Road Bike Guy

Hills, that is

I am in the middle of deciding which bike to get. I have ridden quite a few and have settled on these:

• Cannondale System 6
• Cannondale Six13
• Cannondale Synapse
• Scott CR1
• Giant TCR Composite
• Specialized Roubaix
• Specialized Tarmac

What I am looking for are experiences with full on descending, preferably down twisty roads at higher than average speed.

All of the bikes are great in their own respect and I could probably ride any of them in the typical solo/group rides that I do. I think all of them are more responsive/stiffer, and lighter than my current bike. I have test ridden them in typical suburban settings but I haven't been able to take any of them down a nice hill at high speed. I like to ride in the mountains and going downhill fast is fun, but I want to feel secure when I do.

So, what have all of you experienced with these bikes? How do they handle going 40+ down a twisty road?

Pugsly

Tires will make the biggest difference...

patentcad

>>Need your experience on going down<<

I nominate this thread title for the coveted BF Hanging Curveball of 2008 Award.

Road Bike Guy

You are right, tires do make a difference. So, lets assume Michelin Pr0Race 2's, 700x23, which is what I ride. Typical inflation is 100 psi.

Slackerprince

I only "go down" in the privacy of my own home, or in a reputable hotel.

S.

Hammertoe

I "go down" a lot because...

I like to go up...

I have a Scott CR1 and Cervelo RS...

Both have the same tires...

The Scott descends well, and have nothing but good things to say about the CR1 but let me tell you...

The Cervelo is the best descending bike I have ever owned...

It is very stable and easy to change lines around frost heaves, pot holes and such at high speeds...

I would not give either the edge on climbing but descending goes to the Cervelo...

DDYTDY

Bike setup can make a difference. A shorter, higher stem makes it easier to get behind the saddle for those extreme mountain descents.
Great brakes a must. The better your brakes the faster you can go.

I like tubulars too.

Road Bike Guy

P'cad, I'm honored I figured the thread title would get a little attention.

By the way, how do you go down...on your six13 that is?

TOLOCOMan

I thought going down was illegal in Georgia. At least I know it was in 1996, they were worried about tourists getting busted in hotels during the Olympics. Maybe they've moved with the whole new millenium idea.

patentcad

It's not bicycle specific. In cycling, when I want to get F'd I simply enter a USA Cycling 35+ Vets race and get my head.... handed to me.

Road Bike Guy

They've moved a little. The Atlanta area is fairly progressive but there is still more to be done.

roccobike

Geez, I thought this was gonna be a thread about what to do when you know you're falling down, Oh well.

umd

I have a TCR composite and a Tarmac (SL), and I prefer the Tarmac for descending. It has much quicker steering and feels more stable through corners.

dark13star

I will assume that there are enough comments on the pun in the title, so I will just focus on the list.

You have quite a few different geometries there and they will handle quite differently. I ride a Synapse 3 and I am a climber. I like the bike for climbing, but I don't think it is the best at descending. I am a pretty conservative descender anyway, so that doesn't matter to me. Too many switchbacks and a lot of wildlife on the roads, so I take it easy. Do you care how the bike will feel on the climbs?

As noted above, tires have made quite a difference. I am now on Pro Race 3s and they are good and sticky.

patentcad

When you ASSume you make an ASS out of u and me.

Road Bike Guy

Yeah, I know there is quite a mix in my list. Based on the type of riding I do, mostly solo training or med/fast group rides, I honestly think any of the bikes would be fine. All of them are a step ahead of my almost 5yr old Allez Elite as far as stiffness goes so better efficiency is almost a given. I'd love to think of myself as a serious racer type but that isn't reality, so laser like handling isn't absolutely needed. All of the bikes I've tried are plenty "quick". Plus, if the bike is fit to me properly, they should all be comfortable enough for a century ride. The wild card as I see it is higher speed handling. I have the advantage of living close to some nice mountain rides and I am beginning to like the descending part. That's the part I want to nail down if at all possible before I buy.

ericm979

Can you get test rides on some of them? Judging their descent handling from posts on teh internet is useless.

Longer wheelbase bikes will be more stable. Shorter wheelbase bikes will be quicker. Steep steering angle and longer fork rake (shorter trail) will make for quicker steering. The question is, is your personal preference for quick handling or stability? Personal preference is what matters. Even a really stable race/performance bike is going to handle quick enough for the tightest switchbacks and s-turns. Heck, even a super slack geometry early 80s mountain bike can be made to whip through those tight s-turns. Paved roads are made for cars, and the slowest handling bike can change direction a lot quicker than a car.

So in reality it comes down to personal preference.

Another factor- if you're riding both up and down the mountains, you'll be spending much more time riding up than down.

dark13star

"Join the company of lions rather than assume the lead among foxes."

brianappleby

can anybody explain how one bike will be better or worse than another at descending?

Edit, I just saw the post 2 above mine... it took a while for me to write it.

Still, i've never been on any bike, commuter, race bike etc. that wasn't capable of turning as quickly as I needed it to...

When descending into turns at 20, 30, 40mph, your speed will be determined on the line you choose, and when you decide to brake.

Terex

Do you have the CR1 SL or a newer CR1? My CR1 SL is amazingly stabile and the ability to steer with body english on steep descents is even better. I'd like to ride a Cervelo RS if it's better than the Scott.

Val23708

race a crit and see how sharp you can take a turn confidently... then try something like a CAAD9 or soloist

Road Bike Guy

I wish I could "check out" a bike for a day and take it up to the mountains, but unfortunately, I can't. I think I would tend towards high speed stability over super-quick handling. I was just hoping to get a few "seat of the pants" impressions of the various bikes, good or bad, to help in the final decision.

umd

Nobody is saying that the bike can't turn sharp enough. But are you denying that some bikes have quicker steering (i.e. twitchier) than other bikes?

Jerseysbest

Downhill at 53 mph on my Trek 1500 is... scary, especially when the fork looks like its about to explode.

brians647

Read what you can here, but don't fret it too much one way or the other. There are too many factors (on identical bikes) that can make a difference. As others have noted, tires matter. But so does, stem length, wheels, handlebar reach - basically where any bike, saddle, handlebar puts your body and weight when in the drops.

You'll adapt to the bike too, over time. If it's twitchy, you'll learn to stay back, etc, etc...