Ok, as I’ve been writing posts on “How To Buy A Road Bike” I have been going through the process myself. I have done my research and budgeting and have narrowed my list of potential bikes to these:
- Cannondale SystemSix- It is at the high end of my budget but I would like to have the SRAM component group if possible. I’ll test ride it in the next day or two.
- Cannondale Six13- This should be right in the middle of my budget. I’ve heard mostly good and a couple of bad things about this bike so I am looking forward to a test ride to see for myself.
- Cannondale Synapse- This is a “relaxed geometry” bike that has received good reviews. I want to try it to see if I like the slightly less aggressive setup.
- Specialized Tarmac- I am looking forward to riding this since I have had good experience with my current Specialized Allez. I have a buddy who has a Tarmac and he really likes it. We’ll see.
- Specialized Roubaix- This is another relaxed geometry road bike that has received many positive reviews.
- Scott CR1- I have seen this bike on a few rides and people seem to really like it. It has a good reputation and it fits my budget.
All of these bikes are within my budget ($2500 or less). I am looking for a bike that I can use for quick group rides as well as centuries. All of these bikes should be able to do that. Once I test ride these I should be able to pick he right bike for me. I plan on spending time this weekend testing the bikes and will let you know how things go. I will also post the next part of my “how to buy a road bike” series, how to test ride a bike, in the next day or two.
