Conference noted::bicycle

    You've done a lot with your Ross.  Most people would envy your pace
    on a racing bike, especially knowing that you weigh 200 lbs. (I 
    assume that you're not 6'7".)  
    
    You should take advantage of the excellent aerobic condition you've
    worked yourself into and get a better bike.  You WON'T BELIEVE the
    difference that ANY bike in the $5-700 range will give you over your 
    Ross.  In fact, I'd caution you to be really picky, because anything
    you test ride (even the worst) in this price range will seem like
    magic.  
    
    On the other hand, don't get worried.  The range you mentioned is
    the most competitive there is.  Nobody sells a bad bike in this
    price range.  What I'd concentrate most is finding a bike that fits,
    and then getting in shape to take advantage of your obvious natural
    talents at biking.  You'll love it (as others in this conference
    have), and you'll even be able to say you're better at it than most
    people.  
    
    MATT

    
    First, I agree with Matt - great going!  Keep it up!
    
    It's troublesome that it looks like you're constrained to roads
    with a lot of traffic and poor surfaces.  Do you have alternatives?
    
    When you get your nicer bike, you'll probably want to do more with
    it, faster, farther, as you prefer.  Also, the tires and rims are
    likely to be more prone to flats, not less (alas).  Something to
    think about.
    
    If you had gobs of money, I'd even suggest getting a fat-tired
    street-bike (vs. road bike), as a 3rd bike, of course, so you
    wouldn't have to be bothered by road conditions so much.
    
    Good luck!
    -john

    Go out and find the nearest TREK dealer. They have a real good
    selection of bikes in that range and the company stands by what
    it sells. I bought a TREK 1100 and something fairly minor broke
    on frame and they replaced it no questions asked. (Just like a
    Craftsman!) 
    
    And it can go at least 17 mph's to outrun all the dogs in the
    neighborhood. 
    
    Fred Mudgett 

    Wow, this sounds like a total deja vu to me.  A couple years ago, I
    bought a new Trek to replace my old Ross Grand Tour II.  I was also
    looking in the 5-700 range for the new bike.
    
    The biggest difference you will notice with the new bike is the weight. 
    I still have the Ross - I only ride it on those nice days in January
    when I don't want to get the Trek covered with salt - the thing weighs
    a ton.  
    
    I would suggest going to every bike shop near you, and riding every
    single bike these shops have in the 5-700 price range.  I probably rode
    100 bikes before I decided on the Trek.  I would also suggest opting
    for a better frame as opposed to better components - you can always
    upgrade your componenets over time, but it's exensive to upgrade the
    frame.
    
    	-Nancy

    Nancy is right on.  You can upgrade the components later on, over
    several years in fact, but you want to get as much frame for the
    money that you can, which is why you should consider a low end
    Cannondale.  The frame on the low end c-dales is essentially the
    same frame on the high end stock without the expensive gruppo.
    
    If you have never tried an aluminum frame out be sure to ride one
    before you make your final selection.  You'll be amazed at the 
    difference.
    							_Jerry

    Thanks for the suggestions.
    
    I went out and found a TREK dealer and rode the Aluminum.  It was like
    "Magic".  The frame fit real well, the bike was very responsive.  Very
    conmfortable.  I was about ready to buy it right then.
    
    Then I tried a C-dale.  I was unpleasantly suprised with the bike. 
    (I don't remember the model).  It was a very stiff ride, but more
    important it was actually uncomfortable for me.  It felt like I was
    straced out to far.  Even though the C-dale had about an inch less of a
    wheel base than the TREK it still felt like I was streached out to far. 
    When I told the dealer that he put me on the C-dale SR300.  That was a
    beautiful thing.  I guess the SR300 has more of an upright posture,
    which seems like its more for me.  
    
    The TREK was about $550 and the SR300 was $475.  Does that sound
    about right.
    
    Any more suggestions?
    
    Thanks
    
    David
    

    Hi David,
      	$475 is about right for an SR300 (Use to be that a 300 was ~ $300,
    a 400 ~ $400 and so on, but not any more :-( ).  If your going
    to pay full price though, make sure the dealer throws in some
    extras like a spenco saddle, water bottle cage and bottle, pump,
    spare tubes, etc.  They'll usually do this if the bike isn't already
    on sale.  Good luck.
    
    								_Jerry

    Hi Dave,
    
    My suggestion is that you go out and test ride more bikes. So far you
    looked at 2 models. Try some cro-moly frames also. The Aluminium frames
    are usually about 1-1.5 pound lighter but since you are a heavy guy.
    You might not notice the difference as much. In the end, you will find
    the right bike for you.
    
    As for the C-dale, the SR300 is made more for a sport touring rider 
    (upright position). This is alright if you plan to do some occasional 
    riding but I would suggest you look at the 3.0 frame that C-dale makes. 
    It usually starts with the Shimano 105 which is about $550 and continue 
    to the $2000 Dura Aca and Campy set up. If you feel like you are
    stretched out on some bike. See if the bike shop will switch to a
    shorter stem or move the seat up to adjust the fit. Most good bike shop
    would do this free of charge especially at this price range. Also,
    try to getting Fit Kitted if you are still having trouble. It cost
    about $25-40 but the dealer usually takes it off the price of the bike
    if you decide to purchase one from the bike shop where you got fitted.
    
    Anyway, just keep on trying those bikes until you are sure you found
    the right one. Good Luck and Happy Biking.
    
    Dave
        
    

     I finally finished painting a condo for a friend a few weeks ago. And
    no this isn't home::improvements. But what I did was take the money I
    earned, Nancy Hannula's advise and buy a new bike.
    
     I looked at:
    
     C-Dale's, too twitichy for me 
    
     Vitius, too soft
    
     Specialized, I kinda liked this one but wanted hi tech even if I do
    work on PDP 15's
    
     I bought a Trek 1200. I had a chance to put some miles on it the last two
    weekends and I love it.
    
     It's white with gray and lavender trim. 
    
    It came with a Vett gel Turbo saaddle, nice
    
    SR version of Modolo bars. I don't generally spend a lot of time in the
    drops execpt going down hill. With these bars I feel as if I am in more
    control and they are more comfortable.
    
    Shimano RX100 (this is this the new version of 105)
    The 90 1200's do not come with Biopace. The RX100 has hyper-glide and
    super-glide. This does shift smother but, I wouldn't spend big bucks
    just to upgrade to hyper/super-glide on a road bike. One of the nicest
    things about the RX100 is the brakes. They are much easier to center if
    you have take a wheel off. There is a new center piece with a
    phillips head screw that will center the brakes instead of having to
    adjust the brakes on the fork or seat tube.
    
     I also have the same problem as "Bat" ( I forgot the note #) this bike
    is geared different and I'm having a tough time on hills. It's now a 7
    spd I might be able to go to an 8 spd or try a 39t inner as some one
    suggested.
    
    
     I like this bike lots. It rides and handles great. Also somewhere (I
    am not going to admit where) in this notes file I have stated I can't
    tell the difference between bikes if you come across this note in the
    future please disregard.
    
     The only regret I have is that I did not sick out last Monday when it
    was 81o.
    
     I would recommend this bike. It's a great one.
    
    Joe
    

    
    Sounds like a very enjoyable bike!  Nice description.
    
    -john

    I'll cast another vote for Trek.  I recently bought a Trek 1400 and
    love it.  I had test ridden a 1200 this past spring and liked it quite
    a bit but couldn't part with the $ at the time.  A few months later and
    some stand by pay in my pocket I tried a 1400 and couldn't leave
    without it.  As well as an aluminum frame, it also has an aluminum fork
    which gives the bike an even nicer ride.  The Trek is plenty stiff for
    me but rides much nicer than the Cdale ST500 that it replaced.  The
    fit, finish, and functionality of the Trek is exceptional.
    
    I still have the Cdale as a backup bike but it may be for sale this
    spring.  I just need to convince myself that I really can climb Hoosier
    pass (from the Breck side) without a granny gear.  :-)  :-)  :-)
    
    Mark
    

    I went out over the Thanksgiving break and test rode the TREK 1200.  It
    handled really well, and the fit was exceptional.  Also I found that it 
    was very comfortable to ride (the geometry fo the bike was
    comfortable), and the gears reacted quite nicely.  I did have a slight
    problem with the bike.  While I was test riding this bike with white
    tape around the handle bars a tag that was attached to the bike was
    stuck near the gear lever and was rubing against the tire.  When I went
    to pull the paper away from the tire my finger got caught in the
    spokes.  What a mess.  I didn't go to the Hospitol but I suppose I
    should have.  They wanted $575 for the bike with red stains on the
    white handle bars.   
    
    I went to another bike store and test rode the Cdale SR500.  I liked
    the fit, the gears, the comfort, the color, and for 475 for a 1989 plus
    ten bucks to upgrade the seat to a gel seat and to change the tape on
    the handle bars from blue (black bike) to black, thats the one I
    bought.  
    
    I'll pick it up Saturday, I can't wait.
    
    It really seemed like there are only two choices in bikes in this price
    range, TREK and Cdale?
    
    Thanks for the suggestions.
    

    David,
    	
    	Congratulations and welcome to the club ( C-Dale's Unlimited :-) )
    What wheels and equipment group came with the 500?  
    
    						_Jerry

    Jerry:
    
    The Cdale SR500 came with the criterion 105 group, I'll have to check
    but I'm pretty sure it came with wheels.  Only joking of course it came
    with wheels, I don't know what wheels.
    
    I'll keep you guys posted on how it performs.
    
    By the way, I also (for the first time) bought a helmet, Bell Quest.
    
    David
    
    

    That price seems quite reasonable.  Where did you buy your bike?  What
    sort of inventory did they have?

    Like I mentioned I'm from Long Island.  I bought the bike at a place
    called "Bikes Fantastic".  Its like on the Nassau/Queens border.  They
    have a large variety of bikes ranging from the standard beginner bikes
    up to the most sophisticated.  Their biggest selection is in the
    mid-range area, from $500-$1,500.  Since I got the '89 version, there
    stock was a little limited, but they did have a very nice variety. 
    This place also sells components and frames, so that they have a very
    capable service department.  By the way I bought some other accessories
    at the same time and as an earlier note mentioned he threw in the pump. 
    I was suprised that I couldn't talk him out of charging me tax.