Bike Decision: Deferred 24 hours
First, I'm seeing a disappointing lack of democratic activity here, ahem, ahem, ahem.
Additional information to chew on...
I went to the store selling this pretty, and showed him the catalog from the other store selling this other pretty, and asked him if anything stood out in the parts description, or anything else, I should be aware of - to help explain the lower cost (e.g. qualitative difference)? He looked at it carefully, and sheepishly said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but the other bike is just as good, and you could save a couple hundred dollars." He did add that though he has heard nothing explicitly negative about Fuji, they have tended to sell less expensive bikes, while Le Mond has been "making bikes forever."
Still, the first pretty is a contender, because it is marginally more comfortable. Though I'll almost certainly take the second pretty for a ride again to test this perception anew.
Frankly, as you no doubt saw, the Scott Speedster S30 is out of the running, because the Roubaix Pro is a qualitatively better bike for roughly the same cost.
Ultimately, the test between the two Al-C alloy bikes comes down to this question: is marginally better comfort, one worse part, and a better manufacturer's name worth $300 more? And as importantly, what will my opinion be on day 5 of the ride?
Additional information to chew on...
I went to the store selling this pretty, and showed him the catalog from the other store selling this other pretty, and asked him if anything stood out in the parts description, or anything else, I should be aware of - to help explain the lower cost (e.g. qualitative difference)? He looked at it carefully, and sheepishly said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but the other bike is just as good, and you could save a couple hundred dollars." He did add that though he has heard nothing explicitly negative about Fuji, they have tended to sell less expensive bikes, while Le Mond has been "making bikes forever."
Still, the first pretty is a contender, because it is marginally more comfortable. Though I'll almost certainly take the second pretty for a ride again to test this perception anew.
Frankly, as you no doubt saw, the Scott Speedster S30 is out of the running, because the Roubaix Pro is a qualitatively better bike for roughly the same cost.
Ultimately, the test between the two Al-C alloy bikes comes down to this question: is marginally better comfort, one worse part, and a better manufacturer's name worth $300 more? And as importantly, what will my opinion be on day 5 of the ride?