RyanML

I had pretty much decided on a new Fuji Roubaix aluminum with Tiagra components but then I ran across a 2010 carbon fiber Stattante with Dura ace components at an unbelievably good price. Being a bigger rider (6' 250 and shrinking) I was wondering if a carbon fiber bike would be ok at that weight. Also, would 2010 top of the line components still be better than 2016 mid grade components?

MRT2

Be careful. There are deals out there, but with those deals comes risk. No warranty, and really no clue about the history of the bike.

Last month, someone posted on these forums how he paid $750 for a used carbon fiber bike. After a few weeks, it developed a mysterious clicking noise when pedaling hard. Long story short, turns out the frame is cracked and he is SOL. Don't be that guy. Better to go new with a warranty for your first real road bike than to chase a bargain racing bike and wind up with nothing but a pile of parts.

dr_lha

Kind of depends. Is the "unbelievably good price" so good that if the frame is junk, it's still worth it for just the components? I would guess that the Dura-Ace is 7900, generally considered to be one of the worst of Shimano's top end groupsets, and Scattante is the (now defunct) brand of generic bikes from Performance Bikes, hence the low resale value.

generalkdi

First : A carbon bike is as good as any for your weight. No problem there.

Second : There are some great stories, and some less great about buying used. What MRT2 said is true, you don't get any warranty and don't know the history of the bike.

But one thing you can do, is bring the bike to your LBS and have it check thoroughly. If the bike shop tell you it's OK, I guess you can buy it, and ask them to get it fit for you at the same time. (you might not buy them a bike, but if you still give them some money I guess it's allright)

I have bought a nice carbon bike with ultegra and I'm very satisfied with it (and it cost much less than my supersix 105 that I bought brand new). Be aware of the risks, but don't turn down a nice deal, just take some precautions.

RyanML

Thanks for the tips, and I especially like the "take to LBS" idea. Some additional background..he has a receipt showing $3600 paid for it, selling for $1000 which coincidentally is my budget. The Fuji is also at the $1000 price.

MRT2

Doesn't matter how much the seller paid for it. He could have raced the sh-t of it these last 6 years, and that is a lot of wear and tear on a bike.

For my first road bike, I would stick with the original plan and buy something new.

thin_concrete

At that price, I'd take the Fuji. The Tiagra 4700 is actually a pretty stout groupset.

RyanML

Thanks for all the tips. The awesome red Tiagra Fuji is actually $900 so...bonus. Now I will just wrestle with myself about whether the Trek Domane (with 105 groupset) I rode which was slightly better to me is worth another $400.

Standalone 

I got a sweet steel Jamis, with all new CF handlebars, seatpost, and a 134g SLR saddle, upgraded wheelset, plus a huge box of tubes, tires, shoes, etc., from which I sold various bits, for $340. Only downside was that it was Sora triple 8 speed, which I could easily replace if I wanted to. But a 19# bike for under 300 bucks can be had. Don't get too caught up with how awesome bike A or bike B is. There are always better deals.


...and the bike behind it was $40. Had the bike shop build a new rear wheel for me and it did a century ride with 4400' climbing in 6h10m. If it works well, fits, and isn't a boat anchor, that is all you need.

scuzzo

if you are able to check out the bike.. and know what to look for, then yes,, used is much better then new.. DA 10 is really sweet stuff, i bought a Felt f35 alum bike off of ebay for 600 bucks full da 10, it was crashed damaged, but i could deal with that. they rembursed me a tacoed front wheel.. so i got the bike for 450, that DA10 held up for 10 years.. and is still being handed down to another bike.. now this was an alum frame, carbon fiber frame? i dont think i would be so quick.. because carbon can hide some nasty suprises if the seller is dishonest about crash history.. check out the bike see if all the tubes sound well, sound..
do the quarter test.. if the tube is compromised you can tell by the sound it makes,, or at least it may work... check out all stays and joints.. if its good enough deal for the wheel set and group alone if the frame was trashed.. i would do it.. that DA 10 can last you to at least 2 more frame sets.

Shuffleman

You have received advice from both sides of the aisle on this one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a used bike. Just do the best that you can to check it over. Taking it to a lbs is a great option. With that being said, there is no such thing as a good deal if the bike is not the proper size. If this is your first road bike, I would buy the Fuji new for a few reasons. The first is that you will get a good basic fitting as part of the deal. Secondly, even if it is a lousy shop, they will at least get the frame size right. It is a double plus if you are buying it from Performance because of their return policy. It is important to make sure that you get the right size. Test riding it for a few minutes and saying that the owner is about your size is not a good idea. There are too many factors to consider.
Is Dura Ace better than Tiagra? Yes, of course. However, you DA is 6 years old and you are comparing it to new Tiagra. That takes down the equation a little. How used was it and what condition is the chain, cassette and etc.
My advice is to go New only for the purpose stated above. If you do go used take it to a lbs first. They will tell you if it is the correct size for you. You could even post the size of the bike here and get some good advice. I am 6'02 and I consider myself a tweener when it comes to sizing. It seems like I could go either way on many frames. You may or may not be in the same boat. It is better to get sized for your bike first because if the bike is the wrong size you will have a horrible bike experience and not want to ride anymore. You tend to sit on road bikes for hours at a time. You need to be comfortable and that comes with a proper fitting and sizing.
Do yourself a favor and buy the Fuji. If you do go used, look at it like buying a used car. Things can go wrong and everybody has a horror story but the vast majority of the time if you pay attention you will be fine. Find out if the bike is the proper size and check it over for cracks and abuse. You can usually tell just by how it is being stored if it is in good shape. By the way, I do think that the price is a little high on that bike unless it is in super condition. You may have some wiggle room.

seymour1910

Great post, hopefully OP doesn't skip over it because it's a bit longer of a read.

seymour1910

OP,

I vote for a new bike. If you have $1,000 to spend you can get a 105 5800 bike from Performance. For another $150 you can get Ultegra.

Ridley Fenix AL Shimano 105 Road Bike -- 2016 Performance Exclusive

Ridley Fenix AL Shimano Ultegra Road Bike -- 2016 Performance Exclusive

If you MUST have carbon, you can get this for $1250

Fuji Altamira 1.3 Road Bike -- 2016 Limited Edition

lightspree

I would suggest taking a look at what you can get from bikesdirect.com in your price range.

Bike shops don't always get fit right, and there are ways of getting it right on your own (including test riding different sizes, friends, clubs, online research). And google "Competition, Eddy, French fits bicycles."

The standard fit ideas aren't always optimal. I much (as in vastly) prefer a smaller frame over the usual recommended frame size for my body size. The riding experience is hugely more enjoyable for me.

calamarichris

Not going to put down the contributors who are putting out wrong information, but never buy a used carbon fiber bike unless you are prepared to take a major hit.
Sure, the larger manufacturers will guarantee their frames for life* to the original seller, in possession of the original receipt, taken to the original place of purchase, but if anything happens to your second-hand, unbelievably good-priced frame or if it has existing latent damage that becomes less hidden during your ownership, they're not obligated to do anything but guffaw at your tears over the phone.






*And an increasing number of mfrs are getting tricky with their fine print and only guaranteeing their frames for 5 years or less in the fine print.

jimc101

And you photos are of a Alu frame.... guess that never breaks then....

calamarichris

An aluminum-carbon Felt 55, to be exact. Snapped after 4 years of strenuous use, and when I called the Felt guy and said I couldn't find the receipt, he apologized and said I was SOL.
Happily, I eventually found that receipt and was able to get the frame replaced. That replacement frame is now oxidizing and bubbling under the paint surrounding both water bottle bosses, so we'll see if they replace this replacement frame when it snaps.

Keep your receipt.

(Ebay or Craigslist receipts don't count.)

Oddly enough, the replacement had much beefier chainstays...

Shuffleman

Too funny. It took me about an hour to post that. I kept getting pulled away to take care of little things at work and lost my train of thought. Once I saw your reply, I checked it out and you are dead on. Ramble central.

Shuffleman

The Fenix has my vote. That is a gorgeous bike. I was in Performance earlier in the week buying a tool and I was looking at them. They have a smoking deal on a Ridley Carbon MTB frame that I have my eye on. I have never seen their mtbs before but if it is as nice as their road bikes, I may go for it.

scuzzo

not sure what size you ride, but if its a 57cm...
wow!!

2003 Merlin Cyrene Titanium Road Bike Ultegra 10 Speed 57cm | eBay

compared to what 1100 gets you new.. glad im not on a bike search.

Shuffleman

I know that you have had a hard time with your frame but that does not mean that all used frames are bad. There is no unusual amount of carbon bike failure out there. Think about all the people, myself included, that have carbon bikes. What miniscule percentage of them do you think are actually bad? My guess is very few. According to your logic, nobody should ever buy a Felt because you had two issues. I am guessing that most Felt owners never have a problem. I personally owned one and it was a great bike. The person that bought it was happy to get it.
Again, I do not intend to slight you, I just do not think that the advise to never buy a used carbon bike or a used bike in general is good advice. In the case of the OP, I think that he should go used for the reasons stated but I would not be afraid to buy a used bike, especially a road bike.

calamarichris

My recommendation is not based on my experience (I got my frame replaced, because I was the original purchaser and had the original receipt,) it's based on the fact that a second-hand carbon frame has zero warranty. A chip here, a crack there, a little nick in the clearcoat... ...your frame is not long for the world, and you have no warranty if you bought it second hand.
Until I found my receipt, Felt had little more to offer than an heartfelt apology over the phone.

goenrdoug

Really? REALLY? I guess I better just give up, then, cuz I have a paint chip the size of my pinky-nail on my left seat stay. I'm probably going to die when it gives way.. It could be my next ride, eh?

calamarichris

We can only hope.

Actually, you should probably sell that thing to some unsuspecting sucker on Ebay or Craigslist before it starts to unravel.

RyanML

A 2012 Cannondale Synapse 5 105 came up on CL today and I had it secured within an hour of posting for $500. Couldn't be happier that things worked out like they did. The bike fit and rode perfect. The man upstairs was looking out for me today!