I’ve paid my deposit for a new bike frame: a Pedal Force ZX3.
It’s a big step. The frame will arrive in October.
Until then, I need to gather parts for the thing. While Pedal Force offers some nice build kit options, I think I can get a better overall price by gathering the various parts from different sources.
I’m still in a bit of a quandary, however: do I go with Shimano (like I have on the LeMond), Campagnolo, or SRAM? Note that my budget isn’t going to get me into the highest level of components, so barring a fluke of extreme luck, you won’t see Dura Ace, Record, Chorus, Force or Red on my new ride. It may include a component or two from an upper-end set, but I’m going to be realistic in my expectations: I can upgrade in the future, after all.
So….. any advice out there? I’ve already asked Tim, the owner of Wild Rose Mountain Sports, my favorite bike shop in the country. He recommended Shimano or SRAM, and said that any Campy stuff lower than Chorus isn’t worth the time or investment.
Please chime in, fellow cyclists!
MarvinK
2 July 2007 — 15:17
I love my SRAM Force stuff–and Rival is so much lighter than Shimano’s similarly-priced stuff. Maybe swap out the Rival crank for something that isn’t ugly–but it seems like a good overall choice and the rest of the group is nice.