Carbon
- Thread starter Cyclist33
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potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
What was the 'dead' feeling bike?
I do need to have a sit or ride on a carbon framed bike at some point, just to see if I can tell the difference as I've only ever had aluminium ones.
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
Ironically I've now reordered and am getting the "dead" bike, a merlin malt cr-sl sl!
I think I was being a bit unfair to it.
Weight seems to be the main advantage. Steel is the nicest ride IMHO.
I think I was being a bit unfair to it.
Weight seems to be the main advantage. Steel is the nicest ride IMHO.
potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
What made you change your mind?
Did you have another test ride?
Did you have another test ride?
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
I came to the decision that the other bike was better, and I had not given it enough time. Can't find a better spec for the money and so I've ordered it and tailored the fit.
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
I think the heavier one appealed to me because I was used to that sort of weight bike.
First read of this thread
potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
Just seems strange to go for the one you didn't like just because it's lighter/better spec.
Most often heard advice is to test ride and see which 'feels' best.
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
Indeed. It would have been the wrong decision this time though.
mythste
Veteran
- Location
- Manchester
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
Okay let me put it this way...
To justify another road bike, for me, there had to be a point of differentiation (POD).
The Sensa I tested felt "right" and that's why I originally reserved it but over the following week I began to have grave misgivings. These are obviously as valid and reliable witnesses as the feeling that a bike is just "right". The misgivings centred around the weight and the build of the frame. Without using scales I had hand weighed both the carbon test bikes and the Sensa weighed around the same as my steel bike ~9 kg, whereas the Merlin was much lighter. In test riding there didn't seem to be much problem getting the Sensa to move, indeed it "felt" faster than the Merlin, but nonetheless, I do have two bikes already around the 9 kg mark and neither are too slow for me. The POD of a carbon bike for me is its weight; after consideration there didn't seem much point having a third bike of the same weight. I also realised that feeling faster is not being faster, for example my steel bike appears to hold the surface more than the Giant and it feels quicker in a lot of instances, but the Giant is always one stop up the cassette.
Ride feel was a secondary factor. On test day, the Sensa "felt" much better than the Merlin but I have come to the decision I was not looking at it the right way. Having no previous experience of riding carbon, I wasn't sure what to expect but what I do know is that I got back on my steel bike to go home and it was so much more engaging than either of the carbon bikes.
So we come back to the POD. Neither of the two bikes offered me a ride quality to beat my Quest Elite. Neither of them were too slow or too fast for my abilities, and neither of them were the wrong size. But the Merlin was much lighter, better specced and had a Di2 ready frame. So it was a clear winner on paper. I have never not mucked about with a new bike to make it how I want it so it doesn't actually have to be "just right" in the first place. And not all the bikes I've tried that "just felt right" turned out to be, and all those that did got tweaked and modded soon after purchase anyway.
To justify another road bike, for me, there had to be a point of differentiation (POD).
The Sensa I tested felt "right" and that's why I originally reserved it but over the following week I began to have grave misgivings. These are obviously as valid and reliable witnesses as the feeling that a bike is just "right". The misgivings centred around the weight and the build of the frame. Without using scales I had hand weighed both the carbon test bikes and the Sensa weighed around the same as my steel bike ~9 kg, whereas the Merlin was much lighter. In test riding there didn't seem to be much problem getting the Sensa to move, indeed it "felt" faster than the Merlin, but nonetheless, I do have two bikes already around the 9 kg mark and neither are too slow for me. The POD of a carbon bike for me is its weight; after consideration there didn't seem much point having a third bike of the same weight. I also realised that feeling faster is not being faster, for example my steel bike appears to hold the surface more than the Giant and it feels quicker in a lot of instances, but the Giant is always one stop up the cassette.
Ride feel was a secondary factor. On test day, the Sensa "felt" much better than the Merlin but I have come to the decision I was not looking at it the right way. Having no previous experience of riding carbon, I wasn't sure what to expect but what I do know is that I got back on my steel bike to go home and it was so much more engaging than either of the carbon bikes.
So we come back to the POD. Neither of the two bikes offered me a ride quality to beat my Quest Elite. Neither of them were too slow or too fast for my abilities, and neither of them were the wrong size. But the Merlin was much lighter, better specced and had a Di2 ready frame. So it was a clear winner on paper. I have never not mucked about with a new bike to make it how I want it so it doesn't actually have to be "just right" in the first place. And not all the bikes I've tried that "just felt right" turned out to be, and all those that did got tweaked and modded soon after purchase anyway.
potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
Sounds to me like you're trying to convince yourself there 
If you were just going to get the lightest/best specced then why even bother with the test ride?
Not saying it's a bad choice, just trying to understand it
If you were just going to get the lightest/best specced then why even bother with the test ride?
Not saying it's a bad choice, just trying to understand it
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
Sounds to me like you're trying to convince yourself there
If you were just going to get the lightest/best specced then why even bother with the test ride?
Not saying it's a bad choice, just trying to understand it
How can I explain it?!
It is about the p o d. I've said, of the two bikes I preferred the sensa on the day but it isn't different enough to spend my money on. I had feelings of wasting money that I couldn't shake off so that was a clear indicator to me. The merlin wasn't specced as I would be buying it and there were enough good moments on it that I expected to choose it, but when I rode the sensa it felt more right for me, but over a few days reflecting I realised it wasn't. The merlin is a different type of ride, so a new experience for me to learn, and for example if I do a 50 miles on it that will tell me what if anything I need to tweak.
Also I forgot to mention that after careful research I concluded that the sensa was actually a lower spec mmodel rebadged as A limited edition.
Why even get a new bike at all, if none of them felt as engaging as your current bike.
For me i ride the bike that makes me feel more at one with it. Seems to me it doesnt matter which bike you tested, you are at one more with the steel bike
Odd really
For me i ride the bike that makes me feel more at one with it. Seems to me it doesnt matter which bike you tested, you are at one more with the steel bike
Odd really
OP
OP
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
Says someone who said recently that they have never tested a bike before buying it, how would you know whether you feel "at one" Before buying?
It's not odd, really you're being obtuse, or deliberately so. People change their minds all the time and going with a first crush is not always the start of a beautiful relationship.
