Next Road Bike - Advice Welcome

[vickster]

Don't know anything much, but I'd buy a Dolan myself as can have with SRAM

 

[Cyclone1]

Cheers Vickster, so a fan of SRAM? I think I am swayed to the Dolan but was hoping for more opinion be it good / bad or indifferent.

At the moment I see the Agree as an improvement on the Peloton Race, but only in weight (marginal) and feel.

I see the Dolan as lighter, I like the SRAM groupset as it's different to the 105 on the Peloton and a change is good, plus it is even less conspicuous on the roads where I live, even than the Cube....

Jules.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Better than all 11 of the TCR offerings ?
The review doesn't look that good to me http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/review-felt-f5-12-45875/

I think the F5 has a far better frame set than the TCR which is what I stated and the review you link to mentions the frame set quality and performance specifically with the following statements "At the heart of the Felt F5 is a notable frameset. The frame tips the scales at well under the kilo mark and has an impressively rigid front end thanks to its 1-1/4 to 1-1/2in tapered head tube, backed by a large junction with the top and down tubes..... and ...... The chassis is one of the best around, especially at this price"

The rest of the bike may be slightly lacking from a component perspective but that can be addressed over time with upgrades imho.. This is why I would personally take the F5. The reality is that the TCR frame-set is not in the same league imho as such if the objective is to go faster as stated by the OP you would take the very best best base possible. I would quite happily pay the price they ask for the bike just for the frame set alone its that impressive. It's simply amazing.

If your looking at the entire spec of the bike, the OP would be better off looking at Ribble, Rose, PlanetX and Canyon imho

I have a mate with a F5 using Zipp wheels and DuraAce Di2 and Zipp finishing kit and the bike is incredible and much better than bikes costing thousands more. It's a better bike than my similar spec S-Works Venge

 

[vickster]

Cheers Vickster, so a fan of SRAM? I think I am swayed to the Dolan but was hoping for more opinion be it good / bad or indifferent.

At the moment I see the Agree as an improvement on the Peloton Race, but only in weight (marginal) and feel.

I see the Dolan as lighter, I like the SRAM groupset as it's different to the 105 on the Peloton and a change is good, plus it is even less conspicuous on the roads where I live, even than the Cube....

Jules.

Yes, Shimano hood shape doesn't work for me - I can't brake effectively! I have Apex on one bike, Rival on another, Rival is certainly smoother and worth the extra (a bit like Tiagra and 105 I guess)

I like (relative) rarity too, another reason to go for the Dolan (as long as it's not black which I fear it may be )

 

[Cyclone1]

I think the F5 has a far better frame set than the TCR which is what I stated and the review you link to mentions the frame set quality and performance specifically with the following statements "At the heart of the Felt F5 is a notable frameset. The frame tips the scales at well under the kilo mark and has an impressively rigid front end thanks to its 1-1/4 to 1-1/2in tapered head tube, backed by a large junction with the top and down tubes..... and ...... The chassis is one of the best around, especially at this price"

The rest of the bike may be slightly lacking from a component perspective but that can be addressed over time with upgrades imho.. This is why I would personally take the F5 the reality is that the TCR frame-set is not in the same league imho as such if the objective is to go faster as stated by the OP you would take the very best best base possible. I would quite happily pay the price they ask for the bike just for the frame set alone its that impressive. It's simply amazing.

If your looking at the entire spec of the bike, the OP would be better off looking at Ribble, Rose, PlanetX and Canyon imho

I have a mate with a F5 using Zipp wheels and DuraAce Di2 and Zipp finishing kit and the bike is incredible and much better than bikes costing thousands more. It's a better bike than my similar spec S-Works Venge

This makes sense, it's a better base position to build from if you wanted to apply upgrades later on. In that case then for me it's to high a starting point pricewise, but longer term is a good option worth considering.

Jules.

 

[Cyclone1]

Yes, Shimano hood shape doesn't work for me - I can't brake effectively! I have Apex on one bike, Rival on another, Rival is certainly smoother and worth the extra (a bit like Tiagra and 105 I guess)

I like (relative) rarity too, another reason to go for the Dolan (as long as it's not black which I fear it may be )

Haha, the Dolan is indeed Black but with splatterings of white and yellow (or as an alternative to the yellow, blue). It's quite an attractive colour scheme which to me is inline with the colouring of my current Peloton Race, albeit that is Black, white and red.

Jules.

 

[SteCenturion]

Hi @Cyclone1

1st things 1st for me.

I think you already have a great bike.

It is easier & much cheaper to lose 1 or 2 kg from the engine (you or me) than from a bike.

Carbon - great but not the be all/end all & definately not all created equally (and neither are we).

Wheel sets are subjective (as are geometries/brands etc).
Some people loathe Mavic/love Fulcrum & vice versa, same goes with brands.

I don't 'appreciate' Pinerello or Trek, think Bianchi are over priced & lost their way & pretty blase' about Specialized but love Cube & Giant.

Just personal preference.

On the other hand I like a few lesser spotted brands & slightly left field choices.

My picks would be - in no particular order.
Ribble R872 frameset (get your own group set & wheels) then have somone else build it.

Planet X Pro Carbon (on offer full Ultegra).

CUBE Agree GTC 2013 sale bike.
Giant TCR 2013 sale bike.

Sintesi Z2 2012 - £1499 @ www.tweekscycles.co.uk (only limited sizes left & black/white colour scheme) full Toray T800 carbon frame/fork, full 2012 Sram Force (10 speed) & Ritchey WCS Zeta wheels (1545 grammes).

Fondreist TF3 1.2 (sadly beyond budget).

The 'try before you buy' advice is best (although I took a gamble at the price).

It's really hard the old 'advice' game because it's difficult to recommend something you yourself would not buy.

Here goes nothing.

Cannondale Synapse.

Loved the world over.

Looks ugly to me so wouldn't but 100 thousand + probably would.

Hope you find 'the one'.

Best of British.

 

[Cyclone1]

Cheers for the great advice / opinion.

I like the look of the Sinetsi but looking at the geometry think the L will be too small. However, as a "different" but competent option, this is the sort of bike I'd be happy with. Out of interest how do you find yours and what have you ridden to compare it against? Looks a bargain for the spec.

Any thoughts or experience of the Dolan I mentioned? Is it not comparable to the Ribble or Planet X?

Jules

 

[SteCenturion]

Hi again @Cyclone1

Out of interest - how tall are you ?
Leg length ?
Torso - long/short top half ?
Reach - long arms ?

Not being nosey but there are some other CC'ers (not me i am afraid) quite adept & finding bikes that fit the bill.

My Sintesi is the Red White 'n' Blue in the main photo on the web page & incidentally it's a size Large (approx a 56).

I am 6ft & (maybe 1/4 or 1/2")
32 1/2 - 33" inside leg.
Longer torso to leg proportions.
Regular reach.

Fits lovely.

 

[DooDah]

I have got to say, after looking at that Sintesi for the first time, I think it looks great. The spec is amazing for the money, in fact I don't think you would find a better spec. for that.

 

[SteCenturion]

Hi again @Cyclone1 & @DooDah

Cyclone - I am a kinda born again cyclist & not that experienced in 'modern' race bikes.

I only have a 2010/11 Giant Defy to compare to but I only had that for 12 months & I bought it 2nd hand.

To top it off the frame (size Large) was too big & so I didn't ride it that much.
The groupset was old 9 speed tiagra which was good but not as slick as my 10 speed Sram Force (I find Shimano easier to operate though).

As the Giant was lower spec & aluminium it was a good chunk heavier too, my Sintesi is quite light, though I have never bothered in weighing it.

Also as soon as I bought the bike I took the saddle, bars, stem & wheels straight off and replaced them with my own (3T Ergonova Team carbon bars & Team stem, Specialized Toupe Team saddle, American Classic Aero 420 wheels). This probably brought the weight down a touch but not a lot as the Ritchey saddle & wheels were already light, just that I already had these parts & like them.

The bike was reduced from £2500 - 1500 & so I don't care much that it is older 10 speed Sram & I would have found it hard to get that spec for the money on any other brand apart from maybe Cube or Canyon & didn't know much about Ribble or Planet X back then.

The bike generally is light, quick & nimble as I would expect for the spec but also it makes me feel lucky as I think it looks a million $.

Still though I do get bike envy in as much as I would love to own another 3 or 4 that I have seen.

C2W Cube next (+1) if all goes well.

 

[SteCenturion]

Sorry Cyclone1, keep missing the Dolan point you are making.

I really don't know that much about them - although if I remember correctly the Etape' received a good review in Cycling Active mag (I think).

Will be digging this out & message back as I am passing my old mags on to a mate.

See a few cyclists out on Dolans of all types locally but none that I know so don't have much info other than they seem to be quite a well respected brand.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

It's worth noting that not all manufacturers stand behind their products to the same degree. Cube for example only warranty their framesets for a couple of years, while some companies such as Specialized provide a lifetime frame warranty.

It's worth checking the Warranty as this is often missed or forgotten.

 

[DooDah]

It's worth noting that not all manufacturers stand behind their products to the same degree. Cube for example only warranty their framesets for a couple of years, while some companies such as Specialized provide a lifetime frame warranty.

It's worth checking the Warranty as this is often missed or forgotten.

Granted, but that viewpoint surely depends on other factors. Such as how long you are likely to keep the bike for and how much more you would pay for a Specialized bike over another with a comparable spec. After all, there are many who change their bikes regularly. I guess what I am saying is that frame warranties maybe important to some, but are less important to others.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I guess what I am saying is that frame warranties maybe important to some, but are less important to others.

Agreed but equally you must appreciate that impacts the price, most people just compare the specs when other things impact the price such as the extent of the warranty and the support system set up by the manufacturer.. It all costs.
Specialized provide bike fitting services such as BG Fit and Retul, the concept store staff are highly trained in the products, they are one of the only bike companies which has its own bike specific wind tunnel and when things go wrong it is without doubt one of the best companies to deal with as many on this forum can confirm.

All I'm simply adding to the topic is that included in the cost of a bike is the support and its not just all about the spec for many.

You pays your money you take your choice... All I'm happy about is we all have different tastes, it would be boring looking at the same bike in the photo section