dsb137

There are a lot of sexy bikes in the world... I know you have your heart set on the Pinarello, but until you _ride_ one you'll never know if it's true love or just lust... Unless you plan to hang it on the wall, the way the bike fits and the way it rides for _you_ are the most important qualities... That's not to say that you have to get some ugly duckling. You can have it all, sexapeal, fit, ride and comfort... You just may not find all of it in this Pinarello...

daytonian

Flip the stem on the Klein first and work on pelvic flexibility, and see how that feels after a few rides. All joking aside, you and that Klein have a lot of hours together.

Kuma

As others have pointed out, I would put a lot of stock in the words of a bike shop employee who is trying to talk you OUT of giving him your money. I think his idea about demo-ing one with identical geometry is excellent. Then you won't have to wonder whether you'd be comfortable with the fit. You should try to make sure, though, that the demo is a thorough one -- not just a loop or two around the parking lot. When back and neck issues arise, they don't usually appear (at least for me) until after 30 or 40 miles.

Also as others have said (and as you well know), a new bike won't make you faster. If it is a sweet bike that you're really excited about, however, it will make you want to ride more. Plus, it is just fun -- look at how giddy DrPete is with his new Pinarello purchase.

I'd suggest following the advice of the guy at your LBS, and then making an informed decision when you have ridden the demo. Then if it turns out the Pinarello is right for you, then by all means go for it!

botto 

i'd think your coach knows your limits better than any of us, but... if you're professionaly fit to the bike, and have reasonable flexability, then i don't see what the fuss is about.

that said - if you're really serious about the "year of speed" and all of that jazz, i'll repeat what i told you a few months back. buy a power meter of some kind (PT, SRM, etc) and forget the bike. a 2 year old bike still has plenty of ooomf in it.

ymmv

pedex

if that's the case then why ask, just do it

fredf

What do I know, but I thought the Pinarello is a more upright position with a taller head tube

Jarpmann

i agree with every one else here, but rad makes a real good point... if its within your means, and its something you REALLY want, there is no reason you dont deserve it.

DXchulo

Exactly. Slowly change the positioning on the Klein if you have enough spacer room to do that. A sudden change would be tough on you, but if you gradually change over the winter there's no reason you can't get used to it (unless it's a no-no for your hip situation).

Now that it's winter and there's not as much riding going on you should have some free time to do some flexibility exercises and core strength work. This will help you whether you decide to get a new bike or not. If you want to go fast air resistance is going to be one of your biggest enemies, so start preparing for battle.

Whatever you do, don't buy the Pinarello and flip the stem up.

waterrockets 

As others have said, I think you can get a good position on any frame in a certain size range. If you want a new bike, that's fine. It is like a drug though: I ride my bikes for 10+ years, but when I get a new one, it takes me about a year of fighting off the urges to just replace all my bikes.

It might feel good to be on a "nice" bike for a while, but there really are no benefits to it. Bicycles are so efficient that they're really pretty tough to screw up. I wouldn't feel too great about my shiny new badass bike if I had someone like me fly by on a 6-year-old steel bike with 36h wheels that never gets washed.

I'm a little different though: my motivation doesn't come from the machine, it comes from the elapsed time on my computer or finish line results. As long as I can bust a personal record every month or two, or beat more and more people, I'm motivated. I don't care about scenery, bike parts, or pleasant rides. I just want to get faster. Everyone is different.

Still, nothing wrong with a new bike if you want one and have the means. It can be a nice pick-me-up, and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes the stress of not being able to reward yourself for your progress can temper your motivation too. If you think you deserve a fancy bike, you probably do.

merlinextraligh

+1 on the power meter. Now the pinarello with the new wireless powertap built up with Zipp 404's would be nice. (or while you're at it you could get and SRM)

donrhummy

yeah, except it sounds like there's a physical reason (that his trainer/coach knows about) that will make it a very unpleasant experience physically for him. And as much as a cool bike will add motivation, a painful, aching, shooting-pain back will kill it. So I say if it'll give you motivation AND not cause you pain physically, then yes, get it.

merlinextraligh

I don't believe there is any reason you can't set up the Pinarello with an approriate position. It may not quite be the sleek look in the pic, but I'm certain it can be set up with little or no drop from the seat to the bars with the right sizing, and the right stem. Heck you could put a Look ergo stem on it if you needed to.

DrPete 

Actually, I looked at Klein's website and reviewed my Pinarello's geometry, and compared my 57cm traditional with their 58cm compact.

-Top tube length was identical.
-Seat tube angle was 72.5 for the Pinarello, 73.5 for the Klein.
-Head tube was 73 for Pinarello, 73.5 for Klein.
-Chainstay for the Pinarello is 40.9cm, Klein's is 42.4.
-Fork rake for the Pinarello is 43mm, Klein's is 48.
-I couldn't find a head tube length for the Pinarello, but looking at how the frames are measured they seem comparable.

So, in my little bit of experience, this says to me that you get shorter stays and less fork rake, i.e. quicker handling, but as far as top tube length and other fit-related things the frames are pretty similar.

Hip, can you measure the head tube on your Klein and tell me what size it is? That would close the loop...

Grasschopper

That shorter wheelbase also means the ride quality will be harsher.

DrPete 

Having never ridden a Klein Reve before I can't say how much the Onda fork and stays help smooth out the ride, but having ridden C'Dale and Flyte AL frames I can tell you the F4:13 is a pretty smooth ride by comparison...

woody_1029

Hip,

If you really want a new bike, you could always have Jerry at the LBS cut the steerer tube intentionally long. Used with some extra spacers, this will have your bars higher than the typical setup. After a few months of riding in this position, take your bike back and have them cut the tube and lower your bars. This may work for you as you will need some extended time to get used to the new position and find just how low you can go. While this is not OCP it may be a solution. Also (I'm sure you are already aware of this) you will need to many exercises for your core strength to ride in an agressive prosition for extended periods of time.

Hope this helps!

Hammertoe

Get the bike....
You could ride it on short recovery rides....
You could hang it on the wall and stare at it with a glazed look....
You can impress your friends...
You would have a Pinarello....
If you have the money what's the question....
You could hide it from Coach Jerry and only pull it out when he's not looking....
It may not become your main steed, but its always nice to be able to pull out the BillyBaroo....

DrPete 

I had my suspicions, but now I truly believe in my heart of hearts that Coach Jerry is in cahoots with the Knave. I mean, do you REALLY know who else your coach is working for?

Hipcycler

Dr. Pete....thanks for the numbers.

And that whole point about only riding it on certain occasions that you wrote about....well....I used that argument with him yesterday and he laughed at me and said, "No you won't. I know you. You'll ride that Pinarello and you'll never go back to the Klein."

What about this idea of new wheels for the Klein?
Worth pursuing instead of the full race Pinarello?
Again, I now have Campy Vento G3's.

...and feedback for the poster with the hip replacement question for me earlier....
Yes, originally my surgeon wanted me only riding a flat bar...not drops...feared all that time and added pressure stretched out like that. I never told him I got the Reve. My compromise has been that the geometry is pretty relaxed....it has that shock in back....and the stem has a spacer and is flipped up to make it a pretty upright position on the hip. I've never had any issues with it either.

DrPete 

And if it's comfortable and fun for you, the problem with that lies exactly where?

Hipcycler

And if it's comfortable and fun for you, the problem with that lies exactly where?

Kinda how I feel about it.
But he thinks I'll ride through pain in hip, neck, back just because I am obsessed with going faster.

Whatever...
I'm totally confused now.

Meantime, just did 10 miles on the trainer to burn off my frustration with all this.

DrPete 

You just need to ride one, my friend, and decide if it works for you. If it does, you deserve it. If it doesn't, plenty of other blingin' bikes out there to spoil yourself with if you're so inclined.

Hipcycler

Yup.
If I had to bottom-line all this now that's where I am at.
Lets get a bike in similar setup for me to ride in spring and give it a shot...a long shot, as in put some miles on the thing on a day off. Then I'll make up my mind, but I bet I end up just tweaking my Klein to a slightly more-agressive fit.

It's a great bike and I've got two seasons of miles on her when we've bonded.
There is nothing wrong with what I have, yet the American way is that we always want more don't we?

DrPete 

Think of the car analogy. To buy the same level of automobile would cost you a good $100K.

But really, if it makes you happy, gets you exercise, and the family's warm and fed, why not? Sure it's not rational, but plenty of people in this world spend FAR more on their hobbies.

14max

Hip - Have you considered going custom carbon? It's not a Pinarello but it still has sex appeal and will probably be in line pricewise...