Parlee Z5 SLi - Completed bike photo on pg 3.

[LowCel]

So glad you are going with these bars. The old ones made me cringe with the weird kinks. Congrats.

I didn't realize how bad they old bars looked until I took the picture with them on it. Once I saw that they had to go.

[LowCel]

First ride on it was today, by far the best bike I have ever ridden. I love it! Only problem I am having is hitting my knees on the aero handlebar.

Here is the ride data. http://app.strava.com/activities/47541053

[Naturel]

Nice!
But which bike did you ride before?...just to compare.

[LowCel]

Nice!
But which bike did you ride before?...just to compare.

I have had around 15 - 20 road bikes. I still have a Fuji SL1. The Parlee replaced a Colnago CX-1.

[Naturel]

Still Cervelo or Specialized Tarmac?
To know the difference?

[LowCel]

Still Cervelo or Specialized Tarmac?
To know the difference?

Nope, never owned a Cervelo or a Specialized.

I was able to get a better picture of my Parlee prior to today's ride.

[Elrey]

Whats with the angel on the saddle? Nice for you?
Sweet bike non the less.

[LowCel]

Whats with the angel on the saddle? Nice for you?
Sweet bike non the less.

Still dialing in position. I have only ridden it twice.

[Quinn039]

looks awesome. Like how the wheelset compliments the rest...

chop chop though... if you know what i mean.

[LowCel]

looks awesome. Like how the wheelset compliments the rest...

chop chop though... if you know what i mean.

Thank you. As soon as I make sure my back can handle the current position I'll be doing a little cutting.

[fa63]

What was the final weight?

[LowCel]

What was the final weight?

15.49 pounds.

[carlislegeorge]

What do you think is causing you to hit the bar with your knee out of the saddle?

BTW, I looked at the strava posting for the ride you posted...you definitely have some steep "hills" out there...

[carlislegeorge]

Still Cervelo or Specialized Tarmac?
To know the difference?

Not wanting to hijack this thread, but just to add someone else's experience on this question.

I have a very similar Parlee since May 2012, which replaced a 2011 Tarmac Pro SL3 for me. Purely subjective to my senses, the Parlee Z5 SLi feels noticeably improved over the Tarmac...but this is somewhat incremental rather than exponential leaps and bounds. The Parlee is just as quick and responsive and stiff, if not more so, and it does it at a higher comfort level. It handles very precisely and surefootedly, but the Tarmac never gave me a problem either. Climbing? The Parlee seems to leap up the hills when I have the legs to push it, especially after adding very lightweight carbon wheels. Bottom line, the Tarmac SL3 was a very fine ride, but I was in the market for something different. Tested the Parlee and a Colnago or two. The Z5 SLi just kind of disappeared underneath me on a long test ride, and my mind was made up. It does everything very very well, exceeds my meager abilities and engine.

[LowCel]

What do you think is causing you to hit the bar with your knee out of the saddle?

BTW, I looked at the strava posting for the ride you posted...you definitely have some steep "hills" out there...

I would occasionally brush my knees against a regular bar when climbing the steep stuff so considering that the Vuka Sprint comes back an extra 1"(ish) it's not really a surprise. I just have to make a small change in the way I climb. If that doesn't work I'll sell the bars and try something else. I really don't want to go with a longer stem, I feel better on the hoods now than I ever have.

As for our climbs, it's not uncommon to see 20-25% around here.