Originally Posted by geepondy

Through no fault of my own, my late model Canoondale Synapse 105 was totaled in an accident. Luckily I came out relatively unscathed. This is considered an endurance bike and I rode it with 700x32 tires. I'm still in good shape but at 58 years old and most rides capping out at about 30 miles, averaging 15 mph, The bike was a pretty good fit for me for someone that still wants a road bike experience but giving up ultimate speed and handing for some comfort. A new one cost $1900 and I got enough insurance money to cover it but of course none available and local bike shop said I could order one and wait a year.

Looking at other online offerings at local shops and as you know, pickings are slim but I see one carried a Specialized Roubaix Sport in my size. At $3200 this is a big step up in price which I would have to consider if I really wanted to spend that much but of course it's a better bike with a carbon frame and hydraulic disk brakes. It also comes with some sort of shock absorbing stem. Good news too is it comes with 700x28 tires and it looks like hopefully the 700x32's might fit. Anybody have experience with this bike? Does it lean towards being more a strictly tight handling road bike or would one consider the specs relaxed enough to put it towards the endurance type end?

Another option is to ride out the year with my 20 year old tried and true Trek 7500 hybrid and see if new and used bike inventory looks more promising in the spring. Think bike inventory will have picked up by then?