Why is spending 2.5k on a frame so difficult?

spasypaddy

There is just toooooooooo much choice.

anyone got any suggestions.

rules are:
different
rare
carbon
awesome

Preferable:
italian/European


Riding: sportive, club, race, tt, triathlon

asprilla

Too much choice and you want more suggestions?

londonlivvy

Orbea Orca.

spasypaddy

i want suggestions because im looking and looking and i need stuff put in front of me, today i have gone through this list:
http://www.bikesutra.com/manatoi.html
and am making an excel spreadsheet with frames on it

amnezia

Thats not how it works.

You find a frame you love thats way over your budget and then convince yourself that you need it.

Wheres the fun in setting the budget beforehand :?

MonkeyMonster

because the penny jar required would be fooking massive and heavy...

mrc1

spasypaddy wrote:

i want suggestions because im looking and looking and i need stuff put in front of me, today i have gone through this list:
http://www.bikesutra.com/manatoi.html
and am making an excel spreadsheet with frames on it

Ciocc Devilry

http://www.grupettoitalia.co.uk/docs/ciocc2010-range.pdf

Designed and made in Italy. My Extro is awesome - extremely rare and just got a very good review in Cycling plus.

Edit: Awesome overload

DonDaddyD

You've probably got:

Wilier
Bianchi
Pinarello
Kuota Kharma
Ciocc


What about Fondriest?

Greg T

Cannondale Six Carbon named 2010 Bike of the Year

spasypaddy

amnezia wrote:

Thats not how it works.

You find a frame you love thats way over your budget and then convince yourself that you need it.

Wheres the fun in setting the budget beforehand :?

because i have to save up. believe me the budget has already doubled from what i was initially looking at

greg66_tri_v2.0

spasypaddy wrote:

There is just toooooooooo much choice.


Riding: sportive, club, race, tt, triathlon

Is there *any* choice of frames that you could say are properly suitable for sportives and TTs?

DonDaddyD

If I ever have the money again (Ms DDD) I will be buying something distinctly not Spainish, French or Italian.

I'd probably go German, Storck, maybe.

spasypaddy

Greg66 wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

There is just toooooooooo much choice.


Riding: sportive, club, race, tt, triathlon

Is there *any* choice of frames that you could say are properly suitable for sportives and TTs?

well not really, but basically what im saying is i want light and stiff. and thats just the type of riding im planning on doing.

greg66_tri_v2.0

spasypaddy wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

There is just toooooooooo much choice.


Riding: sportive, club, race, tt, triathlon

Is there *any* choice of frames that you could say are properly suitable for sportives and TTs?

well not really, but basically what im saying is i want light and stiff. and thats just the type of riding im planning on doing.

Ok. Well, the brand may be becoming a bit ubiquitous, but if you can find Bike 1 in that colour scheme in your size, it will tick most of your other boxes.

spasypaddy

when you say Bike 1 do you mean that cervelo?

joewhitebaby

Something different you say? Check out www.phiancarbon.com (website is due an update)
Beautiful products. Prices are good too, set to change the ones currently up. About to start offering complete bike builds!
DM me for more info or a quote on a build up.
Currently got a 2 time beijing gold medallist on them, triathlete at world championships, and a time triallist off to commonwealth games. Can't be bad!

mrc1

joewhitebaby wrote:

Something different you say? Check out www.phiancarbon.com (website is due an update)
Beautiful products. Prices are good too, set to change the ones currently up. About to start offering complete bike builds!
DM me for more info or a quote on a build up.
Currently got a 2 time beijing gold medallist on them, triathlete at world championships, and a time triallist off to commonwealth games. Can't be bad!

That looks nice!

UndercoverElephant

Greg66 wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

There is just toooooooooo much choice.


Riding: sportive, club, race, tt, triathlon

Is there *any* choice of frames that you could say are properly suitable for sportives and TTs?

The Kestrel Talon, although bastard ugly, has the ability to turn the seat post round and change the geometry between road and TT. It's bastard ugly though.

essex-commuter

spasypaddy wrote:

anyone got any suggestions.

It doesn't tick all of your boxes but I went Litespeed titanium and have never wanted to own anything more.

spasypaddy

essex-commuter wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

anyone got any suggestions.

It doesn't tick all of your boxes but I went Litespeed titanium and have never wanted to own anything more.

ti hasnt been ruled out yet but they all look the same, i havent ridden one yet but its on my list of things to do to get an idea of whether i want one or not.

joewhitebaby wrote:

Something different you say? Check out www.phiancarbon.com (website is due an update)
Beautiful products. Prices are good too, set to change the ones currently up. About to start offering complete bike builds!
DM me for more info or a quote on a build up.
Currently got a 2 time beijing gold medallist on them, triathlete at world championships, and a time triallist off to commonwealth games. Can't be bad!

do they do custom colours? its alot less than i was expecting to spend and a little bit heavier than what i was expecting


Also, thanks everyone so far. lots of good suggestions.

wgwarburton

Hi,
You say Carbon but would consider titanium... surely you should consider a custom made frame from a British craftsman, specially built to suit your particular needs from exotic high end steel...

Cheers,
W.

unixnerd

Eddy Merckx EMX-5? They have a link-up with Pinarello for carbon fibre technology but the designs are their own.

spasypaddy

thanks WGW but i dont want steel and if i did the choices would be even harder as it would mean even more choice!

The Mercx added to the list

stuaff

spasypaddy wrote:

There is just toooooooooo much choice.

anyone got any suggestions.

rules are:
different
rare
carbon
awesome

Preferable:
italian/European


Riding: sportive, club, race, tt, triathlon

First off, your budget: does the £2.5k have any flex in it? If the frame you decide you'd like is 2.5 now, it'll be more once the VAT increase kicks in, and I can't see manufacturers doing anything but putting prices up in the current economic climate...
The obvious choice for me (as an owner and fan): Viner. All their frames from the Volata (rebadged 2009 spec Perfecta frame, £1650 at the moment) upwards are available with custom sizing at no extra charge. See Rob Spedding's enthusiastic test report on this here site. The new Perfecta is £2k, the current Mitus Plus is £2.5k. Find another £750 and the Maxima (custom tubing as well as sizing) is yours. Amnezia's older-spec Mitus is lovely. And this is the new-for-2011 Mitus 0.4.....


Casati also do custom sizing in carbon, Cyfac do at extra cost, not sure about any others...
Of other makes, if it was me, I'd be looking at Cyfac, Cervelo, Time and Storck. And probably still buy a Viner, I have to admit.....

spasypaddy

casati, cyfac, time and storck are all currently on the list. i havent decided what i think of the viner yet (possibly a little bit too commonly seen)

cervelo wont be making the list

cjcp

Cyfac. Mmmmm.

Is there anything really Italian anymore though?

stuaff

spasypaddy wrote:

casati, cyfac, time and storck are all currently on the list. i havent decided what i think of the viner yet (possibly a little bit too commonly seen)

cervelo wont be making the list

Viners are relatively common round here, not least because we have a very enthusiastic dealer in the vicinity, they are now I think the biggest dealer in the country. That, and owners have a tendency to wax lyrical to all and sundry about how great the bikes are at any given opportunity (guilty as charged and proud of it, see also LiT and Chip \'oyler in particular). I wouldn't worry too much about being common- with custom fit and custom paint too if you want it, yours could be unique...

CJ: Yes. Everybody buys their carbon from the same far eastern guys of course, but Viner still make their bikes in Italy (all the steel ones, plus all but the lowest-end carbon model). A few other makers still do the same.

st199ml

Museeuw? http://www.museeuwbikes.be/

I never found spending that kind of cash tricky. I walked into Mosquito Bikes and bought the one I drooled over the most.

I have Ti and steel frames. Both built by US craftsmen (Moots and Indy Fab) who I can't recommend enough.

Enjoy the buying. It's a buzz.

cjcp

st199ml wrote:

Museeuw? http://www.museeuwbikes.be/

I never found spending that kind of cash tricky. I walked into Mosquito Bikes and bought the one I drooled over the most.

I have Ti and steel frames. Both built by US craftsmen (Moots and Indy Fab) who I can't recommend enough.

Enjoy the buying. It's a buzz.

One of his bikes got a bad write-up in this month's C+ from a VFM stanpoint.

EDIT: which surprised me. They look nice, too.

spasypaddy

cjcp wrote:

Cyfac. Mmmmm.

Is there anything really Italian anymore though?

casati mate, all handmade in italy. in my research today ive been attempting to find websites that dont translate into english as a good idea of how authentic they are

Stu - i know, i know. hence they havent been completely ruled out. just there is alot i think id pick before them at the moment

ST - the MF-5 is on the list

st199ml

cjcp yeah I saw but I think the top of the range on spasypaddy's list is still loved.

Also most of Cyclefit's brands (Glider, Guru Colnago) are European, expensive and rare. A custom Colnago must be pretty exclusive even if the brand ain't.

I like this game.