lennyparis

Want to get/put together an aluminum crit bike with one (or if necessary) two rings upfront
Use Shimano now so the one by SRAM does not make sense as the shifting between bikes would be too confusing

any thoughts?

Like the Allez Sprint but has SRAM Force

rpenmanparker 

The Sprint frame is only $1,100 in either X1 or standard versions, not a bad price. With a UK-sourced Ultegra group for $600, you might be able to put a whole bike together to your specs competitively with the $2,600 price of the Force-equipped, off-the-rack bike. Especially if you can score some nice wheels on the cheap. Of course that does not consider a likely store discount off the compete bike price. But I would expect a store discount on the frame and maybe even free assembly of the custom bike even though you would be bringing parts in from outside. Wouldn't that be a fun project?

beatlebee 

Everyone is a fanboy of the CAAD 10.

merlinextraligh

I got an idea, race your Tarmac, or one of your Madones.

lennyparis

Madone not a race bike
Used Tarmac last week but don't want to risk crashing a $10,000 bike in a crit
That is why a Allez would work ESP with ultegra and maybe CL 60 wheels

spectastic

what's the point of a $10k bike if you're too afraid of using it?

e_guevara

A showroom piece

CafeVelo

Probably ought to tell trek-segafredo they can't race their bikes, unless you mean your particular Madone is not to be raced.

Allez sprint would be a good bike. If you don't have the cl60s already then you're better off buying the complete price wise, since you get everything you need out of the box. Buy a group you want and sell the SRAM, you'll probably break even on the group pricing that way, plus you have the FD tab in the event you repurpose the frame later and want one, since band-on isn't an option.

grwoolf

Why is the madone not a race bike? If you want another bike for the sake of having another bike, I can appreciate that, but you seem to have a few in your stable that would work.

I've been on the pavement 2 times in crit races and 1 other time in a road race, no significant damage (knock on wood). Bikes tend to fair better than riders in wrecks from what I've seen. It's very unlikely you'd do enough $ damage to any of your bikes in a wreck to offset the cost of building something new. That's how I justify racing my high dollar frame/wheels anyway. It just seems like a shame to have nice race bikes and not race them.

gregf83 

Looks good sitting outside the coffee shop after the ride. Of course with a $10k bike you'd want to be riding solo lest you get tangled up with someone else in a group.

UmneyDurak

Get CAAD whatever slap some SRAM on it and call it a day?

OnyxTiger

China carbon on any gruppo you see fit for sub $1500 + China wheelset and you has rice rocket??

Bob Dopolina 

You can go one-by on the front with just the correct chainring and bolts. Everything else would still be Shimano 10/11 spd.

k0ric

Cmon, give this guy a break. Would you take your ferrari to an auto cross? No.

Silvercivic27

No, but some people take them to track days which is way tougher on a car than an auto cross, and way more risk for catastrophe.

PepeM

CAAD12. A 2X Allez Sprint will be out there soon too, so you can wait for that if you think learning SRAM shifting is too complicated.

TenSpeedV2

I will see that, and raise you one.

texaspandj

****

69chevy

Trek ALR frameset, 105/5800 group.

Dan333SP

The guy has 2 Madones, no less. A 5 series and a 6 series. Literally every race I've ever participated in has had at least 4-5 Madones in it, mine included. They're great race bikes. Not sure why OP would spend $2,000 just to not race either of those, or his SWORKS Tarsmack.

Don't forget that if you wreck one of the crabon bikes and the frame cracks, you can get it repaired for somewhat reasonable $$$. I've seen a handful of Allez and CAAD frames that have suffered race wrecks, and when the frames fail you're done, no more bike.


Oh, and...

topflightpro

This is absolutely true. Aluminum does not like to be dented and will frequently crack when it is. I have a cracked S-Works aluminum frame hanging on a wall.

bmthom.gis

if going between Sram and Shimano is hard to do, I must be a freakin' genius cause I do that all the time. If one wants to get a new bike just to get one, why not a CAAD 12 Black Inc? That's only $5k...surely better to race that than a $10k bike?

merlinextraligh

That was going to be my exact comment. The OP owns 3 bikes, all of which would be fine to race in a crit. And given that he has 3, breaking one wouldn't be catastrophic.

merlinextraligh

I've raced CF bikes in crits for 9 years now, and never broken a frame in a race. Ironically, I broke the frame on Wilier Zero 7, slipping and falling on it in the garage. Fortunately it was repaired and looks as good as new for $495.

A severely dented or cracked aluminum frame isn't repairable as you've noted.

Personally, I do not get the point of owning high performance, expensive racing bikes, and not using them to race.

merlinextraligh

Better analogy, would you buy a Ferrari and not take it to the track for DE?

Not suggesting he should race cross on one of his Madones or Tarmacs. I am suggesting he should race a crit on one of them.