Road Cycling - My new bike...PICS PICS PICS!

Woooohooo...after years and years and many thousands of miles with my trusty steel ride, I now have a new bike!

The choice? Trek...

Honestly when I started looking for a new ride almost a year ago I never wanted a Trek...hated the fact that everyone had one and I'm not a big Lance fan. One of my riding buddies had a 5200 which was pretty sweet and I rode it once or twice, but it never seemed to interesting. So the quest began...

I test rode many 2003 models: Cannondale R4000 CAAD7's (CAAD5's too), Giant Aluminum TCR's, Specialized Allez Comp, Lemond, Trek 5200. The Dales were way too stiff...as were the TCR's and Allez. The 5200 was nice, but didn't seem to have the pep I wanted. Finally, at a shop in DC I spotted an '01 leftover Trek 5700 model...110fame/fork with Ultegra...WOW...incredible test ride. I could definately tell a difference between the 110 and 120 (5200) carbon frames. This was exactly what I was looking for...only problem...I didn't wanna admit I liked the Trek!!! haha

So months went by, I landed my first job outta college and got what I wanted. 5900 frame Project One with Ultegra/ITM/Thompson/RaceLite/etc...

I set up a photoshoot in my basement...enjoy the pics...

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/eklemm/Trek5.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/eklemm/Trek2.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/eklemm/Trek3.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/eklemm/Trek4.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/eklemm/Trek6.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/eklemm/Trek7.jpg

After the initial spin today the bike was everything I had hoped for and more. Amazing acceleration...no wasted effort...climbs like an angel. Went out for a quick 30 miles and it felt like I rode 15. I hope to do quite a few races this spring and summer and start piling on the mileage...I can't wait! :D

I'm jealous. I'm waiting for my 5200 to arive at the lbs. Sweet ride.

Coppi51: What a great thorobred! It's inspiring to see what a real high end road bike looks like. Thanks for the pics.

very nice bike, happy riding, dude

I can't beleive you didn't go for the Kowstrel! ;)
Sweet bike!

Originally posted by roadbuzz
I can't beleive you didn't go for the Kowstrel! ;)
Sweet bike!

haha...if I hadn't put a deposit on this first...the Kowstrel might have been mine! lol :D j/k

thanks for the compliments guys...

She's a beautiful bike! I hope you enjoy her.

By the way, what will you name her?

Very sweet. I bought a 5200 last year, and luv it!!! :)

how do you like that seat? Does the embrery chafe? The LBS near me has one that they were willing to sell me for $30 b/c someone who bought a 5900 switched the seat out at the time of pruchase. I'm contemplating getting rid of the nard-numbing saddle I have on there. So, how do you like the saddle?

BTW, that is a very nice bike. did you know that lance actually does his everyday training on the 5200, his flat races on the 5500, and the hills on the 5900?

Great bike, look for a new saddle though. I just got the 2003 5200. The saddle lasted one ride before I got rid of it.

Hey, Phatman, where did you get that info about lance's bikes? I've been looking for a web page that runs down what he did and didn't use in each of his tour wins. Anyone know where to find that info.

Originally posted by dtufts
Hey, Phatman, where did you get that info about lance's bikes? I've been looking for a web page that runs down what he did and didn't use in each of his tour wins. Anyone know where to find that info.

yeah, i'm pretty sure Phatman is right...buuut...

the US Postal team never uses below a 5500. meaning all their models are always dura ace equipped...so the frames they have been using this season thus far have the same color scheme as the '03 5200. but it has DA instead of ULT

So I am using the same frame Lance would use for the mountains of the tour, but ULT instead of Dura Ace :)

Originally posted by Phatman
how do you like that seat? Does the embrery chafe? The LBS near me has one that they were willing to sell me for $30 b/c someone who bought a 5900 switched the seat out at the time of pruchase. I'm contemplating getting rid of the nard-numbing saddle I have on there. So, how do you like the saddle?


wow...thats a good deal on a saddle! $30!

The saddle I have is a titanium rail San Marco ERA...I believe it is
NOT the stock 03 5900 saddle. It might be the '02 5900 saddle...The new '03 saddle looks a tad more minimal...

Honestly I only got the bike saturday and have put 60 miles on is this weekend...and my ass still feels good. I had an Avocet O2 saddle on my old bike and this one feels a tad different, but not worse. Once I have more miles on it I'll PM you with an update...

If that saddle is only $30 I'd get it anyway...the saddle I have at my LBS was going for $80...

http://www.lancearmstrong.com/tdf2001/bikes.htm (http://)


yeah, i'm pretty sure Phatman is right...buuut...

I think you're right. It sounds like the 120 OCLV is for the flats and the 110 is for the hills. But why not use the lighter bike for all stages. Why just save it for the hills?

Also, I assume that the team bikes also have higher end wheels, stem, bars, post, and seat (everyone complains about the seat, if you hadn't noticed) in addition to the DA. I just think it would be cool to know.

I think you're right. It sounds like the 120 OCLV is for the flats and the 110 is for the hills. But why not use the lighter bike for all stages. Why just save it for the hills?

Stiffness my friend, Stiffness.

Lances Components:

Selle San Marco Concor Ti
DA Seatpost
Deda Newton Stem
Deda 215 deep drop bars
Deda Cork tape
DA Componentry all around
DA SPD SL Pedals
Bontrager Race-X-Lite / German made 'Lightweight' all carbon wheels
Hutchinson tires (for clincher rims) and what look like veloflex tires (for tubular rims)

- Maurizio

Thanks, Maurizio. Very interesting. I'm still figuring all this stuff out. So does that means that the 110 is not quite as stiff as the 120? Is that right? If the 110 were stiffer and lighter then Lance and his team would use it all the time, right?

Congrat's on the new bike...even though there are lots of em out there I think it's a great choice...one of the best as well as best looking. I'll show you mine in a few days...supposed to be in the mail. If I was 20 years younger,20 lbs lighter, and 5 mph faster I might have the guts to roll out on a Kowstrel...

Originally posted by dtufts
Thanks, Maurizio. Very interesting. I'm still figuring all this stuff out. So does that means that the 110 is not quite as stiff as the 120? Is that right? If the 110 were stiffer and lighter then Lance and his team would use it all the time, right?

the 110 is stiffer and lighter than the 120...

I think Maurizio means the 120 is used because its not quite as stiff thus providing more comfort over longer world cup events for the US Postal squad...

Buut, I'm still puzzled as well as to why they don't use the 110 all the time...I couldn't even Imagine riding a Giant TCR (retro ONCE alu) or a Saeco CAAD7 over 130 miles...I've ridden both and not only does the 110 frame climb better, but soaked up the vibrations better IMHO...

So why they use the 120 frame at all puzzles me...most other pro teams must get an ass ramming on the aluminum frames? Guess the carbon stays help out now though...

nice ride :)

In response to this whole stiffness thing between the 110 and 120 carbon, let me clarify:

110 carbon is indeed stiffer than 120 carbon per unit of weight. But the 120 carbon frame is substantially heavier, enough so that despite a slightly lower grade carbon (only slightly...), it has an overall stiffness that it is greater than the 110 frame.

One thing that has to be understood is that a frame can be incredibly stiff, and still be fogiving and comfortable, and another frame can be flexy as heck, and yet a harsh ride. The 120 may indeed be more comfortable, as Coppi51 suggests, and therefore suit itself for crappy roads in long classic races, but that doesn't necessarily make it less stiff. It is also probably more durable as it is made from more material. Stiffness and comfort are not entirely related as they are often made out to be.

I have not ridden either of these two framesets to know either of their ride characteristics well, but I know people who have, and from what I understand, one of the primary differences between the two and their handling characteristics is due to the differences in the fork - and not so much the frame. In the past the 110 came with the straight bladed fork, which lends itself to a more 'direct' steering feeling (which I like) and usually (but not always) more harshness, than a curved model. This may lead people to feel that the 110 is stiffer even if it is not the case. In the past the 120 came with a curved fork, which may be why it does not steer as quickly as the 110 (which is a comment I have heard in comparisons of the two) and why it is more comfortable and thought of as more flexy. Although as of 03' the new 120 carbon framesets are equiped with a new fork which is straight bladed, and so these past perceptions of the 120 model being less stiff, and a slower steerer, may now pass.

- Maurizio

It´s not just stiffness, it´s more about durability and security. Or did you mean that point with "stiffness" ?
The UCI does not allow bikes less than 6,8 kg´s because all bikes below were rated as insecure.

...and by the way -
nice one !
I wish I had a bike like this. My plan was to buy a Pinarello Prince SL this year but
a. I´m definately out of shape and don´t deserve one yet
b. money, money, money...this bike cost´s about 2.500 to 3.000 €. That´s quite much.:(