[Biter]

Hey all,

I started riding road at the start of last season and am planning on racing this season. I picked up a cheap bike last year, a used Ironhorse Intrepid (853 steel, 105). My shifters died on me not long after I purchased the bike, and I put new 10 speed 105 shifters/chain/and cassette on the bike, and at the start of the winter got a good deal on some used DA wheels. So the group on this bike is fine for my purposes.

I'm on a fairly tight budget (uni student), I'm pretty light/short (so I feel I would notice a change in bike weight), and the roads I ride range from new pavement to chipseal.

I may have a line on a new Look 566 frame at a good price. Would this suit my purposes? Or should I be looking at something else? I'd like a frame that would be suited to riding fast/aggressively.

This will be my bike for racing, training, and long rides.

Or should I stop worrying about what I'm riding, enjoy my new wheels and get a season of racing under my belt before I shell out the cash for a new frame? (To be honest... I feel like this is probably the answer...)

Thanks!

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

Seeing as you mention money being tight just stick with what you have. Crashes happen and frames have.to be replaced.

 

[OGRipper]

Keep your current bike, ride the snot out of it, and save your limited cash for drivetrain parts, tires, and all the other stuff you will need to stay rolling.

 

[JRogers]

Yeah, stick with the Iron Horse. I don't know if it's a good idea (esp. if you're racing) to ride a carbon frame that you might not have the funds to replace if something goes wrong. Also, weight doesn't matter as much as you might think. And if you already have a light set of wheels, you've already got weight covered in the place it matters most.

 

[Heisenberg]

I'll echo the sentiments above, as well as offer some feedback on the 566. Very nice frame, I spent a day on one. That said, it's not a sharp/fast handling bike. Slightly more relaxed/classics geometry. Not quite as upright and slow as a Specialized Roubaix, but not what I'd characterize as a race bike.

 

[-dustin]

Spooky
CAAD10
Allez

All badass, fast, and cheap-ish.

 

[Bicyclist]

Spooky
CAAD10
Allez

All badass, fast, and cheap-ish.

This.

 

[James]

CAAD9 used. They hold their value pretty well, but you can find frame/fork deals sub-$500, depending on your size...

 

[Biter]

Thanks for all the input.

I've basically scratched the 566 off my list of possibilities after reading more about it. And I'll keep a look out for a used CAAD9 or something of the like.

I'm thinking I'll keep the Intrepid for now, according to my scale it weighs in at 20.5 lb's (without my new wheels), so not insanely heavy.

How drastically different would the geometry/handling on a newer race bike (I was able to find a description of the Intrepid on the old IH website saying it has "classic race geometry") be from this thing? I couldn't find the geo numbers, but maybe I could post a picture? This is another possible reason for buying a new frame, but if they are all going to feel fairly similar...

 

[SuspectDevice]

"Classic" doesn't mean old or bad. Those frames are pretty nice. Ride it into the ground. Don't spend money on bikes that you could be using for food or racing. The bike really doesn't make much difference at all when it comes down to it.

 

[KavuRider]

"Classic" doesn't mean old or bad. Those frames are pretty nice. Ride it into the ground. Don't spend money on bikes that you could be using for food or racing. The bike really doesn't make much difference at all when it comes down to it.

All over Ridemonkey, you could hear people blowing circuits in their head...

 

[James]

Just a diversion on the Look 566 thing: As a Look bike, it was pretty disappointing. First Asian look, didn't really keep up with the Look style.
The 555, that was the unsung hero of the line, similar construction as the 585, but a LOT cheaper. I loved mine, sad I sold it. But I did give my extra frame to my dad, so maybe I'll get it back someday...
I miss my 555 and 585.

Now, back to the regularly-scheduled topic, already in progress.

 

[Biter]

The bike really doesn't make much difference at all when it comes down to it.

Thanks, this is what I needed to hear. Now I just need the snow to melt so I can get off the trainer.