03 Trek 1200

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by dlgrant
I am new to the whole road bike thing. I have been admiring the sport for several months, and want a bike bad. My LBS has a 2003 Trek 1200, I had looked at it in the fall (the same bike) and they still have it. Then it was 899.00, and they were willing to go to 750.00. I Have Two questions 1- is this a good bike to start with, 2- what would be a good price now??? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated..

That last price doesn't sound to bad... Understand your LBS probably doesn't have a great deal of margin to work with so can't go much lower. (Ask him about discounts on accs. water bottles, cages, computer, bike shorts etc.)

That might be a fine bike to begin with. Does it have Shimano 105 like the 2004 1200's? The 105 group isn't a bad entry level component group. I raced on 105's many many times. My first Trek had 105 grouppo....but that was 1989..and the bike had down tube shifters.

Does your budget absolutely demand that the bike cost less than 1k? Just a few hundred more dollars and your options offer many more possibilities...which would include Ultegra components.

Have you seen this...
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/common/products/productdisplay2_v2.cfm?PRRFNBR=28550&CGRFNBR=273&CRPCGNBR=273&CI=1,223,273&TextMode=0

That said....I think there are some advantages to buying from the local bike shop versus shopping online.

Regards, Kevin

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Cipher
That last price doesn't sound to bad... Understand your LBS probably doesn't have a great deal of margin to work with so can't go much lower. (Ask him about discounts on accs. water bottles, cages, computer, bike shorts etc.)

Have you checked the 2004 GIANT OCR2? I'm also new, anxiously awaiting my first road bike purchase, but have decided that the OCR2 will be the entry bike for me...Shimano 105, carbon fork, Shimano clipless pedals

My LBS has it on sale for $720!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by dlgrant
I am new to the whole road bike thing. I have been admiring the sport for several months, and want a bike bad. My LBS has a 2003 Trek 1200, I had looked at it in the fall (the same bike) and they still have it. Then it was 899.00, and they were willing to go to 750.00. I Have Two questions 1- is this a good bike to start with, 2- what would be a good price now??? Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated..

It's a good bike at a good price. If you're completely sure that road cycling will be of interest to you going forward, I'd suggest buying a better bike or else you'll likely want to upgrade in a year which plays more havic on the budget then saving a few bucks now.

However if your budget only allows for an entry bike and you'd rather play it out and learn what things you like in a ride, then the 1200 is a good place to start.

One thing you want to do, however, is find the bike that's good for you. If you're only interested in the 1200 because it's on sale, you may be buying it for the wrong reason. Especially in regards to size, there are some sacrifices that aren't worth any monetary savings.

Trek 1400 is much better cause it has shim 105 parts and better aluminum frame than 1200 .