Road Cycling - What Makes a Cervelo So Great???

There is no such thing as bashing brand 'worshipers'. There is only brand bashing.

Incorrect. You can bash brand A and you can also bash lemmings who love brand A products.

Incorrect. You can bash brand A and you can also bash lemmings who love brand A products.

No, it is you who are Incorrect.

I am afraid I have to pull rank on you. As Pope of BF, my Incorrect supercedes your Incorrect.

Don't make me Excommunicate you.

No, it is you who are Incorrect.

I am afraid I have to pull rank on you. As Pope of BF, my Incorrect supercedes your Incorrect.

Don't make me Excommunicate you.

"You're wrong, because I said you're wrong, waa!"

I last heard that from my nephew. Such old grade school tactic.

I last heard that from my nephew.

Is he related to you? The Excommunication would apply to all family members too you know.

You don't think your bike would be more expensive if it were made in Europe?

Who knows because the prices of all these "Italian" companies that moved their production to China actually raised their prices. This, despite significant reduction in labor. Profit margins only have increased for these companies.

Like I said in past, would you pay a million $ for a Ferrari Enzo if it were made in China? Some of you guy's will bulL#$#$ me and say yes, but if you actually had the scratch to collect them, you'd know to start buying up the models made in Italy now cuz their values will increase exponentially. The only benefit to the move to China with all these CF frames is for the company as they don't seem to be passing on any savings to us.

Boy, I sure am mad about all these bicycles!

they are made with a pinch of chinese pixie dust




does it smell of 5 spice?

i wonder if my finding cervelos ugly is a manifestation of a subconscious envy. i don't think so but you never know without going to see a shrink.

it's MSG

The inexpensive labor involved in carbon fiber manufacturing? PPP. Paying living wages in Europe is higher than China.

The debate is not about costs, which are obviously less in China, but the increase in consumer surplus (and reduction in market price), which Lazyrider presumes doesn't exist.

No, it is you who are Incorrect.

I am afraid I have to pull rank on you. As Pope of BF, my Incorrect supercedes your Incorrect.

Don't make me Excommunicate you.

Infallibility must be a heavy cross to bear your Eminence.

Or the Alaska governor chosen to assure the McCain Presidential victory, a move that will be taught in Political Science classes as a cautionary tale.

You mean the one that reduces taxes and gives money back to the citizens of that state? Versus the one you live in?

What's the difference between NY and the Titanic?

The Titanic had a band.

;)

You mean the one that reduces taxes and gives money back to the citizens of that state?
Versus the one you live in?

What's the difference between NY and the Titanic?

The Titanic had a band.

;)

wrong forum. take it to here (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=203).

You mean the one that reduces taxes and gives money back to the citizens of that state? Versus the one you live in?

What's the difference between NY and the Titanic?
The Titanic had a band
.

;)

The bandleader was a real prick, so he kept making the guys play 2-beat all night.

As the water started coming in, and the people started screaming and running out of the room, the bandleader says to the guys "keep playing!"

As the water rises to reach the stage the bandleader says again "keep playing!"

As the water finally started to rise to their knees, the bass player looks over at the drummer and says "screw it, I'm going to 4"

(if you got this one, you might be a musician)

I enjoy riding it, and I like the company and their philosophy. I would rather support a couple guys who made a bike company out of nothing than perpetuate the slap-a-label-on-someone-else's-design-and-call-it-mine philosophy.

Trek was started by a guy in a barn in Wisconsin. Started "out of nothing".

Cannondale was started by a couple of guys who didn't even begin with bike manufacturing. In a barn. The name came from the train station when Montgomery was on the phone trying to get money.

Serotta has the name of the owner on every downtube that comes out of a shop with 30 frame builders...

There are a number of companies that can make that claim.

And if you look at things like pressed internal bearing BB's (BB30 style) integrated headsets, tapered steering tubes, etc...those innovations did not come from the engineers at Cervelo.

They are nice bikes. Da Vinci does not work there.

https://renpainters.wikispaces.com/file/view/flying.jpg

wrong forum. take it to here (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=203).


Look at the post to which this was a response. Then get back to me.

Trek was started by a guy in a barn in Wisconsin. Started "out of nothing".

Cannondale was started by a couple of guys who didn't even begin with bike manufacturing. In a barn. The name came from the train station when Montgomery was on the phone trying to get money.

Serotta has the name of the owner on every downtube that comes out of a shop with 30 frame builders...

There are a number of companies that can make that claim.

And if you look at things like pressed internal bearing BB's (BB30 style) integrated headsets, tapered steering tubes, etc...those innovations did not come from the engineers at Cervelo.

They are nice bikes. Da Vinci does not work there.

I'm not saying there are no other companies like it... I just like 'em.

It's just too easy to make fun of people who know nothing about bicycles. Cervelo and other similar companies are successful only because so many newbies buy their overpriced bikes. They want to be the fastest guy out there, because riding for them is passing dudes and not being passed. So they buy the bike that has the fastest image. It might be a Cervelo, or it might be any of the other popular names in that market segment.

For many, it's the first and only serious road bike they have ever had. Riding it compared to a hybrid, comfort or mountain bike is a revelation for them, and then they assume it's because of the Cervelo name on the downtube (or substitute Madone, Tarmac, etc.). Then there's the natural tendency to defend to internet death one's own current purchase, no matter what rationalizations have to be employed. Put all that together and you get the basis of 80% of bicycle forums posts on the internet.

Ah, nothing like a plate of patronising to go with a glass of whine.

It's just too easy to make fun of people who know nothing about bicycles. Cervelo and other similar companies are successful only because so many newbies buy their overpriced bikes. They want to be the fastest guy out there, because riding for them is passing dudes and not being passed. So they buy the bike that has the fastest image. It might be a Cervelo, or it might be any of the other popular names in that market segment.

For many, it's the first and only serious road bike they have ever had. Riding it compared to a hybrid, comfort or mountain bike is a revelation for them, and then they assume it's because of the Cervelo name on the downtube (or substitute Madone, Tarmac, etc.). Then there's the natural tendency to defend to internet death one's own current purchase, no matter what rationalizations have to be employed. Put all that together and you get the basis of 80% of bicycle forums posts on the internet.

Don't take this the wrong way, but why on earth do you think you any more of an authority on what people should buy than anyone else? As far as I can tell you do zero racing and just like to make fun of people who enjoy riding racing-oriented bikes. Your opinion is just as valuable or worthless as anyone's. If those defending their purchase are 80% of the posts, you're the 20% they have to defend themselves against.

I don't think that newbies buying expensive stuff are quite as large a market segment as you think, although they certainly do exist. They'll continue to do it, and I'm not sure why anyone would look down on them. I mean, really--who cares if a newbie buys an S3 as their first bike? Why do you have a problem with that? He's happy, the shop's happy, Cervelo's happy, and there's another bike on the road. There is no downside. It even feeds the egos of those who need to ridicule people over the internet for their purchases and feel superior to other riders... Hmm....

As for defending to death my purchase, I know that my P2C isn't the fastest bike out there, but it's a damn nice frame for sub-$2K when you consider its far more expensive alternatives. Is it the be all/end all? Nah, not really. That Scott Plasma LTD and the Pinarello Montello FM1 are some real dream bikes. In the end, the P2C is a solid bike, and a smart buy for someone who wants a higher-end aerodynamic CF frame. And it's been ridden to victory at Kona, arguably the pinnacle of racing against the clock, so to someone on a budget who's looking for a bike that won't hold them back, even from the absolute pinnacle of competition, it's a total "I can no longer blame my bike for anything until I win at IM Kona" type purchase.

You're right. I totally agree with you. My opinion definitely is as worthless as anyone else's on here. That's the nature of internet forums, a greatly expanded version of what in the past might have been water cooler conversation and a bit of friendly ribbing.

I see dozens of Cervelos zipping past me every single day. Man, those things are FAST. Definitely the bike to buy. Just the other day, I thought I was doing as well as I could against a fairly stiff headwind along a waterway. All of a sudden, this young woman with no helmet and not a hint of cycling clothing whizzes past me going the same direction, seemingly immune to the headwind. I can only imagine what she could have done on a Cervelo. Unfortunately, she was riding bolt upright on some kind of hybrid. Poor girl, probably doesn't read Bike Forums or Bicycling magazine. What can you do about people like that? They "just don't get it". They need to get with the consumerist program, because there are a lot of young western marketing whizzes and Chinese industrialists out there who need her cash.

You're right. I totally agree with you. My opinion definitely is as worthless as anyone else's on here. That's the nature of internet forums, a greatly expanded version of what in the past might have been water cooler conversation and a bit of friendly ribbing.

I see dozens of Cervelos zipping past me every single day. Man, those things are FAST. Definitely the bike to buy. Just the other day, I thought I was doing as well as I could against a fairly stiff headwind along a waterway. All of a sudden, this young woman with no helmet and not a hint of cycling clothing whizzes past me going the same direction, seemingly immune to the headwind. I can only imagine what she could have done on a Cervelo. Unfortunately, she was riding bolt upright on some kind of hybrid. Poor girl, probably doesn't read Bike Forums or Bicycling magazine. What can you do about people like that? They "just don't get it". They need to get with the consumerist program, because there are a lot of young western marketing whizzes and Chinese industrialists out there who need her cash.

You don't think she would've been faster on a custom lugged steel bike in a more aero position? Or any road bike for that matter? What on Earth does that lady have to do with Cervelo?

You don't think she would've been faster on a custom lugged steel bike in a more aero position? Or any road bike for that matter? What on Earth does that lady have to do with Cervelo?


you have better things to do with your time than to argue with this simpleton

you have better things to do with your time than to argue with this simpleton

It's nice to turn the brain off between cases. :)

someone swallowed the hook.

By the way....I also like my Tarmac Expert, BH Race1 and Cannondale Six13....they are all nice bikes! Its just that the SLC is my preferred weapon on crits and drop dead bunch rides.

Just saying the SLC is not my first serious roadbike.....

It's just too easy to make fun of people who know nothing about bicycles. Cervelo and other similar companies are successful only because so many newbies buy their overpriced bikes. They want to be the fastest guy out there, because riding for them is passing dudes and not being passed. So they buy the bike that has the fastest image. It might be a Cervelo, or it might be any of the other popular names in that market segment.

For many, it's the first and only serious road bike they have ever had. Riding it compared to a hybrid, comfort or mountain bike is a revelation for them, and then they assume it's because of the Cervelo name on the downtube (or substitute Madone, Tarmac, etc.). Then there's the natural tendency to defend to internet death one's own current purchase, no matter what rationalizations have to be employed. Put all that together and you get the basis of 80% of bicycle forums posts on the internet.

This one of the stupidest things I have read on BF! No higher end bike company is successful just because a few newbies buy their bikes. They are successful because they develop a reputation for making quality bikes that the buyers think are reasonably priced for what they get.

I am still waiting for you to tell us what Cervélo doesn't offer in it's price range that other companies do offer. Your rants make you look like a raving idiot. You are not offering any rational arguments to support what you are saying.

S-

I bought a Cervelo and I'm not a newbie. Hell, I have more road miles than 99% of the weenies on this stupid board.

^^^
I was under the impression that you bought yours without bothering to test ride. It's something I don't get, but I'm glad your pleased with it.

I love my RS and according to the reviews I have read... So do a lot of other people. In the relaxed catagory, the RS is regarded as in the top 2 or 3 in the segment. I also got a great deal on the bike. The bike came in well under retail and I switched to 09 force and ritchey carbon bars and stem and a new airone to boot (pics to come soon)

I am willing to be most of you that are bashing the Cervelo have never ridden one... Maybe us Cervelo owners should start a thread that says... Bianchi sucks!!! Of course most of us have never owned or ridden one... But why not?! This is BF where we do not let facts get in the way of a good story!

Oh btw Dr Pete. The RS is still very racey with that longer head tube :)

I love my RS and according to the reviews I have read... So do a lot of other people. In the relaxed catagory, the RS is regarded as in the top 2 or 3 in the segment. I also got a great deal on the bike. The bike came in well under retail and I switched to 09 force and ritchey carbon bars and stem and a new airone to boot (pics to come soon)

I am willing to be most of you that are bashing the Cervelo have never ridden one... Maybe us Cervelo owners should start a thread that says... Bianchi sucks!!! Of course most of us have never owned or ridden one... But why not?! This is BF where we do not let facts get in the way of a good story!

Oh btw Dr Pete. The RS is still very racey with that longer head tube :)

Why would we waste our time doing that? We have already made our informed buying decision and are happy. We gain nothing from bashing other brands. It is fascinating how much commentary Cervelo generates in these threads.

^^^
I was under the impression that you bought yours without bothering to test ride. It's something I don't get, but I'm glad your pleased with it.

I test rode it and didn't like it. Bought it anyway. Now I love it. That's the second road bike this happened with (ditto with my Six13).

Wow, I guess I made a BIG MISTAKE because I just bought a good used P3C with Blackwell Research CF 50's on eBay for $2,000, as my first tri bike.

I didn't go online and read this most informative thread containing LOTS of valuable data to consider when looking at buying a Cervelo.

I just looked in the transition area at the Ironman 70.3 just held here last month and did my research.

I saw lots and lots of Cervelo's which to me meant they were a good bike and, from that I deduced that they would have a good resale value.

I don't subscribe to bike mags so no marketing was involved. In fact, the only Cervelo experience I had was to go to LBS to see if the bike for sale was the right size before I made an offer on eBay. A friend & his wife are doing IM have a Colnago and an '05 Cervelo P3C told me that I couldn't buy a P3C for that cheap and to BUY IT RIGHT NOW!

BTW, I looked at a '05 Kestrel Airfoil Pro for around the same price but I didn't like the fact that if I decided I didn't like it, I might have trouble selling it.

So, that's it. Another dumb newbie bites on the Cervelo marketing blitz. NOT! I just think the bikes appear to be very well thought out and efficient. And I don't think they are nearly as "whizzy" as the higher end, more expensive bikes, just good solid machines.

My only other bike is a '69 Raleigh Pro white.

Yes, I am old and dumb.

I'd take a P3 frame if I could get one cheap. Already have a good TT bike but the frame is a bit on the large size.

blame canada

Maybe us Cervelo owners should start a thread that says... Bianchi sucks!!! Of course most of us have never owned or ridden one...

Uh-oh: I own two Cervelos and two Bianchis. I must be the ULTIMATE moron.

(By the way, I have no reason to doubt that Longfemur was, in fact, passed like he was standing still by a small lady riding high on a flat-barred fitness bike.)

Wow, I guess I made a BIG MISTAKE because I just bought a good used P3C with Blackwell Research CF 50's on eBay for $2,000, as my first tri bike.

I didn't go online and read this most informative thread containing LOTS of valuable data to consider when looking at buying a Cervelo.

I just looked in the transition area at the Ironman 70.3 just held here last month and did my research.

I saw lots and lots of Cervelo's which to me meant they were a good bike and, from that I deduced that they would have a good resale value.

I don't subscribe to bike mags so no marketing was involved. In fact, the only Cervelo experience I had was to go to LBS to see if the bike for sale was the right size before I made an offer on eBay. A friend & his wife are doing IM have a Colnago and an '05 Cervelo P3C told me that I couldn't buy a P3C for that cheap and to BUY IT RIGHT NOW!

BTW, I looked at a '05 Kestrel Airfoil Pro for around the same price but I didn't like the fact that if I decided I didn't like it, I might have trouble selling it.

So, that's it. Another dumb newbie bites on the Cervelo marketing blitz. NOT! I just think the bikes appear to be very well thought out and efficient. And I don't think they are nearly as "whizzy" as the higher end, more expensive bikes, just good solid machines.

My only other bike is a '69 Raleigh Pro white.

Yes, I am old and dumb.

I see lots and lots of Pacifics and Huffys daily. Maybe I should buy a couple.

I see lots and lots of Pacifics and Huffys daily. Maybe I should buy a couple.

yes, the quality of Cervelo bikes is comparable to Pacific, this is a totally valid compar-

Wow, I guess I made a BIG MISTAKE because I just bought a good used P3C with Blackwell Research CF 50's on eBay for $2,000, as my first tri bike.

I didn't go online and read this most informative thread containing LOTS of valuable data to consider when looking at buying a Cervelo.

I just looked in the transition area at the Ironman 70.3 just held here last month and did my research.

I saw lots and lots of Cervelo's which to me meant they were a good bike and, from that I deduced that they would have a good resale value.

I don't subscribe to bike mags so no marketing was involved. In fact, the only Cervelo experience I had was to go to LBS to see if the bike for sale was the right size before I made an offer on eBay. A friend & his wife are doing IM have a Colnago and an '05 Cervelo P3C told me that I couldn't buy a P3C for that cheap and to BUY IT RIGHT NOW!

BTW, I looked at a '05 Kestrel Airfoil Pro for around the same price but I didn't like the fact that if I decided I didn't like it, I might have trouble selling it.

So, that's it. Another dumb newbie bites on the Cervelo marketing blitz. NOT! I just think the bikes appear to be very well thought out and efficient. And I don't think they are nearly as "whizzy" as the higher end, more expensive bikes, just good solid machines.

My only other bike is a '69 Raleigh Pro white.

Yes, I am old and dumb.

this, ^^^^^^ my friends sums up your typical cervelo purchaser.

What's a Cervelo?





J/k

this, ^^^^^^ my friends sums up your typical cervelo purchaser.

yes, a completely normal cyclist. funny, that reminds me of the typical purchaser of every other major bicycle brand in the world

It's just too easy to make fun of people who know nothing about bicycles. Cervelo and other similar companies are successful only because so many newbies buy their overpriced bikes. They want to be the fastest guy out there, because riding for them is passing dudes and not being passed. So they buy the bike that has the fastest image. It might be a Cervelo, or it might be any of the other popular names in that market segment.

For many, it's the first and only serious road bike they have ever had. Riding it compared to a hybrid, comfort or mountain bike is a revelation for them, and then they assume it's because of the Cervelo name on the downtube (or substitute Madone, Tarmac, etc.). Then there's the natural tendency to defend to internet death one's own current purchase, no matter what rationalizations have to be employed. Put all that together and you get the basis of 80% of bicycle forums posts on the internet.

Wow - you've nailed it. Cervelo is only successful because people who ride hybrids, comfort bikes and mtn bikes are looking for their first $5,000 road bike. Without that, they would be nothing.

They should stop marketing to road cyclists altogether - they are wasting precious advertising dollars.

Cervelo's must suck. This is obvious because Chrissie Wellington won the Ironman Championship on the cheapest carbon TT frame the p2c. Even after she declined the ridiculously more expensive an unattainable p4. Imagine if Lance rode on Trek madone's 4.5 TCT carbon frame?

It's not Bianchi that sucks, it's that hideous green color they seem so fixated upon.

May 2009 Cycling Plus magazine (a Brit mag - man, the brits do magazines so much better than North Americans) has their "Bike of the Year" article. In it they test 37 bikes.

Their criteria for consideration is "The best race or sportive bike between £1200 and £2000" with the intent that this was type of bike that best fit the demographic of the majority of their readership. Later on in the article, they reveal a bias towards an all-rounder rather than a "pure" race bike; but that's neither here nor there.

One of the points the article keeps coming back to was how difficult the judging really was. Of those 37 bikes, none were dogs. Slightly different component mixes, slight riding differences, a change of emphasis from pure speed to comfort or vice versa, but none of the bikes tested SUCKED - and the eventual winner was marginally better than the rest and only settled on after exhaustive discussion.

(The Giant TCR Advanced ultimately won. The Cervelo S1 was tested, but when currency exchange rate changes pushed it over the £2000 price limit they disqualified it - the actual quote is "Cervelo's S1 is also aluminum and has a racing pedigree as well. So much so that CSC riders were riding this bike in the Tour de France in 2006. It's not outdated though - in fact CSC's Matt Gross picked up podium positions on one in major races last year. So what's the weight penalty? None. The Cervelo weighs less than the Ridley or the Trek Madrone. It also has a full Ultegra groupset. On the road it was... er, pretty damn fast, bud sadly after price increases it ended up over the two grand limit")

The point being? Once you get over a certain price limit, almost nothing sucks.

Yes, some people buy for name recognition and fashion over form - but if in so doing, they get a solid bit of kit for a fair price, what's the beef?

DG

Cervelo's must suck. This is obvious because Chrissie Wellington won the Ironman Championship on the cheapest carbon TT frame the p2c. Even after she declined the ridiculously more expensive an unattainable p4. Imagine if Lance rode on Trek madone's 4.5 TCT carbon frame?

Ummmm...you'd be better off comparing the OCLV Red to the OCLV Black. Those are the race frames.

Giant, Cannondale, and Trek (who put two riders in the break today) all beat the lone Cervelo rider in the Giro. If the bikes matter that much.

This could very well be the most amusing thread ever on this forum.

I vote for a sticky.

BTW...I never use the word "cheap" when talking about this stuff. "Less expensive" is more accurate.

I see lots and lots of Pacifics and Huffys daily. Maybe I should buy a couple.

How many do you see ridden by elite athletes at Ironman, many of whom are amateurs and buy their own stuff?

It's not Bianchi that sucks, it's that hideous green color they seem so fixated upon.

+100

Why they tied their brand to such ugly is beyond me. Watch now... those in the thread will say the same about Cervelo.

+100

Why they tied their brand to such ugly is beyond me. Watch now... those in the thread will say the same about Cervelo.

What brand do you think of when you see that color?

That's why they did it.

What brand do you think of when you see that color?

That's why they did it.

Unfortunately for them, it's also the number one reason I wouldn't buy anything from them.

Unfortunately for them, it's also the number one reason I wouldn't buy anything from them.

hehe,, would you not buy a pinarello because it looks like smeared mustard and ketchup?