Help deciding on new bike

[Koolsilver]

Hello everyone, I’ll be purchasing a new bike in the near future and was hoping to get some advice or feedback on my current choices.

1) Specialized Tarmac SL6 Disc Expert - I was able to test ride the rim brake version of this bike a couple months ago and it has become my benchmark to compare other bikes against. I loved the way the bike handled very sharp and responsive while not feeling skittish. The pedal response was amazing as well making it feel very fast. I also very much like the design of the bike with the dropped seat stays and seat tube cut out for the wheel. I will test ride the disc version soon and am hoping it will have a similar feel to the rim brake. Now the cons of this bike that I am having difficulty getting over is the components it comes with for the price. My other choices are clearly better values but will the frame give me the feel I’m looking for?

2) Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8.0 Disc Di2 - I am not able to test ride this but from reading reviews it sounds like a very good bike but will it meet my expectations that I have from the Tarmac? Significantly better components with Di2 and I like the handlebars while the wheels are probably a wash compared to Tarmac. Aesthetically I wish it hand dropped seat stays as I really like that look but I do appreciate how clean the cockpit is and the looks of the handlebar as well I love the blue color it comes in.

3) Build my own with Chinese frame - I know this route can be a little controversial but I can’t ignore the value in this setup. I would use an open mold from someone like HongFu. With this option I can only base how the frame will feel by comparing it to frames of similar geometry and the few reviews from other customers. However, with this option my components could be about the same as the Canyon but I’d also throw on a power meter and I’d come in at around $1k less than either above options.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I am pretty stuck in my decision and need some push to get me going one way or another.

[markdjr]

What about build your own with a used frame if maximizing value is your goal?

[Koolsilver]

What about build your own with a used frame if maximizing value is your goal?

I’ve considered this but I’m pretty set on the design of the Tarmac and Ultimate. The reason the Chinese frame option is there is because I could get one that is similar to those designs.

[robertbb]

Get a fit done, buy/build whichever fits you best.

[Koolsilver]

Get a fit done, buy/build whichever fits you best.

I have had a fit and know all of these bikes can be fit properly as they are very close in positioning geometry. I guess the main reason for this post is trying to figure out will the Ultimate or Chinese frame give me the same handling and responsive feeling as the Tarmac or will I be missing that? The Ultimate or Chinese build will give me much better components but I want the frame to be good as well.

[robertbb]

The quality of the Ultimate SLX frame is likely to be far better than the Specialized frame. See Canyon thread for discussion on this. Quest composites know what they are doing. Have heard far too many accounts of poor quality Specialized frames.

[hannawald]

You can find many independent reviews of Ultimate. It is light, stiff and comfortable with enough tyre clearance. You don't have to worry. It's in the same league as Tarmac S works and better than Tarmac Expert.

[Wookski]

Get a custom frame, a Sarto Seta won’t set you back much more than an SL6 and is significantly better than the Shit Works and Giant of Germany.

[L3X]

Assuming the chinese one will fit you as well, just buy whichever bike you like the most. Like: the one that makes you happy and that you feel excited to take out for a ride. The specs of both the tarmac and the ultimate are great and the build list for the chinese one won't be disappointing either.

[Broady]

Get a custom frame, a Sarto Seta won’t set you back much more than an SL6 and is significantly better than the Shit Works and Giant of Germany.

Comparing a 5k frame to a 4k complete bike isn't really a fair comparison.

[hannawald]

Sometimes more money does not mean better product. Can not speak about Sarto but my Canyon Ultimate SLX bottom bracket surprised me how clean it was inside...some more expensive italian bikes could not match it...

[LBoogie28]

You can find many independent reviews of Ultimate. It is light, stiff and comfortable with enough tyre clearance. You don't have to worry. It's in the same league as Tarmac S works and better than Tarmac Expert.

How do you know it’s better than the expert? Having ridden the 10r carbon tarmac, I would say that it’s livelier and stiffer than a tcr advanced sl (giants top offering). Weight on the expert is very competitive as well, surprising even me.

[robeambro]

Get a custom frame, a Sarto Seta won’t set you back much more than an SL6 and is significantly better than the Shit Works and Giant of Germany.

He mentioned that those bikes have geometries that fit him well & clearly has expressed concerns about getting value for money, and you propose a Sarto frame, while throwing crap on two brands with no apparent reason?

[bilwit]

If you're in love with the Tarmac then go for it. People make a huge deal out of components with pre-built bikes with high end frames but the reality is that even the Ultegra-tier stuff on a high end frame is much, much cheaper than buying the frameset and then the same groupset independently for MSRP (not counting second-hand sourcing). Could even strip it down and make some money back by reselling the parts you don't want. Personally, if the frameset-only paintjobs suit your fancy, I'd just bite the bullet and buy one of those, then try to source the parts I actually want and build it myself.

You can always upgrade components easily down the road, but you're more or less stuck with the frameset for a while, so get the best one you can.

[hannawald]

You can find many independent reviews of Ultimate. It is light, stiff and comfortable with enough tyre clearance. You don't have to worry. It's in the same league as Tarmac S works and better than Tarmac Expert.

How do you know it’s better than the expert? Having ridden the 10r carbon tarmac, I would say that it’s livelier and stiffer than a tcr advanced sl (giants top offering). Weight on the expert is very competitive as well, surprising even me.

I dont know details but ultimate slx disc frame is 820g and fork about 320g. It has some aero shapes, proper stiffness and comfort. I think it about matches s works parametres. Sl is heavier, same with lower grade Tarmac carbon. Slx and S works are premium offerings, SL and Expert 2nd grade, very similar but slightly heavier.