Cannondale R200 (1998)

Pros: Cheap, strong frame, easy to upgrade, race replica was used in the Tour of France.
Cons: For those who don't have the money, upgrading will be difficult.

Cannondale discontinued the R200 series from its production after 1998. Since then, the company seems to be swallowing up the low-end models and buffering the high-end, "thousand series", in order to compete with other juggernauts lurking in the shadows...

Pros: Very responsive, tight ride for the price.
Cons: Perhaps not as light as pricier models.

I've mountain biked for years, and it was only about a year ago that I began to take an interest in road biking. The speed really called me. I educated myself on road components and frames. I'm a college student and didn't want to blow a lot of money ...