# Zurich or Specialized Allez?



## kevinraphael (Sep 16, 2004)

I've been riding an ancient 18 year old centurion bike with shimano 600. While it has been good to me, it's more than time to jump into the modern era of bikes. I've recently gotten more involved with riding and can't wait to own a new gem. I ride about 100-125 miles/week. I don't race, but I love going fast and when I can find good hills I try to give myself a good workout. I'd like to use a new bike for training rides, centuries, and maybe even some short triathlons.

All than being said, my budget limit is about 2k. I've gone to different LBS and have ridden several different bikes, including the roubaix elite, the zurich, and the trek 5200 (which was out of my price range but I wanted to give it a whirl anyway). I haven't tried the allez comp from Specialized yet but hopefully this weekend I can try one out. 

Assuming that I am equally happy with the ride of the bikes mentioned above, I want to get one that is the best value for the buck. Good all around frame, components, wheels, etc. and not one that might spruce up the components but neglect the frame, or vice versa. I know that the 2K market is pretty tight and different makers use different gimicks, like maybe even the spine design from the Lemond Zurich. It's gorgeous to look at, though. Any thoughts out there on the value of this bike? I want to be as in love with my next bike and feel comfortable that it will be around for the long haul. So far, the Zurich is the one that has caught my eye the most. Are there any other bikes that I should be looking at? Can anyone compare the Zurich to some of the specialized models?

thanks so much for your advice
K


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