2010 TCR Advanced SL ISP

Who are you (no off-topic talk please)

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SteelerHoo
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 8:26 pm
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by SteelerHoo

Been a reader here for a while, have posted to ask questions a couple of times. My current road bikes:

Image

2010 TCR Advanced SL ISP, size medium (seatmast uncut)
SRAM Red groupset
ee brakes
Ritchey WCS Logic aluminum bars
Ritchey WCS 100mm aluminum stem
Edge 1.38 tubulars
Rotor 3D cranks, titanium spindle, 175mm (just found out titanium only comes in gold end caps, can't buy red caps :( )
KCNC chainrings
Quarq Cinqo powermeter
KCNC top cap, bar ed plugs and skewers
Shimano D/A 7810 pedals
Selle SMP evolution saddle
14lbs, 6oz - 6,520g

Image

2008 TCR Advanced, size medium
Shiman Di2 groupset
SRAM Red brakes
Ritchey WCS Logic aluminum bars
Ritchey WCS 100mm aluminum stem
Edge 1.45 clinchers
Shimano D/A 7800 cranks, 175mm
Shimano D/A 7800 chainrings
SRM wireless powermeter
KCNC skewers
Shimano D/A 7810 pedals
Selle SMP evolution saddle
16lbs, 2oz - 7,314g
Last edited by SteelerHoo on Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

by Weenie


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raspaa
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by raspaa

Nice. you must be flexible to be able to pull the seats that high!
grind it out

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TheBugMan
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by TheBugMan

Those are a couple nice bikes SteelerHoo.
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Click THIS to hear what happens when I see your and my weenie.

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bJay
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by bJay

at the risk of sending this thread way OT :mrgreen: , which version of those rims do you prefer, the clinchers or the tubs (yeah, I know one pair are the 38's and the other are the 45's)

nice bikes btw :thumbup:

also, which power meter do you prefer and which groupset (sorry, i see this as a rare opportunity for back to back comparison)
a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in lycra

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.
Albert Einstein

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eigner
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Location: Denmark

by eigner

Wow super hot bikes! Good questions bJay, I would like to ask the same questions.
Current: Colnago CX Zero Di2 Disc, Cannondale F29 carbon3
Previous: Scott Plasma 3 premium, Parlee Z3SL, Parlee Z4, Argon18 E112, TREK TTX7.0, S-Works Transition, Pinarello F4:13

SteelerHoo
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by SteelerHoo

bJay wrote:at the risk of sending this thread way OT :mrgreen: , which version of those rims do you prefer, the clinchers or the tubs (yeah, I know one pair are the 38's and the other are the 45's)

nice bikes btw :thumbup:

also, which power meter do you prefer and which groupset (sorry, i see this as a rare opportunity for back to back comparison)


Sorry, this turned into a novel...

Wheels

Between the 1.38t (actually 41mm rim depth) and 1.45c, I prefer the 1.38 because they are tubulars, lighter and have better ride quality.

If they were both the same type of rim (clincher or tubular), I would prefer the 45's since they are deeper at a negligible weight gain.

My favorite wheels (out of the wheels I own) and the ones I would choose if I could only race one wheelset are the Edge 1.68 tubulars. I think the aero advantage trumps the small weight penalty and they aren't too bad in windy conditions.

Power

The powermeters are a dead heat for me performance wise (which is great for Quarq). Quarq installation is easy (as is SRM), you can have a huge gap between the magnets on the bike and the spider. I used a piece of Tufo extreme tape instead of the supplied putty. Best thing I can say is that once you install the Quarq, it disappears. It just invisibly and reliably outputs data and that's my main judgment criteria.

The power reading vs. what I feel in the legs on each powermeter is the same. I got the Quarq because I wanted a meter with a user replaceable battery and I wanted the Rotor 3D's. If I had to choose one, I would choose the Quarq because of price.

SRM
Positives - time tested, PCVI
Negatives - expensive, downtime when battery must be replaced

Quarq
Positives - less expensive, lighter (apologize because I was too impatient to weigh the setup before installation, will do so later), user replaceable battery.

Negatives - no dedicated head unit

Groupset

Short answer - I prefer SRAM Red

Longer answer

The performance of each group is similar. The caveat is that a well-adjusted Red performs as well as Di2. However, Di2 is always well adjusted so that's an advantage.

My choice is mainly driven by riding style and comfort preference. I tend to race crits and flattish road races. In the crits, I never use the small ring so the Di2 advantage in reliably changing rings doesn't come into play. When I train I do a lot of mixed terrain riding with lots of hills (I live in Northern California) and Di2 is an advantage when you continually switch big rings.

It's hard for me to put into words, but Red feels 'racier.' I think part of my preference is familiarity since I've been riding SRAM for 3 years. The paddle is always at hand where I want it to be. I think double tap is very conducive to races where you run an 11-21 and shift continuously to remain in your sweet spot. Having two buttons (DA or Di2) seems marginally less attractive to me in this kind of shifting.

I also tend to favor long sprints and use the sprint function at the end of races (I know I should rely on leg speed and not shift! :mrgreen: )

If I focused on climbing races or events where I switch front rings a lot, I would favor Di2, despite the weight penalty. Don't know if this makes sense, but to me Red feels like a crit group, Di2 feels like a road racer / grand fondo group.

Why I prefer Red
- For my hands, the brifters are more comfortable. They are a bit shorter, stubbier and more rounded than the Di2.
- Brake levers - The Red blades are much narrower which I prefer.
- Lighter

Di2 advantages
- cross chain riding, you won't think twice about doing this anymore and you essentially gain 2 more usable gears. The first time I rode Di2, one of my initial thoughts was that the groupset will make 11+ speed drivetrains desirable.

Big ring shifting - You don't need to let up on the power when you shift and the difference is notable when you go from small to big ring when cresting a hill.

On the fly indexing - this is really cool. I switch wheelsets and cogs all the time and this function is very handy. After a couple of tries, you can adjust the indexing on-the-fly with your eyes closed, it's that easy.

Battery life - a non-issue. I get approximately 1 month / 65 hours / 1,000 miles from the battery before the red 25% light comes on.

In the end, Di2 will likely end up on my TT bike. I have shifters for the bar ends and the brake levers, I think that is a true Di2 advantage. Additionally, I think Di2 will have a shifting advantage since the crazy bends for internal TT bike cable routing won't affect shifting.

dolophonic
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Location: The 'Dena

by dolophonic

dAmmn..!
That is a serious couple of bikes. Nice.
I don't get how you can live in Nor Cal and race mainly crits and flatter RR's.!
I love the races you guy's get up there.

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coloclimber
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by coloclimber

nice bikes and review of Power meters.
-Deacon Doctor Colorado Slim

merkyworks
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Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:31 am

by merkyworks

cool bikes and i must say your review of the products is great, i could not agree anymore with what you said about the groupos. i have red as well and all i do is crits and your view of the product is exactly what i feel as well.

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micky
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by micky

Nice bike and as said by others, good review! :thumbup:

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bJay
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Location: Vancouver

by bJay

:mrgreen:

Cheers mate. Great comparison and description (and I like reading so dont worry about the long answer)

:beerchug:
a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in lycra

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.
Albert Einstein

CippoForLife
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by CippoForLife

Sweet! Love the DI2 on the "old" bike.
Is it just me, or is the TCR Advanced a matte finish?
Never seen one before.

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tinchy
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by tinchy

stealth, i like that

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tinchy
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by tinchy

what drop do you have on these btw?

SteelerHoo
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Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 8:26 pm
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by SteelerHoo

Yes, the finish is matte if you get the frame and not the complete bike.

The drop I run on my bikes is 125mm or 4.9" I've got long legs, short torso and long arms and need a short top tube (less than 56cm). Size M/L would be way too long on the top tube.

by Weenie


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