ExMachina

Let's rip this bike a new one...or not

Reason for writing is that I **was** considering this frame among my short list of potential new builds.

However, whilst @ the local ("high-end") bike shop, I mentioned the R3 as a possibility and the guy immediately responded, calling it "one of the worst frames out there".

I said, WTF?!?!

He said the he personally spoke with a Team CSC mechanic, and the mechanic told him that CSC went through over 150 R3 frames last season because the frames kept cracking/breaking.

Wow! I went from hot to cold on the R3 almost instantly.

So, my questions:

How many frames does your "average pro team" go through in a season?

Can anybody confirm or refute the R3's apparent fragility?

Sirrobinofcoxly

I've never heard of one cracking. IF they were prone to that, you would think they would have cracked at Paris-Roubaix, instead of getting the win two years in a row.

Still one of my top 3 lust frames

Pharmr

all I know is that the guys on those teams ride more in a week than I do in about 6 months...so yeah, they're probably a bit tougher on their frames than me!

asgelle

Well, i spoke to a friend and his sister-in-law has a cousin who's a barber for a mechanic and this mechanic worked in a shop where the owner's wife once dated another mechanic who met a rider for CSC and the rider told the mechanic who told his ex-girlfriend who told her husband who told his mechanic who told his barber who told his cousin who told her husband who told his brother who told me the frames are fine. So I'm sold.

Hammertoe

Wow, that's news to me...

Go over the Cervelo forum and look at all the threads about the R3 failures...

https://forums.cervelo.com/forums/5.aspx

Oh yea, there are none..

Now look at all the people that LOVE their R3...

Oh yea, like everyone...



What is the LBS trying to sell you...




Soon to be RS owner...

Hope to be R3 owner...

Ih8lucky13

I know four people who own a R3, and all of them speak highly of it.

baj32161

One thing you need to consider is.....did that shop sell Cervelo? If they did not I would consider another shop. Bashing a fine brand like that is very unprofessional. You may also want to ask owners of the R3 and see what THEY think. I think your results will be quite different from what that shop says.

Cheers,

Brian

jet sanchEz

Walk into a Ford dealership and ask the salesman his/her opinion of Toyotas.


How old are you?

grahny

My R3 exploded on me twice, but has yet to crack/break

Given the two explosions, and countless carbon explosions/meltings to take place in the future, I can't say enough good things about the R3.... including the lifetime warranty

TWD

my R3 explodes just about as much as the Trek Madone I owned prior. Typically on grades over 12% on climbs last 2 miles or more. Let me know if you can find a frame and rider combo that holds together better

ExMachina

Fair point. They do not sell Cervelo. But the guy was also talking up Trek and Specialized carbon, two brands that they also did not sell.

In fact, that was one reason why I found his R3 disparagement to be more credible.

ExMachina

Have you ever had to use the warranty?

I've read here and elsewhere (so take that for what it;s worth ) that Cervelo can sometimes be parsimonious when dealing out warranty work.

ExMachina

His point was that the mechanic replaced these frames as they failed. So you or I wouldn't know the difference.

operator

Of course. Everyone needs to keep their costs low. They don't do that by warrantying everything back with a blindfold.

ElJamoquio

Some of the world actually gets live coverage of Paris-Roubaix.

kster

I've had my 2006 R3 for almost 18 months and I ride it all year long. Mine has yet to break/crack but maybe it will happen on today's ride. It not, I'll keep enjoying the greatest bike I've owned.

ExMachina

Point taken.

recneps

Very flexy bike, not for the bigger guys but other than that its fine.

BHBiker

ONE QUESTION: DOES THIS LBS STOCK CERVELO R3s? IF NOT HIS INFO IS SUSPECT!

BHBiker

Could be a strategy since these bikes he talked up may not be part of your choices...LBS can really be creative...Whats that marketing bash tactic..."Plant a seed of doubt,....a tree of deception grows"

Then again it could be true......then again....hmmmmm

ExMachina

I'm 210...too flexy ya'all think? I'm contemplating dropping $300 for a demo R3.

mrbubbles

I have no doubt that Cervelos are great bikes. I have not ridden one so I will reserve my opinion until I have ridden one.

The truth is, almost every dealers I've been to who doesn't sell Cervelo bashes it. The manager at the bike shop I used to work at says Cervelos are POS, and guess what we sold, no Cervelos. I asked for his argument on why Cervelo are POS. He said the exact same thing the Team CSC mechanic said in the OP.

Other than that, I don't like some Cervelo's marketing tactic, but there are other companies out there has some marketing tactics that could be considered distasteful.

mrbubbles

Yea.... bike companies can be really creative, and use marketing bash tactic. Just look at Cervelo's site, writing up arguments as to why they don't make women's sizing and make only 6 sizes.

Arguments worded correctly and convincingly is a lot cheaper than production overrun cost, and it makes it attractive to dealers to carry your brand as it minimizes overstock.

Sounds like they are bashing Look pretty heavily, in the end people are still buying Looks.

garysol1 

I did break my R2.5 but have heard of no R3 failures.

BHBiker

Thats my point they all bash each other for the market share. End user gets to choose either way. There are no saints in this game only sinners

At the end of the day its up to you if you believe it or not,...if you will regret your purchase or not.