Originally Posted by
trainchaser
My take on your question, the Sirrus you have is a beautiful bike that is more than capable of meeting your needs, it's basically a flat bar road bike with the added ability to do some gravel work if you wanted to try it due to the larger tires. It already has a higher end Shimano drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes and a top of the line aluminum frame with a carbon fork and a built in shock absorbing system in the head tube.
The only thing your looking for is a very minor increase in speed? It simply isn't worth making a change. If it was me and the incremental increase was that important, and I had the cash, I'd simply buy another bike that was a road bike.
Well, I wasn't
just looking for an incremental increase in speed. I was just wondering if there was a difference in speed between a bike such as the Sirrus and a road bike. My thought was that there likely was not, and I've always known that the biggest differentiator was the guy in the saddle, but I was curious if there was much difference between bikes that were comparable in a lot of way, but different in others. The replies to this thread simply confirmed what I already suspected - put me in the saddle of the Sirrus or a nice road bike and I probably would not notice much difference.
I agree the Sirrus is a very nice bike, probably the nicest I've ever owned until yesterday. It has a nice drivetrain, a very nice carbon frame, doesn't weigh a ton, rolls well (better after changing to Conti 28 tires), and moves along very efficiently. It doesn't have the FutureShock head tube.
My big reasons for wanting the Domane are these - more aero riding position when I want it (it's usually pretty windy here), a bit more compliant ride that lets me ride further without fatigue from road vibration, and an additional vehicle to vary my riding and keep me motivated and interested. I also want to increase my riding skills, and the two will give me a bit of "cross training" type riding. The additional cost is not an issue.
I love the Sirrus for what it is, and have no desire to give it up. I also love the Domane, especially in the navy color (which I know will not be available very often and hated to pass up). I'm sure I will continue to enjoy both.