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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Under Appreciated Brands on the Road

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Old 05-14-15, 05:25 AM
  #101  
BenPS
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To add to the list of others:

Time.

Rocky Mountain.
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Old 05-14-15, 06:45 AM
  #102  
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Originally Posted by BenPS
To add to the list of others:

Time.

Rocky Mountain.
Rocky...they used to have a cool scandium road bike, didn't they? Solo, or something like that? Do they still have a road bike? I'ma go check them out; I was in love with the Blizzard MTB back in the early-mid '90s.
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Old 05-14-15, 07:07 AM
  #103  
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Originally Posted by catonec
Ive been over 45mph numerous times (downhill) and although I didnt feel like I could completely let go of my handlebars and coast, I still felt plenty in control, no speed wobbles. maybe your high speed is higher than my high speed.
My Synapse had a wobble. It would get nerve wracking over 45 mph. Within a month of getting the Orbea Avant, I broke 50 mph for the first time, and it was silky smooth.
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Old 05-14-15, 08:15 AM
  #104  
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Originally Posted by Jiggle
I'm going to say Cervelo. They sell fairly well and I see them on the roads but I never hear anyone talking about how much they like their Cervelo. In fact, they're usually complaining. The latest complaint I heard was about the small clearances between the rear tire and seat tube causing little rocks to get stuck in there which made noises during riding.
Cervelo is quite popular for a bike of its price around here. And I've hear ENOUGH of them saying how much better their bike is as I pass them!
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Old 05-14-15, 08:45 AM
  #105  
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Originally Posted by IcySmooth52
Cervelo is quite popular for a bike of its price around here. And I've hear ENOUGH of them saying how much better their bike is as I pass them!
Yeah the usual "my bikes better, my kit is brand new, I'm faster and I'm damn sure not going to wave back at you". Seems to be the attitude of guys with $3000 + bikes around here at least.
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Old 05-14-15, 09:25 AM
  #106  
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Can't think of anything that hasn't been already mentioned.
So how bout some names that I don't think are still produced under anyone else's banner but you might see on the road still.
Peugeot
Gitane
Mercier
Mercian
Falcon
Bridgestone
Know there are more, all I can think of at the moment.
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Old 05-14-15, 10:03 AM
  #107  
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BMC.

Huffy

And, if we can include vintage/no longer made: One of the best bikes of all time: Klein!
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Old 05-14-15, 10:19 AM
  #108  
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Originally Posted by Stucky
BMC.

Huffy

And, if we can include vintage/no longer made: One of the best bikes of all time: Klein!
BMC isn't popular around where I'm at due to no dealers, but I think they get plenty of drooling appreciation in the states. Huffy however, I believe there's a reason for the assumed quality to the brand name.

But Klein! A shame on Trek to close them! Imagine what they'd be doing now if still in business. Aluminum is making a comeback!
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Old 05-14-15, 11:04 AM
  #109  
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Originally Posted by yugdlo
Can't think of anything that hasn't been already mentioned.
So how bout some names that I don't think are still produced under anyone else's banner but you might see on the road still.
Peugeot
Gitane
Mercier
Mercian
Falcon
Bridgestone
Know there are more, all I can think of at the moment.
Mercian is still being produced.... Mercian Cycles - Custom Cycle Frames & Cycle Shop
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Old 05-14-15, 11:25 AM
  #110  
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Originally Posted by IcySmooth52
BMC isn't popular around where I'm at due to no dealers, but I think they get plenty of drooling appreciation in the states. Huffy however, I believe there's a reason for the assumed quality to the brand name.

But Klein! A shame on Trek to close them! Imagine what they'd be doing now if still in business. Aluminum is making a comeback!
My first 10-speed (5 in the back, 2 in the front) was a Huffy. It was a POS, but I rode its wheels off when I was in HS. I took good enough care of it, that my parents bought me a Raleigh Gran Sport (1981?) as a graduation present. (I don't have the bike, as it was in an accident, but I think I still have its replacement.)

GH
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Old 05-14-15, 12:01 PM
  #111  
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Originally Posted by IcySmooth52
But Klein! A shame on Trek to close them! Imagine what they'd be doing now if still in business. Aluminum is making a comeback!
Ain't that the truth! Leave it to an inept corporation to take an innovative product of amazing quality; pay money to acquire it; and then kill it off- and when that product trumped 95% of the bikes on the road today! Maybe if indeed AL does make a strong comeback, someone will resurrect Gary Klein's ingenious ideas. Such a shame, when these bikes which were light; responsive; and rode superbly; and were very comfortable- all even by today's standards, were being made 20-30 years ago...and so many lesser bikes are still being made today.

(I should have put a smiley after "Huffy"....that was a joke!)
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Old 05-14-15, 01:31 PM
  #112  
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Originally Posted by anotherbrian
Ritchey for his/their frames. The components are everywhere but I see very few of the frames on the road.
I was wondering if anyone would mention Ritchey. I think he was much better known for his bikes back when most of the business was steel. As steel has declined, fewer people consider their bikes. That's my guess, anyway. Their travel bikes, like the one I have, have always gotten great reviews but I would imagine that's a fairly small niche market...
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Old 05-14-15, 02:12 PM
  #113  
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Originally Posted by flatlander_48
I was wondering if anyone would mention Ritchey. I think he was much better known for his bikes back when most of the business was steel. As steel has declined, fewer people consider their bikes. That's my guess, anyway. Their travel bikes, like the one I have, have always gotten great reviews but I would imagine that's a fairly small niche market...
Best bike I've ever owned has a Ritchey Frame. Just so happens to be my newest bike also: a Ritchey Road Logic 2.0 frame with Ultegra and mostly Ritchey WCS cockpit. Much under appreciated I'd say, one of the best steel frames out there and a steal for the price you can find them for.
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Old 05-14-15, 02:24 PM
  #114  
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Originally Posted by dr_lha
Best bike I've ever owned has a Ritchey Frame. Just so happens to be my newest bike also: a Ritchey Road Logic 2.0 frame with Ultegra and mostly Ritchey WCS cockpit. Much under appreciated I'd say, one of the best steel frames out there and a steal for the price you can find them for.
I felt that my Breakaway was the best steel bike I ever owned.
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Old 05-14-15, 02:25 PM
  #115  
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Originally Posted by RJM
Mercian is still being produced.... Mercian Cycles - Custom Cycle Frames & Cycle Shop
+1 A truly excellent frame.
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Old 05-14-15, 02:34 PM
  #116  
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I'm currently riding a Synapse but gave my old GT GTR2 to my oldest son, its just a wonderful bike, I rode it for like 4.5 seasons and it was absolutely a fantastic machine, I'm glad I didn't have to get rid of it actually.
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Old 05-14-15, 03:32 PM
  #117  
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I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding between under appreciated and boutique. Some of the brands listed here, while they may not be as known as some of the more mass produced brands, are definitely not under appreciated.
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Old 05-14-15, 03:50 PM
  #118  
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Originally Posted by dr_lha
Best bike I've ever owned has a Ritchey Frame. Just so happens to be my newest bike also: a Ritchey Road Logic 2.0 frame with Ultegra and mostly Ritchey WCS cockpit. Much under appreciated I'd say, one of the best steel frames out there and a steal for the price you can find them for.
I don't think the frame business is a big priority for them in terms of revenue. I think they like being able to build a bike with all their own parts, except for the shifters and derailleurs, and use it appropriately...
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Old 05-14-15, 04:05 PM
  #119  
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Originally Posted by flatlander_48
I don't think the frame business is a big priority for them in terms of revenue. I think they like being able to build a bike with all their own parts, except for the shifters and derailleurs, and use it appropriately...
Can't say I'm too worried. It's nice to have a cool bike that not everyone else has.
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Old 05-14-15, 05:41 PM
  #120  
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Originally Posted by ravenmore
I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding between under appreciated and boutique. Some of the brands listed here, while they may not be as known as some of the more mass produced brands, are definitely not under appreciated.
Exactly.
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Old 05-14-15, 05:44 PM
  #121  
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Originally Posted by Stucky
Ain't that the truth! Leave it to an inept corporation to take an innovative product of amazing quality; pay money to acquire it; and then kill it off- and when that product trumped 95% of the bikes on the road today! Maybe if indeed AL does make a strong comeback, someone will resurrect Gary Klein's ingenious ideas. Such a shame, when these bikes which were light; responsive; and rode superbly; and were very comfortable- all even by today's standards, were being made 20-30 years ago...and so many lesser bikes are still being made today.

(I should have put a smiley after "Huffy"....that was a joke!)
Trek makes a quality bike, but I've never been impressed with the company. They have marketing approaches that are to "american": celebrity manichan, quickly copying new ideas and saying they did it first (monocoque carbon, endurance fit, 3-point suspension, etc), and more that will be saved for another thread.

It is nice that LeMond is coming back to how he likes it though! LeMond - The official site of Greg LeMond
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Old 05-14-15, 05:53 PM
  #122  
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+1 for Norco.
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Old 05-14-15, 05:54 PM
  #123  
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I have a titanium Serotta which I really like. To bad they went out of business.
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Old 05-14-15, 06:08 PM
  #124  
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I have to say Fuji also, before I bought mine I was looking at a couple other brands in the same price point but the Fuji had a step up in components over the ones I looked at least.

Mark.
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Old 05-14-15, 10:04 PM
  #125  
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Raleigh. I picked one up with a better groupset then the other bigger brands like trek or giant and saved a few hundred dollars.
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