Decisions on new bike

[KCookie]

Hi guys,
I'm new to this forum,I'm a pom living in OZ. I've only been reading the posts for about a month, which are very interesting, I've been riding for about a year, and looking on up grading my bike, budget around $10k, the problem is there are so many out there in that price range. I have ridden the scott foil premium, scott addict, and s- works venge. I Went to the TDU which made my decision even harder with so many bikes to choose from. I only ride about 200km a week, with the highest hill with a +4.1% grade. I defiantly want full DA di2, so could any of you guys please point me in the right direction. I'm going to look at the Cannondale supersix evo hi mod, Dogma F8, and Trek madone 7.9 on Saturday.

Cheers

[russianbear]

The one that makes your pants tight.

[Dirty32]

That is not a bad budget to play with, at all...!
You'll have plenty of choices to choose from, almost anything short of something custom / bespoke.

Is there a style of bike you are keen on? Eg - Aero frame, a classic frame or an absolute weight weenie?
Do you like stiff, or more comfort? Proper aggressive race geo, or more relaxed geo?

Any makes that you love? Want something Euro, or assume you are ok with offerings from Trek, Spec, Scott and Giant etc?

[stripes]

Do you plan on buying everything from a shop or ordering parts online and either build it up yourself or have the shop do it? You'll get more bang for your buck with the latter.

[joseph42s]

I love my Dogma F8. just get what motvates you. They are all pretty similar. Its really really hard to test ride any of the good bikes (at least in the states) because bike shops do not stock the high$ ones. I did my best test ridding as many as I could. Then I went to a Pinarello event, and I just had to have one. Emonda was super light and Bmc was super stiff...The Pinarello seems in between those extremes. The flip side is so much as to do with how you are feeling that day, what components are on the test bike, what route you ride etc etc.

I would get Di2 and Stages and Garmin......those are easy choices.

[joseph42s]

Other option is to start really tricking out your current rig...new lightest sexiest Bar/Stem/Seat....New wheelsets, and then once you make the jump to a new frame you can just buy a frame and di2....transfer the rest.

I love all of the custom frames, and there a lot to choose from. I just wanted the f8 more. For me I just loved it when I rode it, and I didn't want to end up not liking a 10k Parlee or some other custom/semi custom brand frame and be stuck with it. Even if you hate hate hate your "name brand" frame....there is always ebay. Of course you can do the same with one off's....just smaller and smaller markets.

[KCookie]

So far the Venge is drawing me in, I do prefer the aero look rather than the sl bikes. My local specialized shop have been great so far, they said they will change the bar and stem of my choice, change the rovals to 40mm and a DA 9000 crank for $10500,2015 model, I do prefer the 2014 model frame paint spec,with that frame made completely to my spec is $10k. I obviously don't want anything to heavy as this will be my dream bike and will hopefully not up grade again. I currently ride an Avanti with Di2 ultegra weighing 8.15kg. I'm heading towards the aero design as most of the roads around my area are pretty flat. To be honest I do find it hard to tell the difference between bikes as I'm not that experienced and test rides don't last very long. I have also been offered the Scott Foil Premium for $9k, $3k saving and an ex demo Dogma from the TDU for $8500. I really don't want to spend that amount of money to then find out I'm not Happy with the bike. It's all very confusing. Thanks for the input so far guys. Much appreciated. Cheers Kev

[kgt]

Among the bikes you mention Dogma F8 would be my choise. Venge is the most boring aero frame IMHO.
In any case you may also consider a Cipollini RB1000. A much more exclusive frame and an ideal choise for your type of riding (flat terrains, no mountains etc.). I guess it is more expensive though I would prefer it even used.

[Trainor6513]

It depends if you want something from a mainstream brand such as specialized or something you wont ser many of such as cipollini or scapin. I just got myself a scapin.etika rc and it is blisteringly quick.

[bikeboy1tr]

I purchased a new frame a year ago and it was all based on frame geometry and TT length. The first thing I do is look at a 560 TT with preferably STA of 73. They were all reasonably high end frames and at the time I was riding a Time VXR which I wanted to replace but wasnt much out there for reasonable money. I looked at many different frames with those factors and finally found a Time RXR for a really good price. I love that bike and it fits like a glove. Fit is everything first and foremost so make sure you have a reliable shop when it comes to that. You will eventually learn what works the best just by feel.

[KCookie]

I wouldn't say S-works was mainstream here in Adelaide, you really don't see many people with $12k bikes over all. Going to look at Cipollini today, but apart from the bond model they will be way over my budget unless I can get a great deal. RB 1000s are around $15k. I do feel my bike is to small 55 TT, that's the main reason for an up grade, I rode a 56 and felt really comfortable.

[spud]

before splashing out the big $, I'd want to be sure that my fit is relatively stable. As I spent more time on a bike, my position got lower, which necessitated a shorter head tube and longer top tube, which are the main characteristics of any frame. Depending on size, Spec have long head tubes, longer than I'd want to ride. What I'm getting at is that the fit determines which is the best bike. Sure you can make most frames work, but I personally think a stack of spacers looks gorpy, and I'm not a fan of the -17 stem slammed on the top cap to get the bars low enough. Be patient, and keep in mind June/July is when most companies are rolling out the new models, and the old ones go on sale big time.

[CBJ]

I was going to say the same as Spud you fit should / could be a big factor - it was for me.

[ardennes777]

Hi guys,
I'm new to this forum,I'm a pom living in OZ. I've only been reading the posts for about a month, which are very interesting, I've been riding for about a year, and looking on up grading my bike, budget around $10k, the problem is there are so many out there in that price range. I have ridden the scott foil premium, scott addict, and s- works venge. I Went to the TDU which made my decision even harder with so many bikes to choose from. I only ride about 200km a week, with the highest hill with a +4.1% grade. I defiantly want full DA di2, so could any of you guys please point me in the right direction. I'm going to look at the Cannondale supersix evo hi mod, Dogma F8, and Trek madone 7.9 on Saturday.

Cheers

Hello!

Firstly, great budget You will get something excellent for that kind of money!

Here is my 2 cents regarding aero bikes (as you are obviously after one)!

1. SCOTT FOIL PREMIUM :

I had a SCOTT FOIL TEAM ISSUE running the same spec as that of Orica-Greenedge team last year! I was running either c24 and c50 rims on it depending on conditions and training! The premium at the time had the Di2, different bar and stem and better wheels as upgrades; obviously it was a fraction lighter aswell!

It was an awesome bike! Great weight for an aero bike! It was super stiff and rigid and you really wouldnt want much more stiffness out of a bike than what the Foil provided. You knew that every pedal stroke was going right to the ground! It was a super efficient bike! It had an amazing feel when you were hammering up a hill aswell, its directness was so so so good! As the bike is so stiff however, coming out of tight corners and getting on the power, the bike had a tendency to feel a bit "skippy" rather than planted! It was a touch oversteery but nothing I felt I couldn't manage!

Having said that, on anything but perfectly lined and surfaced roads, you would feel alot of excess vibration through the backend which transferred right up your butt! Because of this, often you would feel a bit more "shagged" than you would on other bikes! Wanting an aero bike however, I am sure you are aware of "some" compliance compromise! Therefore make this a consideration based on the roads and areas you ride on! The lack of rear end compliance of the Foil has been noted by many pro-riders and reviewers alike! An upgrade to some wider rims and/or wider tyres may help alleviate some of this non-compliance, but it will still be present!

2. SWORKS VENGE

I had taken my friends 2014 SWORKS VENGE for a 85km "Ardennes" type ride (hilly and fast! within those 85km 2000m of climbing!)
in or about the same time as I got my FOIL. His setup was comprised of SRAM RED 22 and ZIPP303 rims! Frame size was a 56 (what I would normally ride).

The VENGE felt slow to me! It felt alot more compact then the FOIL in the same size (stack and reach numbers differ) yet felt alot heavier than it actually was (6.91kgs for the Venge, 6.8kg for the FOIL). It just felt like a heavier and slower steering FOIL. The same sensation could be said on the climbs, when you decided to hammer it would gradually "sling" your momentum forward, it didnt feel instantaneous! This sensation was mainly noted on some steep climbs (+17% for 400m)

Its compliance however felt better than the FOIL, in that although it was still a stiff frame, it didn't beat your backside up as harshly!

Despite the VENGE being a tad more compliant, its vagueness would still lead me to go a FOIL over the SWORKS! I have heard Specialized have had some questionable responses to warranties!

3. McCIPPOLINI BOND

I love Cipo and his bikes. I would need 100 posts to outline why! They just look amazingly good!

I was considering a BOND a few months back! I was going to build one with 9000 Dura Ace, Carbon PRO Bar and Stem and Mavic CC40's!

However, the fact remains it is a heavy frame and its "aero" benefits have not been spoken about that much! I felt unsure whether I wanted to end up with a bike that would probably weigh in the vicinity of 7.5kg with pedals and clincher wheels that are relatively light for 40mm (1550g) if I was not getting some serious aero-effect!

I had read somewhere that internal back-to-back testing within Cipollini revealed the BOND was only 1sec per km quicker than "other" bikes! The RB1K by comparison was 3sec per km quicker than "other" bikes!

This for me did not substantiate or justify the cost of spending approximately 10k on a BOND!

I would definately buy one though if the Frame dropped a few g's and it was bought inline weight wise with that of other aero bikes in the category!

If I was going for a CIPPOLLINI, I would therefore look at an RB1K. Super aggressive, racey and flash! Geometrically it is on the far end of "racey" with a super low head tube relative to all other bikes, so would need to be sure that you could get into a position comfortable enough without the need to run X-amount of spacers! As mentioned, buying an aerobike comes with the inherent factor of less "compliance" than that of a normal SL bike, so again you would need to be wary when spending that kind of money as the RB1K is known to be a harsh machine, especially on less than perfect roads!! Apparently Bardiani and FLUO mainly rode the RB8K and BOND throughout the season because of the RB1Ks extreme geometry and lack of compliance! I do believe however in 2015 that the RB1K will be ridden alot more by the riders in Bardiani!

The RB1K has ISP aswell, which depending on your schedule (ie travelling with teh bike) may not be so good! The ISP I am led to believe has about .5-1cm worth of adjustment aswell, which is alot less than GIANT (2.5cm-4cm)!
The importer is based in SA aswell and from what I have heard he is a good bloke!


There is my 2 cents on some of the bikes you mentioned, I ended up getting another brand of AERO bike though around Christmas time which was both a suprise for me as I was not even looking at it! I stumbled across it unexpectadly! Here is a short review and something you should definately consider...

5. AVANTI TEAM ISSUE CORSA DR

I was never looking at an AVANTI. Simple as that. I have had Pinarello, SWORKS, Scott, Cervelo and would have never considered ever getting an AVANTI.

I was looking at a new SCOTT Addict Team Issue at Christmas time and I saw the store had a Team Issue CORSA DR next to the Scott. I took the SCOTT for a ride and thought it was an amazingly good bike! It was super light, super snappy, extremely well specced! Just a top bike (I would go an Addict Team Issue if I was looking for an SL bike, so so so good)

Just for curiosity sake I decided to take the CORSA for a ride to see what it would be like. Literally after 2 minutes I was sold.

The bike felt fast, super compliant (even compared to an SL bike), stiff and handling was light and direct! It is not as stiff as the FOIL, yet a thousand times more compliant, which means even on super rough outer country roads it feels amazing and doesnt beat you up at all! I would describe its stiffness and ride as supple and underlyingly firm! This is not to say it is soft, rather when hammering it provides a smooth and direct feeling, as if you were pedalling with cushioning springs under you!

The bike itself with the stock ZIPP 60 wheels weighed in at 7.0kg. These wheels weigh 1800+ grams, so after putting some lighter clincher aero wheels on it you would end up with a bike around the 6.7kg mark!

The bike even with the stock wheels feels extremely light and nimble. Once you put the power down it launches you into orbit! It climbs extremely well and it just feels extremely nimble, stable and fast! There is nothing this bike cannot do! It does everything an SL bike can, just as comfortably and you get added aero benefits aswell!

I decided that this bike would be best for me as it gives me the aero benefits I need while retaining the compliance I need when out in the mountains and backroads of society!

I know that you currently have an AVANTI and the brand name may not be associated with being anything special (I have had some people tell me some not so nice things regarding the brand name while I am out) but I do not care. A brand name should not restrict ones purchase of a bike, especially when the bike feels so perfect and good to its owner!

My setup runs full Dura-Ace 9000, Prologo full carbon Zero2 Saddle, Stock carbon ZERO bars + Alloy Stem + ZIPP 60 for general riding (am going to upgrade to either a set of 404's or Meilensteins)

I would honestly get you to consider this bike! They are easily within your price range and extremely well specced! You would have a bit of $$ left over aswell!

[bikeboy1tr]

That Avanti is a nice looking machine with some good geometry numbers for the 565 TT. At least with this bike you can remove the Aero post and pack it in a regular case for travel. I have to buy a new case for my Time RXR because of that silly ISP.