing, and we have a LBS by me that IMO has that arrogant roadie 'tude going, so I avoid both.
You live in Birmingham too???? same situation here...except our LBS with the 'tude is also the Giant dealer...so I get to avoid both at the same time!
Back to the OP's inquiry --- instead of which "brand" to consider, you might want to pick your material and bike styles first. Most carbon fiber racer style bikes, like the Madone, are similar...if you have a good relationship with your LBS, you certainly wouldn't be going wrong, but I think you'd be happier with your purchase if you rode some others first. If anything, to eliminate the doubt.
Personally, I've ridden a couple of freinds' carbon fiber bikes and they"re very nice, but at this point in my riding life, that if I was going to spend any money on a new bike, I'd probably just go all out and get a custom titanium ride. Until then, my mid-80s steel keeps me happy.
If I were you, find a local bike junkie and pick up on a used bike in your size...ride until you decide what you really want...then ride some more to make sure thats what you want. I recently got back into mtn biking and rode a used/cheapo GT Avalanche for two years and after falling in love with lots of mtn bikes over the past year, just found the new mtn bike for me. Surprisingly, it was none of the bikes I initially considered!
Good luck!
