[stephen low]

Eldo

Ha ha ha ha love the comments and yes who would have expected but it is clear there are a few here on the forum that do ride.

Maybe not as lycra wearing loonies and certainly in my case without a single follicle shaved, waxed or otherwise maligned but for me a good outing with mates generally and to support a healthy lifestyle.

I started after snapping an Achilles, wished I'd found the sport so much earlier but so be it, however with only about three years under the belt, the following commentary on options is naturally just my thoughts.

The value of buying new is that through a reputable shop you should be able to test ride sufficiently to ensure you get a good pick for your ride. Downside is it will cost more but you will be able to specify to suit your expected use option.

The red-white-blue Pino FP7 in the shots above was got for $3K with a replacement value put at about $7-8K, my lucky timing to an extent except the frame is too big, hence the new one. But again the white Pino is 2013 stock with the savings as I've mentioned above.

If you can get a good second hand bike at depreciated value but with a known history, that would be my suggestion. It's knowing the history that is the issue and you may have to compromise on running gear that will cater for flats and hills. I took the punt on the FP7 and was lucky the frame was in good order and the gearing acceptable to my uses.

Not really knowing what makes a good hill climber, sprinter or flat road bike I'll leave it to other more knowledgeable heads to comment further.

Hope this helps.

Steve