# '03 Fuji Marseille crmo steel



## TrailNut (May 11, 2004)

is an approx 19# '03 Fuji Marseille crmo steel road bike with ultegra double and carbon fork "good enough' for cat5/4 races and crits, please?


----------



## bimini (Jul 2, 2003)

*Plenty good enough*

It will be just as fast in a Crit as a bike costing 10 times as much. If you notice in the racing section very little energy is spent talking about equipment. All you need is adiquate equipment to compete. All the energy is spent talking about training, tactics, what went wrong, what went right and what to do next time.

It's the equipment junkies that spend all the money on bikes and bike toys. Equipment does not make you faster, with the possible exception of TT. And even then it is only a factor if all the other things are in place such as legs, training, lungs, proper position and proper pacing.


----------



## TrailNut (May 11, 2004)

*19# bike now, or 17# bike later?*

i have a spare 26# mt. bike with road slicks tires that i can use for training, for now...

eventually (soon) i'd like to get a "serious" road racebike, using cash only: that means to me that i can buy a 19# '03 Fuji Marseille crmo steel bike right now or wait a bit for a 17# Fuji Team SL (aluminum frame) or for something else as light as that....a bike that i don't have to upgrade later, but just replace parts as they wear out or break...

but is two or three #s weight difference on a bike really not much of a factor for a road race, if both have ultegra or better componants?

(i can replace anything i buy, i'm just "conservative" with money)


----------



## Joeslow2 (Apr 5, 2003)

*What he said...*

Like bimini said, The difference between 19 lbs and 17 lbs is not going to be that great at the level were talking about. I think you should buy the bike you can afford now and start training asap. Training on an MTB with slicks will only take you so far. I cant imagine riding only an MTB, buying a road bike then going out to a crit the next weekend and hitting my first corner at 30+ mph. Its scary enough when you have some idea of what to expect.

The bike isnt that important, I've seen dudes ride away from cat 4 fields on 10 year old bikes with downtube shifters while guys riding $5000+ dreambikes were off the back.


----------



## TrailNut (May 11, 2004)

*thank you, Joeslow2 & bimini*

Joeslow2 & bimini:

thank you. i'll go buy the bike and go riding. 

if, if, i ever get fast enough for cat 3 racing then i'll just treat myself to a new bike then and there


----------

