I know I must be crazy for analyzing this so much, but I have been very close to purchasing a new Road Bike and I wanted the best bike for the money and I do have a budget and the bikes I had to choose from in my price range were a Felt F55, Giant Composite TCR 2, Trek 5000 and an Orbea aluminum with Carbon stays and Fork. (Bikes my LBS sells) I thought the Felt was the best value with the part seection and wheels, but I took the bike on a long test ride and changed to my Look pedals to get a good test ride, and while very fast and light it definitely rode harsh or rough at times over bumps as compared to the Giant and Trek. The Trek and Orbea seemed too expensive for what I was getting and the Giant seemed like the best ride and value. I am guessing this is due to the ride quality of the full carbon frame. Is this correct? Am I missing something because I still see a lot of people riding aluminum with carbon stays. Still Deciding. Any feedback will be helpful because I want this bike for a while. Side Note. I was able to test ride the Orbea Orca (for fun) and way too pricey for me, what an excellent bike. Probably the best bike I will ever ride. Thanks Again.
Find a fitter you trust.
Ask his advice.
Take his advice.
Buy a bike.
Wear a helmet.
Have fun.
Maybe you should put that as your tagline instead of the mario quote.
That’s a good idea.
I like aluminum for its stiffness, but the bike below (which I just finished building up) has a carbon fork and carbon stays, and it seems (although ‘feel’ is highly subjective) to ride decently. Follow Tom’s advice and you can’t go wrong.
T.