Originally Posted by
tardman91
I can't speak for the Ventura, but the Allez is an excellent frame that can be completely upgraded and serve you for many years to come. In general pretty much all road bike frames are upgradable to whatever components you want. You reach a certain point when you have to consider if it's worth it to continue upgrading a cheap-ish frame or to just get a new one. And some day you might decide you want carbon, or steel, or titanium...
Thanks again guys for the information and this last reply is more along the lines of what I'm looking for.
In this case it looks like I'll be going with Specialized since it's upgradable. I understand your point on getting a bike that already has the shifters I want, but I really can't afford to go that high in price. I would be able to get a bike within the next few months as opposed to having to wait until next year to get something that's Tiagra/105 equipped.
With that said, is there really a big different between 2300 and Sora shifting, especially for a beginner like me? The reason why I ask is because the Allez Sport and Ventura Comp have the Sora shifters and rails for about $200 more.