patentcad

Didn't a bunch of you get them on the group buy?

Reviews? Comparisons with pricier CF bikes from Trek, Specialized, et al?

Please. What do you guys need a friggin road map?

FlashBazbo

Wow, pcad, you're not out riding on a Saturday morning?

I've got a ZX3 I bought in last fall's group buy. I have just over 3,200 miles on it. I just got in from my morning ride on it.

Do I like it? Yes. Light weight. Great handling. Stiff BB. Looks great. Decent ride for a light, stiff frame. No durability or workmanship problems (and I took it on one group ride that ended up feeling like a cyclocross course). I have absolutely no complaints. It MIGHT be a little jittery on really fast, long descents -- or it might be that I'm the one that's jittery.

Compared to my previous rides -- Giant, Specialized and Schwinn's premium line -- the ZX3 more than holds its own. Head-to-head (price as no object), I would put the frame in the same league as the premium carbon frames from the big boys. When you factor in price, it blows them away.

oopfoo

I have two ZX3's. The one I've been riding is built up with SRAM Force and Zipp 404 tubulars. Overall, I'd say it's a stiff, light machine. Personally, I think it's a little too stiff, but then my preferences lean toward my other bikes, a Moots Compact SL and two Kirks. A little compliance does wonders for longer rides, which explains my preference for road races and not crits. If comfort isn't an issue, then the ZX3 is a dream to ride. It's perfect for crits: responsive and cheap enough to be replaced at will. Buy two, they're cheap, especially if you're capable of setting up your own bike.

Don't buy it thinking it's going to be a great road racer or century rider, though. It's just too stiff and the road noise will beat your hands and McNuggets to numbness within two hours. Even a long hilly ride or race, where the bike's light weight is a plus, just isn't the place for the ZX3. You'll have a better race with something more comfortable.

Other than that, I'm happy with the bike. It's well built and well-finished. I've had no seatpost problems (cracking, etc.) as others have reported. I've had no finish problems. The bike built easily and without problems. It's performed as I anticipated. I have $600 in each of my frame/fork sets, and I think it's easily worth more, especially in the face of similar bikes' cost. Compared the the Specialized Bettini Tarmac I was considering, the ride is the same and I was able to get two frames for less than the cost of a single, discounted mainstream frame. PF was responsive and helpful during the ordering process, and they did exactly what they said they would do. I did NOT buy through the group buy and found the wait time to be MUCH shorter (I had the bikes within a week).

Overall:
Construction and Finish: 8/10
Ride: 6/10 (but that's just me)
Ordering and Service: 9/10
Price: 9/10



Note: I've "flipped it" since this photo was taken.

patentcad

Of course I rode today. Don't be ridiculous.

Thanks for those reviews, keep 'em coming.

Hammertoe

Search Function...

patentcad

I'm too lazy H.T.

Hammertoe

OK...

I have a Pedal Force RS...

It is a very stiff bike both laterally and vertically. I get a much smoother ride from my Scott CR1 and Cervelo RS, which are plenty laterally stiff...

I believe it is a quality product for what it is. If I was racing, it would be a great bike. No worries if crashed during a race, yet light and stiff enough to hold its own against name brand frames...

Ih8lucky13

They are great and terrible. I actually do not own one, or even seen one, but when has a total lack of knowledge ever stopped opinions on BF before ?

Ih8lucky13

For that matter redundant postings.

FrankBattle 

I have 3 Pedal Force frames.

1 QS2, 1 RS and now the RS2. Until the RS2, the RS was my favorite. I have a Giant TCR Compand I have owned a Fuji Roubaix for comparison. The RS2 is my best cornering frame. For me, it is very .. stiff is the word, but that is only as compared to the other bikes. The QS2 is the plush ride. The RS is a blend of plushness and aggressiveness; it's just right.

I dunno what else to say. I love the RS. Just came from a ride on it today with my normal amount of climbing and 50 mph descents. Very nimble. No hesitation when I stand and tap out the rhythm; and I am no lightweight @ 195, 6'3".

I realize a lot of this is fit to the frame, but the RS and QS2 are the same size with similar components (were is more like it though as I have stripped the QS2).

What else do you want to know?

patentcad

Redundancy RULES.

patentcad

Redundancy RULES.

RULES.

RULES.

RULES.

AEO

Is there a redundant patentcad... oh wait, that was ryanf

dgasmd

Why do you want to know? Considering one now that BD popped your "generic" cherry?

ZXiMan

Honestly, I like my Bottecchia-USA framed bike better than my PF RS2.

It's stiffer and I seem to be more efficient on it, despite being set up exactly the same (same rider position). The only difference is the 53/39 Dura-Ace crankset, 11-23 cassette combo on the Bott, and an FSA K-Force Light 52/38 crankset and 12-25 on the RS2. The Selle Italia SLR Carbonio Flow is more comfortable than the standard Selle Italia SLR.

I like the looks of the RS2 better, but I'm more comfortable on the Bottecchia.

FlashBazbo

I'm surprised by the post saying the ZX3 rides too rough for long rides. Mine does nothing BUT long rides. And I'm a geezer.

I wonder if fork and/or seat post selection might enter into it.

patentcad

Thank God I'm not the only one.

SpongeDad

so is the RS2 less comfortable than the RS, even though it's lighter?

patentcad

Comfort: how is a Pedal Force on long rides?

Comparative performance: have you ridden high end CF bikes from major mfrs like Specialized, Trek, Cdale? How do you feel it compares?

Some of this is academic given the price point. For example it's quite possible a Dean, Lynnskey or Litepseed Ti MTB is better than my Motobecane Fly Ti, but for $2K I could justify a Fly Ti. I would have never sprung $5K for one of those other bikes. And the Fly Ti is so much better than my previous MTB I'm thrilled. Maybe a similar equation applies to the Pedal Force bikes. If they're 85-90% as good as a Trek and half the price, maybe that's all they really have to be.

Youngin

I want to know how to compares to a Tarmac, anyone?

oopfoo

In all honesty, I'm a fat-assed 39-year-old. I'm comparing the bike to a freakin' Kirk Terraplane, which is really just apples-and-oranges. On a long ride, these bikes just aren't in the same league. For the shorter ride and crit, I think the ZX3 is aces.

Of course, this is the guy who also prefers to ride Mavic SSC Paris-Roubaix wheels with 25mm tubulars over pretty much everything else.

Maybe I just don't like light bikes. Anyway, if you're into light and fast, these are great bikes for the money. Don't let me dissuade you, as I'm really speaking pretty highly of them, if in a roundabout way.

Pablo.

I've done a century on it (the RS2). It's comfy. Fits me really well.


You could get a Tarmac.

Or you could get essentially the same frame for half the price. Your call.

FrankBattle 

The RS was very comfortable on long rides. I have ridden a Trek once on a 50 ish miler, and by comparison, the RS did not beat me up as with many CF frames. Anecdotally, last year, I had a goal of 7 centuries. I only did 5, but all five were on the RS. One I did solo under 5 hours (not including the 30 min stop time; it was 4:58). I would share training time with the TCR comp, but never felt that I could comfortably go as long before fatigue set in.

This year, there is the RS2 and a steel frame (Badger Cycles). I have not done a century yet on the RS2 (next weekend is #1), but I have done a couple of 50 milers and a bunch of 30+ and 40+ milers. Smooth as butter as compared to the RS. The steel frame is in another class because, well, steel is, you know, real. But in the CF family of the ones that I have owned, ridden or own, the RS2 is sehr gut. Right now, I almost have to flip a coin between the RS & the RS2. The steel may be more comfortable, but for something 6 lbs lighter, the RS2 is every bit as comfortable, equalized for weight.

dgasmd

Fair enough. Below is a link of when I got my LOOK 595 Ultra comparing it to the PF ZX3 I had been riding for a few months. I am sure I can add some more now that it has been a few more weeks, but the bulk of the comments are the same. I have never ridden/owned any of the 3 brands you named above though, so I cannot comment on those. As far as comfort on long rides, assuming the fit being equal and other components/wheels/tires being the same, I would say the ZX3 is a rougher ride. On shorter rides, it probably is but it takes more attention to notice it. I think the ZX3 is very much of a climbing bike. If I had lots of hill to ride around here, I would have kept the ZX3, outfitted it with ultra light wheels and components, and make it my 12 Lb climbing bike. However, hard to justify doing that where I live to go over a couple of bridges or overpasses.

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/410479-got-new-bike-pictorial-story.html

garysol1 

Wish I had known....Would you post your comparison figures for me? Stiffness figures, weight comparisons, Carbon layup, geometry comparisons, warranty comparisons and so on........
Are you saying that the PF frame is the same as the comp, expert, pro or a S-Works Tarmac frame? Since they are all different frames through the years I would love to know which Tarmac frame it is that is the same as your PF.......