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Help me pick a new bike

Old 05-14-10, 04:30 PM
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Help me pick a new bike

Hey guys, I'm going to be getting an extremely nice insurance check in a few months as a result of my recent accident and I'm going to need a new bike. I'm going to test ride all of the bikes berore I buy but would like to get the opinion of others. I am looking at th Specialized Tarmac SL3, Giant TCR Advanced SL, Cervelo R3, Felt F1. If you have any experience with these bikes I'd love to get your opinions and pros and cons.
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Old 05-14-10, 04:33 PM
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well, I'll be the first to chime in-

not to be harsh, but this is the sub-forum specifically for racing.
go one level up and check in with Road Cycling forum - they are much more helpful with threads like this one.

If you buy your bike, start racing, and have other questions - please do come back then, we'd love to hear from you
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Old 05-14-10, 04:38 PM
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Well the reason why I posted here is that I do race and id like to avoid the typical "buy cervelo because Pcad owns one" posts. No offense to Pcad I've met him on our local rides and he's a nice guy. I'd rather get the input from fellow racers who usually have much more constructive comments.
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Old 05-14-10, 04:59 PM
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Almost 30 minutes and no mention of a CAAD9 yet?!??! Shocking.

But srsly, I would get something on the less expensive side of the spectrum if I had to do it over again and spend the rest on wheels (training and race), spare parts, consumables, stuff like that. If you really have $ to burn, how about a power meter and a coach?
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Old 05-14-10, 05:03 PM
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Got a great coach, personal friend too. Moral of the story is this , nearly died, nearly lost an eye, this is a present to myself once I can start riding again.
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Old 05-14-10, 05:20 PM
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many who have ridden "cheap" frames are impressed... and as your asking on the road racing forum, we like our cheap frames and fancy wheels and powermeters and self riotousness.

If money were no option, I'd get a Ridley Noah, for what it's worth.
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Old 05-14-10, 05:32 PM
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ah, well then - that's a different story than the typical one. :-)

Of the options you listed:
If I weren't riding a free bike, and I was buying one at list price, I'd buy a Giant in a heartbeat.
My experience with Giant products is very, very good - and they have an excellent reputation.

Of the options you didn't list:
I don't know what your situation is with wheels/power meters/skinsuits/aero gear - but unless you are well stocked on all the above, I'd buy a cheaper bike than the ones you list and spend 2K on wheels and a used power meter.
A CAAD9, Spooky, Tsumani, etc with deep wheels and a used PT is going to get you a lot more speed than putting your money into a trick frame.
no worries if you disagree or this doesn't work for you, but putting that much money into a great frame & drivetrain doesn't give you anywhere close to the bang for your buck that (to pick one of many) JRennie's Spooky/HED/PM combination has.

all the best to you!
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Old 05-14-10, 05:44 PM
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They're all good. If you don't win on any of those bikes, it's not the bikes fault.
Ride the ones that fit and pick the one that feels the best.
Obviously if you get a club/team deal on one of them, check that brand out first.

While I love my R3SL, the R3 is a bit dated now- standard BB shell instead of bearing inserts of one type or another, non tapered steerer. If you beleive those things make a difference.
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Old 05-14-10, 05:58 PM
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If stock: Spooky or CAAD9 (BB30). Nice training wheels and race wheels (wider HEDS). And red or DA or chorus/record with BB30 SRM for the CAAD9 or SRM or quarq for the spooky.

Spend the money on the bits that count. Look at MDCATV. He just got a 9 and loves it. Same with crash 716.

I really really really like spooky. To boot, Mickey's a great guy (my broke ass bought him lunch last summer) and he's trying really hard to promote the sport even though he's barely off the ground.

Root for the good guys, or they'll disappear.
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Old 05-14-10, 06:22 PM
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Salsa Podio is pretty cool in my book.
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Old 05-14-10, 06:44 PM
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Originally Posted by jwible
Salsa Podio is pretty cool in my book.
i'll give that a solid +1
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Old 05-14-10, 07:10 PM
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What size?
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Old 05-14-10, 07:12 PM
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Or just go all out and get a custom bike. Steel/ti/Al/carbon. Take your pick.
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Old 05-14-10, 07:14 PM
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I will sell you my 56c caad 9 !!! + with all the $$ you'll save you can get some fancy-shmancy wheels !


... or get the cervelo.
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Old 05-14-10, 07:37 PM
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along with the Noah, the Fuji SST seems to be garnering some good mojo. And the Giant TCR advanced sl works for some.
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Old 05-14-10, 07:42 PM
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FWIW, If I hadn't have gotten such a good deal on my tarmac, I was planning on buying a spooky.
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Old 05-14-10, 07:45 PM
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IMO... I'd buy used - a used TCR, Tarmac, etc, given that you're going to race it. Buy a great bike at half price, race the heck out of it.

You're Nick D.'s teammate?
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Old 05-14-10, 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Hida Yanra
i'll give that a solid +1
Me too. Great frame and it isn't too expensive. It's actually extremely cheap compared to the frames you are considering.
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Old 05-14-10, 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt2.8NJ
IMO... I'd buy used - a used TCR, Tarmac, etc, given that you're going to race it. Buy a great bike at half price, race the heck out of it.

You're Nick D.'s teammate?
Yup! Nicks my best friend actually and he had the luxury of seeing me in the ER. It wasn't pretty Lol
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Old 05-14-10, 08:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Justleaning
Yup! Nicks my best friend actually and he had the luxury of seeing me in the ER. It wasn't pretty Lol

Ahh. He told me you'd make a full recovery. Glad to hear it! Could happen to any of us, its great news for you.

But yeah, I'd buy a used Tarmac/TCR/whatever... you're gonna race it, might as well buy used since you have a good handle on maintenance. Let some other schmuck pay depreciation.
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Old 05-14-10, 09:35 PM
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love my used tcr.

if I break it, I'll buy an aluminum frame. Caad9, spooky, OR tsunami/guru for the "custom" bit. With a chunk of change I'd save it up for race reg fees, tires, chains, cassettes, good winter training gear, etc, etc. Not at a point where a $3k frame does anything for me, except make me more sad in a crash.
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Old 05-14-10, 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by wanders
along with the Noah, the Fuji SST seems to be garnering some good mojo. And the Giant TCR advanced sl works for some.
The Noah and SST are both in my stable. Very similar feel, dead accurate steering and watts all go in the right direction.

What's your primary race focus?
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