ldeg

looking to upgrade my ride, the lbs as got Focus izalco team replica, full ultegra and dt 1900 wheels, which, look like the 585's... i would like to stay below 3k$
my weight fluctuates between 290 and 260 during the summer....any other options? i like the looks of the focus very sleeper...and want to stay away from the mainstream brands.btw they also have willier bikes.
https://www.focus-bikes.com/de/en/bik...m-replica.html

Homeyba

I don't own one but I've heard pretty good reviews. It's a bit stiffer than the equivalent Willier at your LBS. That's probably a good thing at your weight. I believe it's also cheaper. The Dt 1900 wheels are not high end but if you have them tensioned properly they will probably work just fine for you.

Wogster

The only thing that should be up for question is this:

1) Can you afford to buy it, paying cash?
2) Can it handle a slightly wider tire, at 250+ lbs you may find wider tires like 28's or 32's a nicer ride.

Don't worry about the frame, carbon fibre is pretty tough stuff. I talked to some factory reps recently, and asked one simple question "would there be any concerns about your carbon frame bicycles for a rider of 300lbs", not one had any concern at all.

ldeg

Thanks,
1- yes I can afford it...
2- i asked about 25's, which is what i'm running now and havent had any issues with my curent wheels...

My other option is to keep my frame and upgrade parts...

meanwhile

Carbon frames are often super-strong. The two concerns are

- Delamination from accident damage. Carbon needs professionally inspecting after even minor spills, and you have to be ruthless if told the frame needs junking. I wouldn't use carbon for crit racing! And probably not for urban commuting or winter training. Delaminated frames can look fine but then snap in two while being ridden - instantly.

- Very narrow torque tolerances. Applying a little too much torque with a tool can destroy a frame. Don't buy a carbon bike unless you're willing to let the LBS do all the servicing or you are willing to buy a torque wrench and follow the manufacturers torque specs religiously.

- Other things to know about carbon: don't believe the marketing bs about lower losses of pedalling energy to frame deflection - it's been thoroughly debunked. And most of the claims of greater comfort are junk too - frame design matters more. And if you want a really comfortable drop handle you're better off with a cyclocross bike anyway.

This isn't to say you shouldn't buy carbon, just that you should know how to treat a bike if you do. (Most stores aren't terribly upfront about these things when trying to sell a high margin carbon bike.) Buy it for what it actually is - the best combination of strong and light - rather than for imaginary properties it doesn't have, and take care of it right, and you should be very happy.

(Although I suspect that you'd be even happier on an alu crosser costing half as much fitted with 32mm slicks.)

Wogster

It would depend on your current bike, if your current bike is chromoly steel in good condition, I would upgrade it, from what I have heard, the ride improvements of CF over steel are minimal, and the weight penalty is a lot less then many people think. Build up a steel frame with a given set of components, and it weighs say 25lbs, build up a CF frame with the same components and it will weigh around 22lbs, with a 290lb rider the difference is a whole huge 1%..... 1% might matter when racing, but it's not going to anywhere else.

If your current bike is AL, then you can lose a lot of the ride harshness going to something else, CF if you like spending money, steel if you don't.

ldeg

Current frame is CAAD9 which is a harsh ride, but very stiff...

Wogster

The CAAD9 is an aluminium frame with a carbon fork, so some of the harshness will go away, drop 10PSI off the tires and you can get rid of most of the rest. You might save a pound on the frame and another on better components, saving yourself 1% off the weight, and probably increase your performance well under .5% in the process.

Realistically you can drop 3-4 entire bikes off the "engine", go into a training program with a professional trainer, and gain over 10% in performance, spending half to two thirds of your budget.

meanwhile

A great bike for a seriously competitive racer - perhaps the most bang for the buck you can get without talking a big risk - but are you in this category? If not, a Kona Jake or Specialized Tricross will be 99% fast (probably faster than the CAAD up hills when you're on the heavy side of one your swings if you get a triple) and solve that ride problem the only way that really works - by letting you run wider tyres. Racing bikes are designed to let highly athletic and flexible 150lb riders move fast, not carry ones approaching 300lbs in reasonable comfort. You could also save some space, because you wouldn't need the Kona PHD anymore.

ldeg

thanks, I love my phd, great when i ride with the kids (crankc brother mallets so i can use regular shoes as well!!1)and on gravel roads it's a blast up and down hills.

I run a compact with 11-28 cassette on my caad 9 so i get it up their in speeds, i agree with droping 10psi but am afraid for the rims... currently running 25mm Vittoria Rubino pro at 130psi on Shimano R550 wheels (which i've only had to true once in 3 years...)

keeping the frame and upgrading to Campi centaur or Chorus would be a nice ride... adding DT 415 wheels would complete the package and still save some money...

How long do aluminium frames last?

meanwhile

As a rule, decades. Some makers (Trek??) give 20 year or so frame warraties, I believe.

Re. Campag, I ride it myself and it's great - but the spares and bike shop expertise to work on it are sometimes said to be rare and expensive in the US. You might consider SRAM instead.

If you can't drop tyre pressure to the point where it is comfortable, you really *do* need wider tyres, btw. Don't turn this into a cycling fashion victim thing...

ldeg

thanks for the advice... Plenty of Campagnolo mechanics in Montreal...

wider tires than 25 don't fit in the frame...

meanwhile

Yet another reason to celebrate Canada!

Yes, that's why I was suggesting that you consider a crosser if you change frames. Crosser = fast drop bar bike with room for (typically) up to 40mm tyres. But it's your call, and I'm glad you'll be able to stay with Campagnolo. (Because "No one ever got a Shimano tattoo..")