I posted a while ago about a basso laguna, but I'm tempted to up my budget, depending on what I can sell my existing bike for. I was interested first of all in stepping up to the basso astra, which is a very pretty bike, in the pictures at least, and seems to come with a really nice finishing kit - flash bars, carbon stem and seat post etc - here's a pic: (wheels are extra )
But just asking around some cycling buddies, a lot of folks have recommended sticking with the major heavyweight brands - specifically Specialized and Giant, over a somewhat more unknown quantity like the Basso. I would personally have thought that mass manufacture would dilute quality if anything, but that's not what people are telling me. And these "people" are experienced cyclists, dealers and racers, who know what they're talking about, and also vote with their feet and wallets and buy the products they're telling me to buy, so I do feel like I should listen to them.
What do you guys think? - the personal science of my decision making so far doesn't go much beyond "I think the Basso Astra is really nice" .
If you had around 3 grand (euro) to spend on a bike, what would you be looking at? - You'd think on paper that that budget would be kid-in-a-sweet-shop territory, but it actually isn't. It seems that there are plenty of bikes around 2400 to 2800, and then the next price point is 3500+ and from there to the stratosphere.
FYI, I was interested in Felt's AR range - I test rode an AR4 last week (2800 euro over here) but I didn't like it.
Also - my wife has a cervelo R3 so I want something up to the task when we go for a spin together!!
But just asking around some cycling buddies, a lot of folks have recommended sticking with the major heavyweight brands - specifically Specialized and Giant, over a somewhat more unknown quantity like the Basso. I would personally have thought that mass manufacture would dilute quality if anything, but that's not what people are telling me. And these "people" are experienced cyclists, dealers and racers, who know what they're talking about, and also vote with their feet and wallets and buy the products they're telling me to buy, so I do feel like I should listen to them.
What do you guys think? - the personal science of my decision making so far doesn't go much beyond "I think the Basso Astra is really nice" .
If you had around 3 grand (euro) to spend on a bike, what would you be looking at? - You'd think on paper that that budget would be kid-in-a-sweet-shop territory, but it actually isn't. It seems that there are plenty of bikes around 2400 to 2800, and then the next price point is 3500+ and from there to the stratosphere.
FYI, I was interested in Felt's AR range - I test rode an AR4 last week (2800 euro over here) but I didn't like it.
Also - my wife has a cervelo R3 so I want something up to the task when we go for a spin together!!