Which frame would you choose?

[smokeysmoo]

I sent my Focus Cayo Pro back to Wiggle after finding a small fault in the paintwork, on inspection Focus said they would replace the frameset with an Izalco Team Replica, but now say they don't have it in my size and have offered a Cayo Miram Team Replica.
I'm not interested in this as it's now obsolete following Milrams decision to pull out at the end of last season.
I've asked if they will supply a Cayo 2.0 frame and am waiting for a response.
The fact the Izalco is not my size is irrelevant as I'll be selling the whole bike when it comes back.
So my question, (eventually) is, which frame would you go for, Izalco Team Replica, or Cayo 2.0?
Either frame would be current 2011 colours by the way

Izalco Team Replica -

Cayo 2.0 -

 

[Svendo]

Geometry is the same, other than the fork rake and therefore wheelbase, so the Izalco is likely to have slightly 'livelier' handling. I'd get the Izalco, lighter, stiffer frame, better carbon also internal cabling.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Geometry is the same, other than the fork rake and therefore wheelbase, so the Izalco is likely to have slightly 'livelier' handling. I'd get the Izalco, lighter, stiffer frame, better carbon also internal cabling.

Cheers Svendo, the main reason for asking is to gauge opinion as I will be selling the bike as soon as it comes back, it's full Dura-Ace 7900 etc, if anyone is interested you can PM for for full details, and it will be listed with pics in the classified as soon as it returns.

 

[Trickydicky]

Cheers Svendo, the main reason for asking is to gauge opinion as I will be selling the bike as soon as it comes back, it's full Dura-Ace 7900 etc, if anyone is interested you can PM for for full details, and it will be listed with pics in the classified as soon as it returns.

Why are u selling it? Because it makes me suspisious about the quality of the build for Focus.

Thanks TD

 

[Herzog]

I'm not interested in this as it's now obsolete following Milrams decision to pull out at the end of last season.

The team may be no longer active, but that's got nothing to do with how the bike rides...

 

[smokeysmoo]

Why are u selling it? Because it makes me suspisious about the quality of the build for Focus.
Thanks TD

The only reason I'll be selling the Focus is that I've bought a Cannondale CAAD10 It's lighter than most carbon frames without any of the potential pitfalls of carbon. I appreciate the potential issues associated with carbon probably occur very rarely, but when you're a big like me it really does play with your mind when you're descending at 40+mph!

Focus bikes are excellent quality and you have nothing to worry about with them. I've had a Focus Raven Carbon MTB which I only sold to get another road bike, the Cayo Pro which I'm currently waiting to get back, to be honest I was amazed Focus agreed to change the frame as the problem really was a minor paint defect and I have had the bike over two years, but they have and I'm not going to argue with them!

I also have a Focus Mares AX1.0 cyclo cross bike, and the quality is excellent on that too, so please don't read anything into my reasons for selling the carbon, Focus do make very good bikes. I'm sure they wouldn't be used by Katusha and Jelly Belly if they didn't make good frames. Also, the Izalco has recently been awarded bike of the year in the US for the second year running, see here

Thanks

 

[smokeysmoo]

The team may be no longer active, but that's got nothing to do with how the bike rides...

Absolutely bang on Herzog, but as I will be selling the bike when it comes back I want to appeal to the largest audience possible.

So I have to consider which makes more economic sense;

• Have Focus supply me a current Team Replica frame from their 2011 stable, or
• Have them supply me a 2009/10 obsolete colourway designed for a now defunct racing team

Mmmm! Decisions, decisions So you see, I wasn't detracting anything away from the Milram frameset as this is a purely business decision for me.

Ride safe

 

[smokeysmoo]

I'd get the Izalco, lighter, stiffer frame, better carbon also internal cabling.

I've told them to go ahead with the Izalco. So the bike will be a 2011 Izalco Team Replica size 58, full Dura-Ace 7900 with BB30 adapter, DT Swiss R1900 Wheelset with Conti GP4000s, Ritchey WCS Seatpost, Ritchey WCS Saddle, Cannondale C2 Stem & Bars (off my CAAD10 Dura-Ace).

I'll post it up on the classifeds when its back and I've swopped my Ritchey kit over.

 

[bad boy]

Sorry don't mean to be harsh but you seem to contradict yourself with regards to your decision to sell. The fact your big has nothing to do with it, surely wheels would more likely be an issue than the frame in anycase.

I think fair enough just saying I prefer my caad 10 is enough of a reason but really were you that worried ridding a carbon frame ?.

Also I hear the tubing on the cdale is wafer thin to achieve it's claimed frame weight and compete against similar weighted carbon frames nothing wrong with that just saying

 

[smokeysmoo]

Sorry don't mean to be harsh but you seem to contradict yourself with regards to your decision to sell. The fact your big has nothing to do with it, surely wheels would more likely be an issue than the frame in anycase.

I think fair enough just saying I prefer my caad 10 is enough of a reason but really were you that worried riding a carbon frame ?.

Also I hear the tubing on the cdale is wafer thin to achieve it's claimed frame weight and compete against similar weighted carbon frames nothing wrong with that just saying

How do BB. There's no contradiction Pal, my wheels have always stood up, and they are a cheap fix if they do go wrong, (DT Swiss R1900 on the carbon), and like I said, I'm sure carbon failures are relatively rare, but I have seen one and I don't want to experience it first hand. So basically I've lost all faith in carbon, and with the CAAD10 carbon simply is not neccesary anymore IMHO.

The tubes on the CAAD10 are hydroformed which, (as I'm sure you know), means they can beef it up where it needs to be beefy, and reduce it where they can and therefore save weight. Any material is going to dent/mark if it's hit, dropped or falls against something, but I'd rather dent an alu frame a hundred times than scratch a carbon one. I've read the same comments, but as CAAD10's are pretty hard to get hold of I'd like to know how these people claim to know this. I think it's just scare mongering by rival manufacturers who have realised that alu can be made to outperform carbon.

I know my reasons for abandoning carbon are not scientific, but it came down to either I stop riding at weekends, or I get a comparable/better alu bike, sell the carbon and keep smiling, and I can honestly say that descending on the CAAD10 has 100% restored my confidence, I no longer control descents the way I was doing, I'm back to a more attacking, (and satisfying) stye of riding.

Alu will never make a big comeback in the over £1500 price bracket due to peoples beliefs, but each to their own I say. Carbon is dead, been there done that, burnt the T-shirt, long live aluminium.

Finally, I also see quite a lot of Focus bikes now, whereas when I got mine I never saw another for months afterwards, and I do like to be a bit different, (cue Carly Simon - You're So Vain), and I haven't seen another CAAD10 since I got mine

Ride safe

 

[bad boy]

Just interesting to read your comments especially around the fact you had a carbon MTB before if anything that would scare me more.

Im just interested to know what exactly worried you when descending at speed on a carbon bike ?. Was it simply a lack of faith in the material or that you felt uncomfortable at speed and something might break ?.

You have done the right thing in buying the Caad 10 if you felt like that, must have really worried you to consider stop ridding at weekends !.

Im interested as I sort of feel the same way, I dont particularly like carbon or the worries for me that goes with it but feel I had no choice but to buy a carbon frame as I race now and appreciate the weight savings you get with a carbon frame and most people that race use a carbon frame etc.

I did consider the caad 9/10 at the time but was put off by comments on the wafer thin tubing and the fact some consider it as fragile as carbon but I appreciate what your saying and probably should have considered it more so than I did.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Im just interested to know what exactly worried you when descending at speed on a carbon bike ?. Was it simply a lack of faith in the material or that you felt uncomfortable at speed and something might break ?.

probably should have considered it more so than I did.

Hi BB, no worries Pal, it was both points you mention, a lack of faith leading to an Oh my God what if mind melt scenario!
I probably don't put myself across too well at the moment due to my carbon downer, so extra consideration not required
Thanks for your interest, and good luck with your racing