Hi, I'm looking into road bikes, I have never owned one before. I have just had a couple of poor quality mountain bikes. It would be used for commuting mainly. Sometime when I have been riding fast on my mountain bike I have felt like I would like aero bars, so I'm considering that.

It seems that the Shimano 105 groupset would be the way to go for me as I want a quality fast bike that will last but I am not racing and I'm not too concerned about a little extra weight. What do you guys think?

I have been looking at Avanti and Specialised bikes. The most appealling one so far seems to be the Specialised Allez Elite, but I have seen on the net that some people do not like the wheels (Alex ALX-330 I believe). Are these wheels not good? I was under the impression that the hubs were completely sealed which is supposed to be a good thing.

I would really appreciate advice here. Thanks!

I just bought that bike wieghing in @ 14.7 lbs
After i put areo bars,pedals,cages,computers ect..... It now weighs around 16.8 give or take
I have had 2 pinch flats but even with no tire inflation they didnt loose true. Overall if you were to use this bike for moderate racing you could. I would upgrade the handle bar and stem to carbon to drop weight and help on vibration. If you get a computer for the bike it will have to fit 31.8 mm oversized bars.(only on problem so far)Overall the bike comes w/good components e and is very light and responsive. I was not going to get this bike because of shimano 105 but they work just as well as higher priced components. They only weigh a few more grams. Its like taking a quarter out of your pocket for gods sakes.Hiope this helps.

road bike that's for sure. I wouldn't put aero bars on until you get used to riding a road bike for a while; for commuting they're pretty much useless (dangerous even). I wouldn't worry about the wheelset until you have more experience either; you can get yourself a nicer set after you use the first ones up some. Sealed cartridge bearings do not mean weather proof. It's just a type of bearing and it's not truly "sealed" in most cases. Some hub designs are pretty bulletproof in terms of how well the seals work, others aren't, but unless you do a lot of rain riding, I wouldn't worry too much.

I just bought that bike wieghing in @ 14.7 lbs
After i put areo bars,pedals,cages,computers ect..... It now weighs around 16.8 give or take


Nothing like a little creative weighing to make a $1000 105 equipped bike sound great eh?

DMB,

You have already *correctly* made the most critical decision and that was to go to a local bike store (high quality) rather than a large sporting goods store (generally low). The two makers of bicycles that you mentioned offer quality products that will serve you well. With a little advice from the shop keepers, you will not go wrong.

The important thing is that the bicycle fits you and that you feel good about it. Just tell your bike shop people what kind of riding you would like to do. Whether it is "I just want a bike that I can ride to the park and watch my kid's softball game" or "I want to get into shape because next summer I plan on taking a bike trip from Chicago to St Louis" tell them what you want to do and they are going to find you a bike that fits your needs.

...Now about those wheels and what you have heard...again the stuff you find at your local bike shop are mainly quality products. I am going to tell a tale out of school. We cyclists like to sit around and talk about how our human senses can tell the difference between one kind of rock hard metal and another. It makes us feel smart and experienced and better than the other guy. For the most part it is a bunch of baloney. So get the bike you want and have fun...and tell us about it.

Enjoy yourself and good luck.
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