http://cyclocosm.com/2006/02/pro-cycling-news-united-cycling.html
feel free to tear mercilessly at my opinions.
-Cosmo
http://cyclocosm.com
Even if the bikes are ugly, I really like the fact they're riding relatively
generic bikes. It's part of their focus on attaining an identity independent
of individual sponsors, it seems.
Dan
You're the David Spade of cycling journalism. You get the Vince
Lombardi award for cheesiest blog. Don't quit your day job or you might
not be able to make the mortgage on your trailer.
I ride a full aluminum frame and I love it. But I don't buy $6,000
bikes (what with the mortgage on my trailer and all...). Having sold
bikes just down the road from Aspen all summer, I've gotta say that
people buying expensive bikes want carbon because Bicycling Magazine
and all the journalists that Geraard Spergen seems to think are better
than I am say it's the thing to have.
Be honest - if you were buying a new bike, money-is-no-object and
having never ridden either, would you have gone with the aluminum Fuji
(which I believe has carbon stays that AREN'T painted the same color as
the rest of the bike - maybe you overlooked that point) or the carbon
Colnago?
> I ride a full aluminum frame and I love it. But I don't buy $6,000
> bikes (what with the mortgage on my trailer and all...). Having sold
> bikes just down the road from Aspen all summer, I've gotta say that
> people buying expensive bikes want carbon because Bicycling Magazine
> and all the journalists that Geraard Spergen seems to think are better
> than I am say it's the thing to have.
>
> Be honest - if you were buying a new bike, money-is-no-object and
> having never ridden either, would you have gone with the aluminum Fuji
> (which I believe has carbon stays that AREN'T painted the same color as
> the rest of the bike - maybe you overlooked that point) or the carbon
> Colnago?
>
After perusing your blog, best to take your own advice. There are no
journalism awards for self-deprecation (nor for having sold bikes just down
the road from Aspen).
> Even if the bikes are ugly, I really like the fact they're riding relatively
> generic bikes. It's part of their focus on attaining an identity independent
> of individual sponsors, it seems.
That doesn't appear to have been their intention since they're trying
to sell a bunch of these bikes for $6K and $7K. See:
http://www.united-bicycles.com/buy.php
That's pretty steep for an aluminum bike, but the website implies that
they will be custom-built which may account for the high price.
The frame looks a lot like my own team bike which is also from SoCal
and I wouldn't be surpised to find out they were contracting the same
builder (Russ Denny) to build these. The same guy built the aluminum
Macalu frames for Excel Sports.
Bret