tazlittleking

Been doing just fine with my Giant Defy 3 these past two years. Seems like whenever I buy new gear or gadgets it really adds to my motivation to get out and ride even more. This spring should be good money wise and really thinking of uprgrading to Cervelo specifically the S5. Was just going to do my first powermeter and carbon wheelset, but going all out this spring.

I have really been drawn to Cervelo and will be scheduling some test rides really soon. It is number one on my list and then the rest just seem blah to me. Can't really explain it except that I have a little "fanboy" going on.

Hoping someone else can maybe put a bug in my ear and has similar fanboy issues and can point me in other directions. Need to test ride others so what are you drawn to and wanting in future?

Johnny Rad

No fawning all over Cervelo here.

IMHO, seems like they excel more at mktg than anything else.

Right, wrong or indifferent these things stick out to me: expensive for what you get, poor cosmetic finishing, hard to believe mktg hype, etc.

Keep cross-shopping so you know what you're getting.

THSdrummer

I was a Cervelo fanboy when I was looking for my first road bike (end of 2012). In particular, I thought the S2 would be well suited to my needs - a brash, no finesse rider with the option to throw on some clip-on aero bars and hammer out some triathlons/TTs. Eventually, I came to terms that I couldn't drop $2,800 on a bike, and opted for a CAAD10. I'd only trade away my CAAD10 for a few specific bikes.

Cervelo really does have a great marketing team, and while we are complimenting marketing, Castelli excels here too. Both make great products, but their marketing gets them plenty of exposure to the public. Not saying their products don't deserve the attention though.

If you want Cervelo, go for it. I think the four things that I came to terms with that allowed me to move past the Cervelo:
1.) Cervelo has received the highest bike count at Kona IM WC for years. I didn't want to ride what everyone else had (even though that does say something about how good their product and marketing are)
2.) I simply didn't need a semi-aero bike
3.) There are other bikes out there just as good, if not better, go explore (and then I settled for a CAAD10 after 2 test rides...)
4.) Garmin Sharp pro cycling team was not as good as I previously thought once I started watching pro cycling (so, you don't automatically win on an S5? Bummer.)

The new Felt AR series is receiving a lot of positive reviews. If I were looking for a semi aero frame, I'd be at my Felt dealer asking when I could test ride one.

What am I drawn to? Those carbon wheels and that power meter you were talking about buying. Feel free to send those my way. In all seriousness, I'm currently saving for new hand built aluminum clincher wheels and more cycling clothes to diversify my riding temperature and condition range. Also shopping around for a new saddle.

gc3

hhnngg1

I have a Defy3 and a Cervelo and the Defy3 rides as well as the Cervelo. You're not missing much. Even though my Cevelo costed 4x the Giant.

Ice41000

Cervelo is soooo 2012.

Bah Humbug

Well, I own two. Does that count?

Oh, and obvious troll is obvious.

Silvercivic27

Speaking of 2012 Cervelo S5s, here is a 2012 Cervelo S5 I got a few weeks ago as a free warranty replacement. . .

when this. . .

developed a 3 mm crack in the seatpost.

so far, I like it.

Bah Humbug

As long as we're showing off...

caloso

I had a Soloist and thought it was the best crit bike I ever owned. Cervelo warrantied the frame when it developed a crack, but I sold the replacement. I also have several teammates who ride Cervelos. They are fine bikes. But I'm racing a Ridley instead.

Some details about the s5 that kept me from buying one: proprietary seat post; internal cabling; PF30 bottom bracket; super tight tire clearances. Cervelo markets all of those things as advantages, but for a self-supported racer who does his own wrenching, those are all annoying PITAs that don't provide any measurable advantage.

YMMV.

Bah Humbug

I wish my S1 would get the seatpost crack - I'd take an S3 in a second. Fat tire clearance. Same BB as the New P3 (crank based power simplicity). Fairly similar paint, too.

Silvercivic27

Cervelo were going to replace with a new S2, but they didn't have any available for warranty replacement until April-ish. They were out of the "old S2s and S3s as well. They offered me the older S5 or a 2013 S5 for a fee I wasn't willing to accept. I got new wheels instead, and decided I could live with the white paint.

simonaway427

I love my S1 - I've been riding it since 2010. Don't plan on replacing anytime soon.

tazlittleking

Good stuff! My Defy has really been good to me. If I stayed with it I would just do some upgrades and get refit with more aggressive positioning. Really this is a want and not a need. I felt at the time I had spent more then I wanted to. But now after riding for 2 years that has gone to not having spent enough. This is one of the best things I could have got involved in and really want to keep the drive going.


Those Cervelo pictures look great above! The bikes are marketing themselves!

Like the comments about Felt. May have to try looking or test riding that. Was even thinking Scott, but I just don't feel it. Looks count for something and they look blah to me. Any other bikes you really want or admire and are big fan of?

zvez

Very happy with my R5. Have to disagree with earlier poster the build quality and finish and attention to detail is exc. I did have a bit of trouble getting the derrailleur adjusted properly and the fizik antares seat sucked and was canned after the first ride.

At some point I want to get an aero bike, it's between the S3, venge and the felt AR4. I will say, the felts are breathtaking with the exposed carbon fiber frames.

StanSeven

I used to be one of the biggest fan and own an older one. But when I wanted to buy a new bike later, the design is all different with a tall head tube and an upright position - not what belongs on a bike that's supposed to be aero. To get a good position, most people need a -17 stem. Gerald Vroomen said he knew more about what customers need than they do and changed the entire fit concept. That arrogance turned me away.

hhnngg1

If you do end up buying a new bike, go all-in. As you are finding, it is better and less expensive to get the bike you really want first, and not upgrade down the road, even if the bike you want costs a lot.

I actually bought my Defy3 AFTER my Cervelo - it was a 2nd bike kept at my fiance's house when we were apart for a year, so I could train there. I was horrified (in a good way) at how good the bike was compared to my Cervelo. Like pretty much no compromise, except for the Sora groupset which still wasn't bad. (My Cervelo is DA.)

This is for sure though - you will be no faster and no better a handler on the Cervelo. BUT - it may very well make you want to ride more, which in itself will improve you.

I am thankful that my Cervelo is all the bike I ever want. I see all the gearheads and upgraditis here and on other forums, and it's just noise to me. Now that I know what a Cervelo DA rides like, I know I don't need any more upgrades - I would actually happily ride any LBS drop-bar bike now, even the entry level ones, and not even bat an eye, as they're so good nowadays judging from my Defy3.If anything, you should ride the Defy3 with pride - if you hammer on that, it's the mark of someone who knows where not to waste money and where the improvement really is.

I gotta admit it's still always a chuckle when you can ride a $650 Defy3 that's worth less than ONE wheel on the other guy's Zipp-Di2-uberbike setup and leave him completely in the dust. It's more satisfying than doing the same on my Cervelo.

Silvercivic27

Well, here's a photo of my blah Scott. It's a pretty cool bike too.

tazlittleking

Sorry Silver wasn't meaning to sound insulting. Bike looks good. Like that 3T stem that holds the Garmins too. Which Zipps are those? 404s?

Was talking with a guy at last years El Tour who had a Giant TCR. He said all his buddies had Scott but he couldn't justify the cost difference.

What led you to Scott?

zvez

saw a scott tri bike today at a fitting, gorgeous bike! Those look like 303s to me.

Silvercivic27

No prob, I knew you didn't mean to be insulting. I was just trying to show you that you can make just about any bike pretty cool (usually if you dump a ton of $ in it, but I digress. . .). These days, bikes are so good, that there is little major difference between them, you should just get the one that you like for whatever reason it is. The zipps in this pic are 303 clinchers. Honestly, what led to me getting the Scott at the time was that the Addict was a sweet frame, and the Scott offered a full shimano gruppo at a reasonable price. Meaning the crank, brake calipers, everything Shimano. I bought from a great shop and got a stellar price I couldn't refuse. I still remember my "test" ride. I stomped on the pedals, and my breath was taken away with how much power transfer there was. I had also "tested" a Madone, and didn't have the same feeling, plus the Madone had a non-Shimano crank and brake calipers. I love this addict, and if I crashed it, would replace it with one of the new Addicts.

tazlittleking

Good point! Always the rider not the bike.

I recently read about this guy who weighed 300lbs started around when I did and has since lost 100lbs riding. During this time he literally bought 4 bikes. Each bike being more and more advanced, and of course more expensive. It made him ride more. If he didn't he would have felt he wasted his money. Everybody finds motivation in their own ways. Maybe you passed him! JK

Understood this guys motive and actually I could relate.

Dunbar

I'm not a fan of the S5 looks but that's a hell of a (free) warranty upgrade. Specialized warranty upgraded me to an SL4 Expert Roubaix from an SL2 for free (SL2 seat tube cracked.) That's a $3k frame when I spent $2100 out the door for my entire SL2 bike. I wasn't crazy about the SL4 color (silver/red) but I couldn't pass up their offer.

Silvercivic27

I wasn't either, and when the S5 first came out, I was on the front lines of people saying how damn ugly it was. I ride a small frame, though, so the head tube doesn't look AS awkward as larger frames, and this thing is growing on me. When I look at it, I see some really cool things about it that start to make sense when I think about it. Honestly, I was hoping for a new S2, and was a little bummed when Cervelo didn't have any, but now that I have the S5, I'm not sure which I would prefer. I will say that I think the new S3 is a pretty sweet frame.

Dunbar

Cervelo's current geometry is pretty standard race bike geometry. No different than the Tarmac, Madone, SS Evo etc. You can always drop down a frame size like the pros if you want a more aggressive position.