Originally Posted by
MFD812
Thanks for the informative post. I have never owned an Italian bike but I can understand the appeal! My small LBS only carries a few brands with Bianchi being the most appealing. I'm glad you mentioned the Synapse and Domane, I figured they and maybe the Defy should also be considered. You can certainly get a better spec with the big brands but they are much less appealing to me.
I mentioned in my previous post that I was going to purchase a Trek Domane 5.9 . . . that turned out not to be the case. I ended up buying a Trek Emonda SL8 Red instead. It is for sure a great competitor against the Infinito CV. In my opinion, it climbs & sprints better than the Infinito CV, is lighter, and the ride quality is actually smoother, while still retaining excellent responsiveness. As an added plus, it's less expensive than the Infinito CV.
I really wanted to get the Infinito CV, but spec'd out how I wanted it, it was outside of my price range. I'm glad that it was, because the Emonda is the best bike I've ever ridden and I'm now very glad I didn't stretch outside of my budget to get the Infinito CV. I'm not saying it's a bad bike . . . it's a phenomenal bike. Comparing the two, I simply feel the Emonda is the better bike, and the better deal.
Originally Posted by
MFD812
My other concern, and maybe it should be addressed elsewhere, is whether the durability of any carbon frame is sufficient considering their rather high price. It's gotten me to thinking about a Ti frame, which would be nearly bombproof, but I guess a little heavier, which matters a little less to me these days....
I don't think a metal frame is any more/less durable than a carbon fiber frame. You can find plenty of "vintage" carbon fiber Treks on Craigslist that are in great shape.