Which frame....

alwaysOTB
alwaysOTB Posts: 151
edited October 2008 in Workshop
Looking at building a bike on a budget and have got a choice of two frames:

1.Principia RSL EVO 2005 from crc - by all accounts a very good frame hand welded in denmark or

2.2nd hand Wilier Alpe d'Huez, year unknown, bit more of an unknown, but made by the Italians...

Both about the same price so which would you choose????

Comments

  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    how do they compare to the budget Ribbles?

    Ribble's basic alu frame is pretty hard to beat on price I suspect. The RSL is just a standard alu frame isn't it?
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • tri-mad
    tri-mad Posts: 12
    Tough one - because one is 2nd hand with unknown history.

    Personally, I wouldn't buy a frame if I didn't know its history.

    What's your budget?
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,071
    Just a standard alu frame on the RSL? Hell no, its 7020 grade ;)

    At least 1 forum member here built up one of those Principia frames this summer, with a thread and pics, looks lovely.
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Principias had a great reputation - they ride pretty firmly too, but expensive manufacturing in Denmark and the rise of far east cycle industry and carbon saw them off. I'd have a new frame every time if I didn't know the provenance of the used one.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • alwaysOTB
    alwaysOTB Posts: 151
    Budget is as smal as possible tri-mad, though deffinately no more than 300.

    Could you link to that thread nitrousoxide - despite spending ages on the search I havent found it - probably doesn't help that I dont have a clue how it works :oops:
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    I think you want this -

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... highlight=
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,071
    Give that man a virtual cookie! :P

    Still looks like a gorgeous bike. When IvanCarlos posted the pics, it brought back all the positive memories of my '97 RSL, which I so regretted selling a few years back(especially after finding that the buyer left the bike in the back garden when they left the area in a hurry... I hope someone gave it some tlc restoration).
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • alwaysOTB
    alwaysOTB Posts: 151
    Thanks guys, think I'll go for the Principia, something about it appeapls to me in a way that the wilier doesn't. By all reports it's a great frame as well :D

    All that's left to do now is decide on 105 or the more expensive but better (especially in my head!) SRAM Rival ( 08 ). Any thoughts?
  • alwaysOTB
    alwaysOTB Posts: 151
    Oooooooooo or second hand 9 speed Dura ace?
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    A wise choice there. I built my Principia from a NOS "Gaia" frame in the summer, replacing the threaded alloy fork with a carbon one. It was my first aluminium bike, moving from 853, but it rides beautifully, dispelling any ideas of the harshness I was led to expect.

    http://i31.tinypic.com/2z7o584.jpg

    Personally I'd have the Dura-Ace if it's in very good nick. How much?
  • alwaysOTB
    alwaysOTB Posts: 151
    Could probably get it for around 200, though thats with cheapish replacement chain/cassette/bottom bracket. Nice bike btw!
  • bill57
    bill57 Posts: 454
    I wouldn't worry too much about those parts. Nobody seems particularly keen on Shimano chains. The Dura Ace cassette is a bit exotic, with the top three cogs being titanium, but for practical use an Ultegra is more than adequate. Same for the bottom bracket - the Dura Ace one is not sealed and reputedly a pig to get set up properly, whereas Ultegra or 105 are sealed units, just screw it in tight and off you go.

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