Aero bike choice - Felt Ar2 or Cervelo s3

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

kenmical
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 3:25 am

by kenmical

rma wrote:I have the S3 and gotta SAY it rides FAST, FRAME 54 (1.130g WITH BB and DH). Total weight 6,7kg without any superlight ultraexpensive itens.


Wow...I am riding a 51 S3 and it weight 7.1kg with 35mm carbon clincher. How did you managed to make yours this light despite the bigger frame?


Back on the choice, I cannot compare Ar2 constructively because I have not tried one BUT the S3 rocks! Comfortable, punchy, responsive and good looking. :)

kenmical
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 3:25 am

by kenmical

Slagter wrote:I'm extremely satisfied with my Propel Advanced. Feels very fast. Can't think of any better aerobike. The brakes take some getting used to, but they stop the bike perfectly although they feel a little springy. And I like the fact, that they are aero as well. IMO it doesn't really make sense, to design a aerobike with nonaero brakes. If you don't like the stock brakes, you can upgrade to the Fourier ones

http://www.fouriers-bike.com/en/pro.php ... cid=10&f=2


Propel Advance is one shortlisted candidate when I am changing bike then. However two things that stopped me from buying.

1) The Giant logo - I am able to mitigate this by going with the stealth colour.

2) The authorised agent - I am prepare to hand over my hard earned cash but their sales attitude sucks big time. It triggered an aftersales alarm at the back of my mind.

Propel, S3, Venge, AR are all comparable bikes to me. Just which looked nicer personally and perform evenly across all rides.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
53x12
Posts: 3708
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:02 am
Location: On the bike

by 53x12

Felt AR and the Cervelo S5 are basically a wash. Both are very fast and probably are the two leading companies in aero still.

Image



The Cervelo S3 is just a few watts slower than the S5. Both test very close together. I believe the S5 had aero handlebars and the S2 (same as S3) had round handlebars.


Image
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

climbandpunishment
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2015 4:40 am

by climbandpunishment

53x12 wrote:Felt AR and the Cervelo S5 are basically a wash. Both are very fast and probably are the two leading companies in aero still.

Absolutely agree. Felt and Cervelo both do some of the best testing companies have publicly released, which speaks volumes about their aero expertise. If their bikes fit you and you like their looks/handling/etc., they are very likely the fastest aerodynamically.

Between the two, it seems like Cervelo tends to emphasize low-crosswind performance more than Felt, so you can tailor that choice to where you personally value aerodynamics most (i.e., desire for faster sprint speed might favor the Cervelo, whereas saving energy during more typical non-sprint riding speeds, especially in a windier area, might favor the Felt). Though to be fair at that point the wheel/equipment choices you can afford after choosing a frame could very easily make more of a difference than exists between those frames.

bfno
Posts: 279
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 2:09 am

by bfno

IMHO the S3 is the perfect balance of aero/light and conveniently isn't priced in R5/S5 territory which is nice. Would have bought one if I didn't buy a new Aeroad.
Venge | Shiv TT | Langster | Dogma 60.1 | CruX | Aeroad CF SLX (WIP)

User avatar
53x12
Posts: 3708
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:02 am
Location: On the bike

by 53x12

bfno wrote:IMHO the S3 is the perfect balance of aero/light and conveniently isn't priced in R5/S5 territory which is nice. Would have bought one if I didn't buy a new Aeroad.



The new Aeroad is a great frame areo speaking. I also agree that the S3 is a great balance between being slippery, light, stiff and comfortable. It is a good compromise for those looking for an overall great frame. Not to mention, $ speaking, it is a great bang for the buck.
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

kenmical
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 3:25 am

by kenmical

Slightly off topic. I am having problem with a noisy BBright for the past few months. Am on Super Record 11 Ultra Torqur groupset. Initially it is a suspected worn BB Cult bearing as it has been spinning for closed to 7,000km. After replacing it, all is good until 3 weeks later where the clicking sound started to appear once again when pedaling. Read online and it could be due to the Campy BB cup. Otherwise the bike is still as sweet from day 1.

ultyguy
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:35 pm
Location: Geneva

by ultyguy

Fwiw- I've got a 2014 AR1, it's my first aero bike and I do believe that it adds some speed especially above 40 kph. The handling on it is pretty spot on, however, I wouldn't call it the most comfortable thing over broken pavement. All in all, it's a very good bike. I'd be interested to see how much comfort the back end of the S3 would give.

droid1973
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:35 pm

by droid1973

For me S3 all the way!

stono38
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:52 am

by stono38

love cervelo!

fromtrektocolnago
Posts: 1145
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:15 pm

by fromtrektocolnago

What I don't like about both , and in particular the cervelo is how little the geometry changes as the bike moves from small to large frame. I've heard about the famous Cervelo white paper saying they don't need to alter the rear triangle, but this is why I prefer the Italian approach one example of which is Colnago. Specialized also adjusts frame geometry and construction a bit based on the median rider they envision for each frame size. Geometry and fit first, then aero or light weight.
Colnago C-59 (Dura Ace)
Firefly(Ultegra)
Colnago C-64 disc(ultegra) with Bora 35 wheels


Post Reply