atlroadie

I am paralyzed with analysis, and could use some opinions here.

I am in the market for a new bike....have some new bonus to blow. I ride for Team In Training as a coaching assitant and mentor, though like to ride harder and faster in my spare time. No racing. 5'11" 250 lbs. Yeah yeah, Clyde, chunky. Fat. I am trying, and curing cancer at the same time so I am generally more flexible and fit that people expect me to be.

Here are the options:
From a local bike shop with cool guys -

08 Trek Madone 5.5 - On sale. Need to upgrade the wheels from Bontragers, but like still under 4k
09 Scott Addict R3, Ultegra SL, Ksyrium Elite wheels - Walk out price around $3200

From the interwebs, or from a local shop that wants $150 just to test ride a bike(they want a pro fitting before you get on), so likely would be without a test ride in either case.

09 Cervelo R3 with Rival and Easton 50 wheels - $3800 roughly
08 Cervelo RS Dura Ace Bike - multiple locations, $3500



The Trek ride was very nice, way faster than I expected, and smooooooth.

The Scott was a rocket, and really fun to put into corners, popped right back out. Climbed like a goat. I have concerns it will hurt more on longer rides because of the extreme rigidity.

Havent ridden the Cervelos, as stated above. The RS is very close to the Madone in geometry, and ride description. The 08 has goofy stickers, and an extra centimeter on the head tube, but otherwise looks cooool.

The r3 looks the coolest, and sounds like it could stand up to the Scott for stiffness and handling.

So I am stuck. My logical side leans to the Trek, as it is a great deal and honesty better suited to my kind of riding(And still a damn site quicker than my 05 Lemond Zurich) The Scott was a blast, and appealed to my competitive and animalistic side.

The cervelo's are just cooler. I can't get that out of my head.

Any opinions, scathing remonstrations, or actual experiences? I have analysis paralysis, and it sucks...

SushiJoe

R3 (or RS if you want a taller headtube).

Cateye

Get the R3

sfcrossrider

You could spend considerably less, and be just as happy. You're paying a premium for a difference you'll never notice.

carlfreddy

An '08 Madone 5.5 is probably one of the most cost effective ways of getting a full DA bike right now.

The R3 and RS are the same bike, save for the taller headtube, so they'll also ride the same.

What fit option is the Madone? Pro or performance?

MDcatV

I have an R3 and a 2008 Madone 5.2 (same frame as 5.5). No direct experience with scott. The R3 has a shorter head tube = more saddle/bar drop, which for me as a longer torsoed, short legged, unflexible guy, meant a stack of spacers that looked goofy. The longer head tube of the 5.2 (NOT the Pro fit, but rather the plain 5.2) worked better. If you're a generously stomached build, the longer head tube is most likely a better fit for you, which takes the R3 off your list and puts your decision to the 5.5 or RS (or Scott, which I cant discuss due to absence of knowledge).

I moved components from the R3 to the 5.2 aside from stem and crank set/bb, so I think my comparisons are as apples to apples as one can get. I've raced on both and ridden both +/- 10 K miles.

The handling between the 2 is not differentiable, I think the R3 was a little more plush, but not enough to matter. They both weigh around 15.5 lbs., a little less with race wheels. I bought them both from the same shop, and my own experience is that Trek is a more resonsive company in the customer service area, I found Cervelo to be very difficult to deal with (although the shop had some culpability), and the R3is a more fragile frame - thin top tube is very prone to cracking upon minimal impact.

My recommendation, get the Trek. 100x/100. It'll fit you better than an R3, and IME Trek is a much better company at resolving issues than is Cervelo.

Oh yeah, test rides are IME useless unless you're putting exact same everything on each frame. Get the fitting, that'll point you toward the frame that'll fit you better ... and the bontrager wheels are good, serviceable, durable wheels that you dont really need to upgrade unless you dont like the way they look.

Enjoy, those are all nice machines.

atlroadie

The Madone is the performance fit. Like I said, I was fine on the Scott geometry for a short 5 mile test ride. I am just concerned that a long day in the saddle sheparding newbies around country roads would start to hurt on the more aggressive Scott or Cervelo. Plus Dura Ace would be nice. It is a classic cool vs cost vs practicality. I want all three, and that just doesn't exist.

sfcrossrider

Sure it does. Just ask the thousands who race a CAAD9.

sstorkel

Doubt it. I test rode the Felt Z25, Specialized Roubaix Elite, Roubaix Expert, and Cervelo RS before buying my current bike. Geometries were very similar between all four but the rides were markedly different between them. More different than I would have expected, actually. Perhaps there's some cheap-ass $1200 bike that rides as well as the Cervelo RS I bought, but if there is I wasn't able to find it...

atlroadie, it sounds like you walked into the same Cervelo dealer I did when I started looking for one! I eventually found a dealer who had built bikes in stock and was willing to let me test-ride for as long as I wanted. Try to find another dealer in your area that will allow you to test-ride the R3 and RS. They're both very nice bikes.

By way of comparison, I thought the Cervelo RS Dura-Ace was noticably lighter than the Specialized Roubaix Expert. It didn't feel like it accelerated as quickly as the Roubaix, but that's mostly because it seemed to want to cruise at a faster pace. Plus, I'm a terrible sprinter. The RS does feel more stiff than the Roubaix Expert. When out of the saddle hammering, the RS tracks very well which I take to be a sign of the overall stiffness of the frame. Not that the Roubaix tracks poorly, it just doesn't feel quite as rock solid as the RS. The Roubaix is also a bit more plush than the RS. Both bikes allow you to feel the road, but the Roubaix soaks up just a bit more of the buzz and imperfections than the RS. That said, I can ride the RS for 60+ miles and not feel beat-up at the end of the ride, unlike my previous bike.

rOOster14

the 5.5 is a great bike and you will be happy with it...and the warranty.
ride the wheels, they carry a 5 year warranty and you will get a free set if and when they crumble, and you can never have too many sets of wheels. Take the money you save from not buying a cervelo and buy a nice set of wheels and you will be happy.

atlroadie

Unfortunately, the next closest Cervelo dealer is 100 miles away in Chatanooga. GRRR. The whole Cervelo dealer kaka makes me want to walk away from them, but I can't.

I had a pair of Bontrager Race Lites on my current bike, and they just sucked. Always out of true, and eventually pulled a nipple through the eyelet. I have been told that a couple of years had a problem with poorly etruded rims, but it left an impression.

sfcrossrider

My CAAD9 costs that exact amount with Rival. With carbon tubulars it comes in at around 16.5 pounds with a 58cm frame. It is every bit as nice as the custom cyclocross bikes I race on built with Record, and sporting frames that eclipse the cost of most of the bikes he listed, so I'm so stranger to top shelf *****.

captnfantastic

I like the new giants. They usually have some good bang for the buck in comparison.

how about pedalforce?

I guess I shouldn't be throwing out ideas for other bikes since there are literally thousands to choose from. A couple guys in my club have the scotts. they are quite nice. Go with what fits the best.

tkm

I don't think there is anything wrong with the Bontrager Race Lites on the 08 Treks, but if you get the Madone and must sell the wheels, let me know as I'd like to have a spare set.

hocker

"The Scott was a rocket, and really fun to put into corners, popped right back out. Climbed like a goat. I have concerns it will hurt more on longer rides because of the extreme rigidity."

These are all race bikes IMO, and if you want a race bike it sounds like (see quote above) your choice has been made. If you want an all-arounder maybe you should revise your list. IMO, if you are looking to buy a bike in the $4k range you should go with a custom fitted Titanium bike. Lynskey, Moots, etc., is where I would be looking.

I have a Scott CR1 now and have had a Bianchi 928 and Orbea Opal the past couple years. My Scott seems to just beg me to go fast, I like it better than the Bianchi and Opal and better than the Giant TCR and Trek Madone I test rode last summer. I live in Denver so a gooder climber is essential. I don't plan to do any racing but I have already registered for two upcoming centuries and if I get a nice tax refund I may buy a Moots frame and build it up with SRAM Force components and maybe some carbon clinchers.

atlroadie

Yeah, I have a decent all arounder now, in an 05 Lemond Zurich. I don't really want to replace it with another all-arounder. The rides I am shooting for this year are ambititious. 6 Gap century here in GA, the Most Beautiful Bike Ride in America(Lake Tahoe) and perhaps the Tour de Tuscon again. A better stiffer climber would definitely be in order. If I Didn't think the Scott would wear me out over the long haul, it would be a no brainer. But there is nowhere on the bike to sit back and spin, and if I am herding newbies on hybrids around the hills of Atlanta, then I might want to sit back.

I have been arguing with myself for days, and am not much further down the road...I appreciate the opportunity to hear someone else's POV ;-). I think the Trek makes the most sense for me. but I am really struggling to buy a relatively comfy Trek. It just seems...

ericm979

The RS also has 1cm longer chainstays. That's not a bad thing; the R3's stays are pretty short. Cervelo made some special longer stay R3s for the CSC pro team for Paris-Roubaix, and some of the riders liked them enough to use them for other races. The RS has curved seat stays for comfort, although I don't know how much difference they make. It also uses slightly cheaper carbon and as a result of all of those, is a bit heavier.

BTW, my cheap $650 PedalForce QS2 has a smoother ride than my Cervelo R3. It's not as stiff or as lively, but its nice for bumpy pavement and longer rides. (the R3 is still comfortable; I have done 7+ hour road races on it). I've even raced a crit on the QS2. But you can't get a test ride on one, you have to buy it and hope you like it.

My Cervelo dealer was really good about test rides- no $150 pre-ride fitting, they just set it up like the bike I rode over there and let me go, then asked why I didn't go for longer when I came back.

But to be honest, any of these bikes, as long as they fit you, will be just fine. They are all good. If you are going to be riding slow with newbies, I'd aim for a bit more comfort. I notice discomfort more when I am going slow.

atlroadie

Ok, The Madone 5.5 with the wheels I want(K Sls) is too much, 4200. The 5.2, however, woulld be 500 less, or I could have dura ace and Elites 0n the 5.5 for $3800.

OR...for 3800 I could have the Scott R3 with Ksyrium SLs....So....

Some please tell me that the Scott with thos wheels is the bomb and wont kill me over 100 miles.

For ishts I am gonna hit Chatanooga to ride some Cevelos this weekend...but their stock bikes come with DOODOO wheels, RJ10s. So....not the same deal.

Anyway, it is Friday, and my wife got a clear PET scan, and I am feeling flush. I want to get a bike this weekend, but remain stuck. Thanks for listening.

Jurgen

The RS is bound to have that satisfying lighter/stiffer feeling than the Roubaix Expert. It's just a better frame. (And priced accordingly.)

Compared to the S-Works, well, at least that's a slightly fairer fight.

Flatballer

If we could all be so lucky as to have such decisions to make.

Jurgen

+1. A more aggressive geometry needs to be ridden harder so your legs and core are doing the work of holding you on the bike, or else you can get the classic sore neck, back, arms, hands, etc. that fells riders who cruise along on racing bikes.

I have a completely irrational love of the RS, but that Madone seems a pretty good deal. (Although I think you're being too paranoid about replacing the wheels right away.)

Jurgen

If you NEED the Scott... well, you get the Scott, and take out the Lemond when you need to ride with the hybrids. But it seems you've set up some false dichotomy. The Madone isn't a beach cruiser. It's a racing bike that just has a taller head tube. Some people like 'em that way... someone in particular... name slips my mind... isn't there some kind of comeback or something?

Surferbruce

of the ones you mention i'd probably go with the R3/RS option, depending on the fit you want. But if it were me, I'd find a LOOK 585 to test (that's what I have right now and it's SUCH a nice riding bike) and I'd also check out Ridleys. You can get a Damocles for such a deal right now and they're awesome frames. Check out their geometry.

Skewer

The Madone 5.5 sounds like a winner for your situation. If you don't want the Race Lite wheels, make a deal to sell them to TKM above before you buy the bike, and don't ride the wheels. Swap in the wheels to your 5.5 off your Zurich while you are looking for a new set of wheels. You can pick up the Elites at Performance this weekend for $369. You may be able to come out even on a wheel swap/sell with TKM and end up with new Elites. I have Race Lites and like them just fine, but at 250 lbs, the Elites you are interested in are probably a better choice for you. JMO.

scr660

The Race Lite front wheel is fine. The rear...