Hello all,
I'll admit right off the bat that this is a sort of embarrassing post. :blush2:
I'm looking for a new road bike after riding my ancient tag sale Nishiki for over 15 years. God only knows how old it is since I bought it used. It's a guy's bike. It's too big for me - but it's "fleet" looking, like a Thoroughbred, and even though reaching the brakes is a bit of a stretch I've been okay with it. I don't ride it much because I do lots of other things (ride my horse; garden like a demon, etc). And you all might say (rightly so) I don't ride it much because it doesn't fit me. Now I want a good bike that fits.
So I've been to my LBS and they did the computer fit thingy. I seem to need a 48 - 50 cm frame but after reading lots of posts here I see how random that number is. It doesn't seem to mean much from one bike to the next. My LBS tried to sell me a new Felt WSD bike but it looked bloated, like it was pre-menstral hormonal or something. And it looked plastic-y. I said I would rather have a used bike since I think it's a better value, given what I do and that I would rather have a bike with soul than spanking new.
I've been checking ebay but the fit thing is making me shy about buying online. Plus I like the idea of supporting my LBS. They're good guys. Problem is they don't have a lot of used bikes to offer. They did come up with an Jamis Eclipse 2008 ($1000) that has a lot of Felt parts on it. Cool bike. I like how stiff and "ground huggy" it feels, like a sports car that really grips the road. But I feel a little cramped in it. (Maybe because I am used to a too big bike?). They also found a Jamis Satellite ($499) that gave me a little more breathing room (the top bar is 53 cm) but there was some rust on it and it seemed a bit loose (or maybe I was already spoiled riding the Eclipse?).
So I've been trying to figure these things out and (here comes the embarrassing part) I saw some Bianchi bikes online. There just seems something cool about an Italian bike. (that's the embarrassing admission). I like the color. (am feeling really superficial now). I like that they don't seem as common as the mass produced-in-Taiwan bikes.
So my question after this long prelude: are they good bikes? Are they still made in Italy? Does this matter at all? (I did not post this on the Bianchi -specific forum because I wanted more objective answers). If I am 5'6" and strong, evenly proportioned, athletic but not a seasoned (clearly) bike rider... is there an older model that I should be looking at?
Am I nuts to let a superficial thing like "made in Italy" or cool color guide me? (I think some of you will understand since you know a bike is a thing of beauty and that is important too).
Sorry for the long-windedness here. I'm sort of obsessing about all this.
Oh, and if my LBS doesn't have a Bianchi - should I attempt ebay? (we live in a small town in the middle of nowhere in Massachusetts so I have just one LBS).
Many thanks!!!
I'll admit right off the bat that this is a sort of embarrassing post. :blush2:
I'm looking for a new road bike after riding my ancient tag sale Nishiki for over 15 years. God only knows how old it is since I bought it used. It's a guy's bike. It's too big for me - but it's "fleet" looking, like a Thoroughbred, and even though reaching the brakes is a bit of a stretch I've been okay with it. I don't ride it much because I do lots of other things (ride my horse; garden like a demon, etc). And you all might say (rightly so) I don't ride it much because it doesn't fit me. Now I want a good bike that fits.
So I've been to my LBS and they did the computer fit thingy. I seem to need a 48 - 50 cm frame but after reading lots of posts here I see how random that number is. It doesn't seem to mean much from one bike to the next. My LBS tried to sell me a new Felt WSD bike but it looked bloated, like it was pre-menstral hormonal or something. And it looked plastic-y. I said I would rather have a used bike since I think it's a better value, given what I do and that I would rather have a bike with soul than spanking new.
I've been checking ebay but the fit thing is making me shy about buying online. Plus I like the idea of supporting my LBS. They're good guys. Problem is they don't have a lot of used bikes to offer. They did come up with an Jamis Eclipse 2008 ($1000) that has a lot of Felt parts on it. Cool bike. I like how stiff and "ground huggy" it feels, like a sports car that really grips the road. But I feel a little cramped in it. (Maybe because I am used to a too big bike?). They also found a Jamis Satellite ($499) that gave me a little more breathing room (the top bar is 53 cm) but there was some rust on it and it seemed a bit loose (or maybe I was already spoiled riding the Eclipse?).
So I've been trying to figure these things out and (here comes the embarrassing part) I saw some Bianchi bikes online. There just seems something cool about an Italian bike. (that's the embarrassing admission). I like the color. (am feeling really superficial now). I like that they don't seem as common as the mass produced-in-Taiwan bikes.
So my question after this long prelude: are they good bikes? Are they still made in Italy? Does this matter at all? (I did not post this on the Bianchi -specific forum because I wanted more objective answers). If I am 5'6" and strong, evenly proportioned, athletic but not a seasoned (clearly) bike rider... is there an older model that I should be looking at?
Am I nuts to let a superficial thing like "made in Italy" or cool color guide me? (I think some of you will understand since you know a bike is a thing of beauty and that is important too).
Sorry for the long-windedness here. I'm sort of obsessing about all this.
Oh, and if my LBS doesn't have a Bianchi - should I attempt ebay? (we live in a small town in the middle of nowhere in Massachusetts so I have just one LBS).
Many thanks!!!
