Planet-X SL Team 'Clubman'

Bar.
Bar. Posts: 41
edited December 2008 in Pro race
Hi,

Does anyone have an opinion on this £699 bike?
Has anyone got/ridden one or the frame it's based on?

Thanks

Comments

  • andylav
    andylav Posts: 308
    I had one of the frames for a while last year - well made, good paintwork, light (only a few grammes off the claimed weights), rode well, felt zippy and still relatively comfortable with full carbon forks and a carbon seat post.

    Only thing I didn't like was that the head tube was too short for me (it was 13.5cm on a medium at that time - think there may have been geometry tweaks to the newer model) and the bottle cage mounts on the seat tube where too high (I bodged mine by mounting the top of the cage to the lower mount and used a band on adapter to secure the bottom of the cage to the tube - made getting the second bottle in and out much easier)

    Seems very good value
  • Bar.
    Bar. Posts: 41
    Hi Andy,

    Thanks for your response.

    Can I ask you to explain 'relatively comfortable' as this would, if I bought it, be my only road bike and would get year-round use on variable quality North Essex roads?

    Also, if you don't mind, why did you get rid of it?

    I'm not technically knowledgeable enough to know much about head tube heights, but as I'm planning to take some extended rides and I'm coming from a mountain bike, would this be something that I should be concerned about from a comfort or rising position pint of view?

    The spec does seem good value with shimano 105 and carbon seat post, planet-x wheels etc, comparable with other internet options like Focus or with current Giant SCR 1 deals - so many options!
  • andylav
    andylav Posts: 308
    Aluminium frames are generally perceived to be more harsh than carbon frames or aluminium frames with carbon rear stays but I didn't find the Planet X uncomfortable - just that it did tend to jar a bit more than my carbon bike on some hits to the rear wheel as the impacts weren't damped out as much.

    Wasn't a major concern though and certainly not the back breaking, backside battering experience I was expecting after years of just riding carbon.

    I got the frame at a discount to use as a training bike and then got offered another frame from the same brand as my good bike, which I took up as the geometries were identical and it made switching between the two bikes easier.

    With regards to the head tube length, I ended up using more spacers that I liked the look of to get my bar height right compared to my other bikes - it was purely an aesthetic thing but not one that would have made me stop using the frame or get rid of it if I hadn't been
    offered the replacement and wasn't able to sell the Planet X on for what I paid for it.

    You should have no issues with position and comfort through use of spacers and stem rises if you decide to go for one.

    EDIT - Just noticed you mention the SCR1 as an alternative - from personal experience I can say that the Planet X 'feels' a quicker bike as I had an SCR as well at one point. I think this was down to the longer chainstays on the Giant which makess the bike feel stable, but it also made it feel quite dead to me - the Planet X felt zippier. Significantly longer headtube on the Giant though so does offer a more raised front end, which is good for vision and comfort.

    Don't know if that helps or hinders you !
  • Bar.
    Bar. Posts: 41
    Cheers Andy

    That has given me something to think about now, and after all, any road bike, aluminium or otherwise, is going to feel soooo different to my Ridgeback alu MX4 front sus mountain bike.
    And significantly faster too.

    Just seen your edit.

    I suspect that now, barring any late considerations, offers etc, that it will come down to how much money I have come purchase time and the availability of current deals. Being able to buy in a shop (SCR 1/1.5) would be a bonus. Tricky one.
  • grumsta
    grumsta Posts: 994
    Sorry to bump an old thread, just wondering if anyone has any more thoughts on the alu clubman? Bar, did you end up getting one?
  • elvis6093
    elvis6093 Posts: 28
    road one a few weeks ago for a few days. not bad at all, but i think they are all sold out last time i checked on the PX website - is there anywhere else to buty this brand or do they only sell direct ?
  • grumsta
    grumsta Posts: 994
    Small and medium are still available - I was looking at a second hand one though.
  • andylav
    andylav Posts: 308
    Chain Reaction Cycles were selling frame and forks for £199 a while back (previous model with slightly different geometry I think - main difference between the two is seat tube and head tube lengths if memory serves).

    Worth a check perhaps
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    Does anyone know whether the SuperLight Team ALu on CRC is the same one as the one on Planet X's site at the moment? - the dimensions seem different (as Andy mentioned).

    CRC:

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=22822

    Planet X:

    http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/ind ... ge_id=1052

    Thinking of upgrading my Ribble Winter to either the Racelight TK/Planet X SL Team ALu/Ribble7005SL.

    Anyone got a Superlight Team Alu - are they as light as suggested ie 1380g Medium?

Categories