[barside laundry]

I am relatively new to the sport so I bought an aluminum mercier from bikesdirect (mostly because of the full ultegra group). I found a new 2005 r500 frame and fork for sale really cheap and I am wondering if this frame is better than what I have. is the r500 any different from a race frame? The specs between the r1000 and r500 are almost identical. Thoughts?

 

[zosocane]

The R700 frame is a CAAD8 Optimo, which is the same frame ridden by some of the Saeco and Lampre-Caffita riders that preferred all aluminum stiffness (e.g., Cunego, Commesso) as an alternative to the hybrid Six13. The components on the R700 are generally basic but you get the same top-notch frame. I'm not familiar with the R500 but imagine it would be the same.