Yep

The advice that Vin..er..RacerEx gave me made perfect sense, and I'll probably rue the day that I ignored it. I was going to buy a Team Issue Fuji, on Racer's expert advice, but then I saw one at PBK, and I just lost my will. My snobbery won out. I can't buy a bike from PBK. Test riding an R3 didn't help either. I'm usually oblivious to frame differences, but this sh*t really felt nice.

So, I can get an R3-SL frameset for about $300 more than the R3 frameset. Worth it? Is it crazy to race this frame if I don't have PCaddywompas money?

Cassadamius

Completely irrelevant to your post, but did you see the new freaking R3? HOLY CRAP!!!!!!

https://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/20...rvelo_R3_white

edit: if you're racing crits, yes. If you don't plan on crashing, not crazy.

ericm979

A test ride sold me on an R3 too. I'd have bought the SL version had it been out then. I've put a good 6k miles on my R3 and had one hard crash, which the bike came through fine. That's more a matter of luck than anything else, and I'd much rather have destroyed the frame than smashed my teeth in.

There is also a new RS coming out- slightly taller head tube, 1cm longer chainstays, and curved seat stays. The stock R3 geometry is pretty racy, and if you have long legs and a short torso like me you may wind up with too much bar drop. I'm ok with a lot of bar drop for an old guy, and I still have 3cm of spacers and my stem flipped up. The RS is also cheaper than the R3.

bvfrompc

I would hit that, dang, that is a beautiful bike.

ratebeer

Total Jesus bike. I can most definitely see a Christian putting a big cross on it.

If anyone rides it, it will get dirty.

To Yep:
Test riding an R3 is like puffing a crack pipe. What were you thinking?

kesa101

prices? i can't find anything...

USCswimming

Yep,

Hey bud. This is the guy who was riding the R3 next to you at Henleyville. If you dont have a ton of cash to replace it once a season, than I would probably not get one to race.

I love my R3 to death but fear for its life in some of these races. If you plan on doing a bunch of crits, I definitely wouldnt.

I am actually thinking of getting another bike to race with as to avoid this problem. Maybe a Team soloist or a specialized E5. Yeah it sounds crazy to just train on my R3 but oh well! An R3 vs. a team soloist or E5 in a race won't make one bit of difference. Its all about the engine!

In the end, its all what you are comfortable with. If your comfortable with it, than go ahead and get one!

Yep

No sh*t! Of course the bike looks hawt, but it's snappy and smooth all at once. Bad move on my part. The R3-SL is just plain sex.

Yo USCSwimmer,

I didn't realize you were on a R3. The Giant I race on now was the one I was riding when I got hit by a car a few months ago. Apparently, it has a tiny crack on one of the chainstays. I'm getting a check for it, but I have to turn it in as salvaged. I'm getting what I think is a sweet deal on an SL frameset and I'll scrounge for slightly loved parts on eBay.

asmallsol

That bb is INSANE. I think Viagra sponsored that bike.

As for not racing it, it kinda seems silly. Its like buying a Porsche GT3 and never tracking it for fear of crashing it. That's where it belongs. That bike isn't going to be the most comfortable bike, as its made for pure speed. If your going to have a bike for training and one for racing, make the training bike more comfortable, and sacrifice the stiffness for ride quality. It's not a cheap bike, but its a great one. If you would be broken (monetary) if you total it in a crash, then you might not be in the financial| situation to buy one yet.