sparknote_s

I was just adding up how much money you could save by building a bike similar to a Specialized Tarmac E5 bike yourself. But saving money where you don't necessarily need it. Here's what I came up with.

Lowest price I've seen for a Specialized Tarmac E5 w/ record is $6,000. Want to settle for 10-speed Ultegra and save some dollars?

S-works E5 framset: $1630
Carbon/Alloy Pro Road Handlebars from Specialized: $89
S-works Carbon Pro Stem: $150
YourFavoriteSeat: $90
Ultegra Brakes: $140
Ultegra 10-speed cassette: $73
Ultegra 10-speed chain: $32
Ultegra Front Derailleur: $52
Speedplay Zero Pedals: $185
Ultegra 10-speed rear derailleur: $90
Ultegra 10-speed shifters: $365
Velomax Ascent II Wheels: $730
Bartape, rim tape: $20
FSA K-force MegaExo Crank: $500
YourFavoriteTires/Tubes: $50

Most of these things can be bought at a place like performancebike. With a 20% off performance coupon on only the parts available from their store, all this comes to a grand total of $3,891.

Let's add in labor for building and a pro bike fit: $200

We are now at $4,091

Why not get a new pair of shoes as well: $230

Now we're at $4,321

So...instead of spending $6,000 for the bike, when you most likely do NOT need carbon record, you save about $2,000 PLUS getting VERY GOOD shoes/pedals and a pro fit.

If you're a team performance member, you get an extra 10% of your order as credit towards your next purchase.

I just did this with this specific bike, but you could do similar things with any bike. Am I missing anything? Plus there is plenty of money to save if you don't need 10-speed, and will take 9-speed. You can save even more if you don't need pedals/shoes etc.

my58vw

I just did the same thing, about 20 percent off retail on my cervelo. Built it with better components than most otehr prebuilt models costing 1k more.

Just remember that when you buy from an LBS there are perks (like free maintance) that get thrown in. My LBS is building my bike, we went this route because nothing I found was really what I really wanted.

campyman099

Well, first off you are quoting wrong prices and dis-similar product. The $6000 bike you sart with is different than the E5 frameset you quote at $1600. The frame on the $6000 bike goes for $2500, not $1600. Also that handlebars you quote at $89 aren't the same bars that are on the $6000 model you are comparing to, the bars that are used are the S-Works Carbon bars and they retail at $250. Also, your wheels aren't the same either. ARe you trying to build a bike with an even comparison, or trying something totally different.

my58vw

Well said.

Let me use the TT bike I am building for example. I spent 4k on my P2k with cosmic carbone wheels, easton attack bars, full DA, etc. Cervelo sells the P3SL for 3.6k with the same drivetrain, less the brakes and crank, add 300 to swap those parts, 1000 for the wheels, 400 for bars, 100 for stem and we are talking approximatly 1.8k more or 3.6+1.8 = 5.4k . If I would have gotten the p3SL frame I would have spent 1.1k more and been around the same price tag. I am really not saving much money going this route but it is still a few hundred cheeper due to discounts + I am quoting the built price. If you tried to peice the bike component by component you would spend more the 5.7k +. It is all relative.

Some people may want the 6k bike... if that is what they want than that is fine. For some the difference in cost, ever so slight would be worth it.

Hanzo

I don't know, for ME if I'm spending $4321, I may as well spend $6000 and get the absolute top of the line stuff. That's like buying an BMW M5 but then not getting aluminum wheels and leather trim to save money. Kind of contradictory IMO.

Fuji_cyclist

I think building yourself is a good way to get the parts you really want.

The_Convert

I see what you are saying but for the budget racer every $100 counts, not to mention thousand.

Besides, it's not like an M5 where you are spending either 80k or 85k, a $6,000 bike is 50% more expensive than a $4,000 bike for arguable increase in performance.

redfooj

if your case is grounded on necessity, why stop at ultegra and 230$ shoes?


edit: n/m. i think i just bit on a 53-11 troll thread under a diff username

cazzooo

The original post is right on. I just built up from scratch an S-Works E5 brand new frame with brand new good deal components for $1,000.00. Bike people are Yuppie suckers and the companies depend on this fact.

H. Star

You had to down grade the parts of the fully built E5 to get that price. You can't get the full DA grupo for 1,000 much less adding in the carbon bars, seat post, saddle and of course the SL wheels are $800 alone. I just went down this road with an E5 frame last week, and it was much cheaper to buy the full bike and then change a few parts.

Crash Dummy

Personally, it seems like if you're looking at a bike around that price range, you're either a hardcore racer who quite possibly is getting it free or you have so much disposable income that any savings derived from piecemeal construction are immaterial. If that's the case, you should send some of your disposable income to me, so I can add some bling to my ride

53-11_alltheway

You can get a Tarmac for a lot less than that. 105 Tarmac isn't that $2000+ for a complete bike.

Trogon

S-works E5 framset: $1900 (found it in the UK for 999GBP)
Ritchey WCS bars: $70
Ritchey WCS stem: $80
YourFavoriteSeat: $50 (shop eBay)
Record grupo: $1710 with CF crank (wisecyclebuys)
1400g custom wheels from Mike Garcia: $340
Bartape, rim tape: $20
YourFavoriteTires/Tubes: $100

Build it yourself: $0

$4270 with much better components than Ultegra. Save $436 by using Chorus (also with CF crank) and still have a better bike - therefore make it $3834. Pissing away money on expensive bars and stems is just that - they buy you nothing. Ditto the wheels where custom is better in all ways (weight, cost, repairability)

RiDE

I don't know if some of you guys are confusing the S-Works E5 and the S-Works Tarmac E5

simplyred

LOL

I think you're right..