# Time to make the purchase... but which one?



## mel_can (Sep 20, 2008)

I've been riding a MTB for 4 years now..... more for commuting rather than on a mountain though  . My flatmate and his friends were obsessed with bikes (focusing on road bikes) to the point where i thought they were a bit "odd". I've always been more obsessed with skiing and rowing. 

..... but then i fell in love. Parked inside (for added security) my rowing club change room was a Bianchi Dama Bianca Veloce Triple Lady 2006 Road Bike









i didnt know what it was, how much it cost or even if it was any good.... all i knew was that i was in love and had to have it. it made me want to be out on it for hours. I now saw myself as one of the "odd" people in spandex, but loved it! At the time i had no money in the bank.... if i did i wouldn’t have spent the past year searching endlessly for it, or offering the girl who owned it whatever she wanted for it. Last years and this years model just dont cut it for me. I have been waiting anxiously for the past few months for Bianchi to bring out their 2009 models only to feel heartbroken this afternoon when i finally saw them on their web page. I want to make the commitment and invest but am very confused..... and no longer have my "odd" flatmates around to give me advice.

Part of what i loved about it was that my flatmates always spoke about Bianchi being a good Italian manufacturer. It had a very feminine design which i couldn’t help falling for. Today I also found another Italian bike which I think could steel my heart. 









The price is quite steep but i would like to get something that will last me for years if looked after. I am in the UK at the moment and plan to go home to Australia late next year. Bikes are almost double the price there so rather than getting a basic entry model now i am happy to invest a bit more now...... but am so confused as i don’t want to get the wrong bike as its an important step for me as ive been wanting to make this step for so long but haven’t a clue about componentry etc of road bikes.

any thoughts welcome!!!


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## raymonda (Jan 31, 2007)

Wilier


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

First off, you need a bike that fits. You may not need a women's bike; then again you may. I'm about 5'4" (163cm) and ride a 49cm unisex bike. Although the Wilier is marketed as a women's bike, I don't think the XS would fit someone much shorter than me.

As far as brands, well a lot of carbon frames are made in Taiwan. I don't think Bianchi has its steel frames made in Italy any more. I believe Look is one of the only manufacturers to have it's own carbon factory, and it's in Tunisia not France. I think the Wilier frame looks pretty sweet.

While looks are important, you don't want to buy a bike that's pretty and then find out its components are crap. For Campy components, I'd look for Centaur and up (Chorus higher end, Record highest). The Wilier has Veloce, which is a lower-end component group, although it's fine for lots of folks. For Shimano, look for 105, Ultegra (better), or Dura Ace (best). Stay away from Sora or Tiagra if you're looking for a longer-term investment. SRAM is new in to the road component market. Not sure I'd go with them as long-term durability is as unknown.

As to material, you should get out and ride. I can say I would not consider a aluminum bike for a long-term investment because I have generally found the ride of aluminum frames to be too harsh. Plenty of folks would argue the wheels, tires, etc. matter more, which is probably true. But I still wouldn't buy one.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

They're both great looking. 

I think the best thing to do is to test ride them, if you can. You probably won't need a triple crankset.


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## BluRooster (Sep 11, 2006)

Wilier looks better. Wear wild clothes for color...


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