Which Cervelo

Andyb10

Am currently thinking about getting the new S2 or S3 Cervelo, but can't decide which one to go for. Is the S3 worth £1400 more than the S2.
Also does anyone know the relative frame weights and other differences between the two of these.

Also have seen some good offers around on the 2009 S3 but I have been told that the finish on this model year was not great.

Finally anybody had any experience of buying from 5339.co.uk website?

Anonymous

The S3 is a little limited by what wheels are compatible with it. I had an S2, it was fantastic but a little soulless and bland.

The frame weights are all much of a muchness. my 58cm S2 frame was 1180g. Can't remember the weight of the forks. Not the lightest, especially for a modern carbon frame but light enough and verrrrry stiff. Very stiff indeed. As for the aero benefit, the frame was somewhat compromised by the fat whacker riding it...

The S3 is a little lighter and supposedly more comfortable due to the thin seat stays.

cougie

If you're spending that much - you have to ride the bike. Mates of mine haven't got on with theirs and flogged them soon after.

They're expensive bikes - more marketing over performance in my opinion.

Ride a good few bikes to see if you prefer that over others.

greasedscotsman

NapoleonD wrote:

...it was fantastic but a little soulless...

Do you give your bikes names?

FransJacques

Go to Slane cycles and let price be your guide. Seriously, why sweat over details like how thick the seatstays are when you can take a poo and that's the difference right there in your toilet bowl. Tyre pressure contributes much more to comfort.

The black and white Soloist SLC was one of the best looking bikes they ever did and they're down to about 1700 IIRC. I think there are a few other cheap Cervelo stockists out there as well that other folks might remember.

Pokerface

FransJacques wrote:

Go to Slane cycles and let price be your guide. Seriously, why sweat over details like how thick the seatstays are when you can take a poo and that's the difference right there in your toilet bowl. Tyre pressure contributes much more to comfort.

Sorry - but you are wrong here. The seatstays on the S3 are thinner by design - and they soak up a lot of road vibration while the chainstays are massive and stiff - transferring power to the road.

It's not about weight savings (making the stays thinner).

I ride an S3 as well as a Trek Madone - both with the same set of wheels - and the difference in comfort is night and day. The S3 is a MUCH smoother ride.

To the OP - the S3 is a really nice bike. I always said I wouldn't pay the extra money to get it over the S2, but as it happened, I got my S3 for the price of an S2.

I almost bought an S2 last Christmas from 5330 - but changed my mind at the last minute so can't comment on their service except to say they answered all my emails in a timely manner.

I love my S3 and wouldn't trade it for any other bike in the world. But then, I also have no soul. :twisted:

Andyb10

I do have have a 2008 R3 SL which I love - it's really plush in comparision with my Argon 18 (the latter will be moving on). But to be honest I run the R3 with carbon bars and I find this damps a huge amount of vibration.

Really like the look of the S3 though, saw one at the weekend in Primera Sports and wife had to escort me out of the shop!

No I haven't got more money than sense either - just love my bikes

Anonymous

I've got more money than sense. And I've only got 30 quid.

FransJacques

But I'm not sure that thinner seatstays = more comfort. It seems logical that a thinner tube will convey less vibration than a wider diameter tube but there's so much else in the equation. High zoot companies like Cervelo use very stiff, very thin builds. Talking about a very stiff and brittle structure here. Some companies use larger diameter tubes but with thicker carbon - lower modulus, more wraps, and probably a higher content of epoxy/polyester resin.

My frames of reference are 2 older-style carbon bikes: a 2006 Colnago with B-Stay and a 2006 TCR Advanced ISP with a yoke-stay compared to a R3SL. In my experience I'd rank the Giant first and a tie between the Colnago and the Cevelo. The aspect of comfort I'm ranking here is rear wheel vibration as felt through my bum when I'm seated - I'm ignoring anything where the fork could make an impact - such as wrist comfort, etc. Just my 5p, of course a back to back ride between a S2 and S3 would be the clincher but to organize such a test would be almost impossible unless you told the shop you were Rupert Guinness or Phil Liggett.

mr_goo

Andy B you are a lucky man that your other half even goes into Primera with you. Mine seems to think that it is on a par with some of the shops on Holdenhurst Rd.

Pokerface

FransJacques wrote:

But I'm not sure that thinner seatstays = more comfort

So you're going to argue with someone who's actually ridden both an S2 and an S3 - as well as the engineering department of Cervelo? :roll: Especially when you've not ridden either bike?

greasedscotsman

Pokerface wrote:

To the OP - the S3 is a really nice bike. I always said I wouldn't pay the extra money to get it over the S2, but as it happened, I got my S3 for the price of an S2.

So forget that you got the S3 for the price of an S2, is the S3 worth the extra £1400 (or whatever the price difference is...), to answer the OP

Pokerface

greasedscotsman wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

To the OP - the S3 is a really nice bike. I always said I wouldn't pay the extra money to get it over the S2, but as it happened, I got my S3 for the price of an S2.

So forget that you got the S3 for the price of an S2, is the S3 worth the extra £1400 (or whatever the price difference is...), to answer the OP

Nope. Unless you prefer the paintjob.

Percy Vera

Pokerface wrote:

FransJacques wrote:

But I'm not sure that thinner seatstays = more comfort

So you're going to argue with someone who's actually ridden both an S2 and an S3 - as well as the engineering department of Cervelo? :roll: Especially when you've not ridden either bike?

Did you meet the engineering department on a night out? Or how did it happen?

on-yer-bike

Are Cervelo becoming like Rapha – the brand people love to hate? Usually by the people that don't own them.

Gazzaputt

I tested a R3SL and thought for the money there were better options.

Airwave

Mr Goo wrote:

Andy B you are a lucky man that your other half even goes into Primera with you. Mine seems to think that it is on a par with some of the shops on Holdenhurst Rd.

MMMM.......Holdenhurst Rd is well known for it's cake shops.

Pokerface

Percy Vera wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

FransJacques wrote:

But I'm not sure that thinner seatstays = more comfort

So you're going to argue with someone who's actually ridden both an S2 and an S3 - as well as the engineering department of Cervelo? :roll: Especially when you've not ridden either bike?

Did you meet the engineering department on a night out? Or how did it happen?

I AM from Canada you know.

From Wiki: "Cervélo Cycles is a Canadian manufacturer of racing bicycle frames. The company was founded in 1995 in Toronto by Phil White and Gérard Vroomen, who continue to run the company."

FransJacques

Pokerface wrote:

FransJacques wrote:

But I'm not sure that thinner seatstays = more comfort

So you're going to argue with someone who's actually ridden both an S2 and an S3 - as well as the engineering department of Cervelo? :roll: Especially when you've not ridden either bike?

Your data point is your data point but I've gone one better by comparing the R3SL to a Colnago B-stay and an older Giant TCR. I've contrasted a wider range than just a S2-S3. The stays on the R3 are more radical than the S3 and the Giant is much more like the S2 - 2 very different schools of thought. This was designed to give the OP more anecdotes to work with. Afterall, 2 grand is a lot of schekels for a frame.

Pokerface

FransJacques wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

FransJacques wrote:

But I'm not sure that thinner seatstays = more comfort

So you're going to argue with someone who's actually ridden both an S2 and an S3 - as well as the engineering department of Cervelo? :roll: Especially when you've not ridden either bike?

Your data point is your data point but I've gone one better by comparing the R3SL to a Colnago B-stay and an older Giant TCR. I've contrasted a wider range than just a S2-S3. The stays on the R3 are more radical than the S3 and the Giant is much more like the S2 - 2 very different schools of thought. This was designed to give the OP more anecdotes to work with. Afterall, 2 grand is a lot of schekels for a frame.

Yeah - but ALL he wants' to know about is the difference between an S2 and S3. He's not interested in other frames.

APIII

My local shop has a 2010 S3 for £2700. I'm pretty sure I saw a 2009 for £2k the other week, but you'd have to give them a call if you were interested.

http://www.philcorleycycles.co.uk/index.php/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=1792&category_id=118

Pokerface

APIII wrote:

My local shop has a 2010 S3 for £2700. I'm pretty sure I saw a 2009 for £2k the other week, but you'd have to give them a call if you were interested.

http://www.philcorleycycles.co.uk/index.php/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=1792&category_id=118

Only available in the 54cm size - but if you're looking and the size is right - I would highly recommend it at that price.

spanielsson

Andyb10 wrote:

Finally anybody had any experience of buying from 5339.co.uk website?

I've not bought from them, but I have visited their shop in St Helier on Jersey. Very helpful, seemed totally straight and happy to just chat.

The savings they can offer make me think they are the only place to order Zipp wheels from.

Andyb10

Thank you all - I think some test rides are order of the day

Andyb10

Decision made got a 2010 S3 at a good price. Cna't decide on Dura Ace or Record now.

I have Ultegra on one bike and Chorus 11 on another. Like the shifting and smoothness on Shimano but love the looks on Campag .DuraAce chainset looks so dull but maybe someoone could recommend a different chainset (had a quick look at the FSA K-Force stuff not sure what it's like though.

Any thoughts out there?

FransJacques

Go Campy, it looks great and there are too few Cervelos adorned with italian jewellery - in fact I can safely say I've never seen one.

FSA cranks look crap, always have. SRAM Force is a good looking crank, Red less so. With the money you saved you could go Vuma. But my favourite is the good ol Si by Cannondale on their SS. It's alu, it's light, and stiff by non-pro accounts, but it's hard to find and God knows what you'd have to pay for one.

Have you also thought about Rotor in keeping with the CTT set up?

It's not often one sees Campy bikes with a non-Campy crank (apart from Liquigas - but ref what I said above) so it could take come getting used to.

Andyb10

Funny you should say that FransJacques have got Chorus 11 on my R3 and it does look good, but have found the shifting needs adjustment on a too regular basis unlike Ultegra which never seems to need adjusting at all

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APIII

I've got a Rotor 3D chainset on an otherwise campag equipped bike. I like the look of it, it's stiff enough, has a solid axle with a pinch bolt on the non-drive side, which I think is one of the better methods, so just down to personal choice really. I've also got the FSA-K force light on another campag bike. I'm not a fan of the engineering, the way the non drive side is attached. The self extracting crank arm bolt needs plenty of loctite to stop it unwinding itself. Plenty of people have lost these out on the road, me included. It;s just not a good design. I've also got campag chorus UT crank, which is good, but bearings are a weak point, as has been well documented. Unless you have to go for something different, I'd probably stick with a campag chainset.

Pokerface

I've got a mixture of things on my S3.

Rotor 3-D chainset and Rotor Q-Rings
Sram Red shifters
Sram Force mechs
Planet X CNC Brakes


You might want to consider a Sram Force groupset - well priced, light, looks great on the S3 and very functional.

on-yer-bike

I have record 11 on my R3-SL and it works perfectly. But, you may need to change the rear mech hanger to one that is a bit stiffer (I did). The biggest problems with the shifting on S2 and S3s is caused by the internal routing not the group set. I have ridden an S2 demo with Dura Ace and the shifting was crap because of the cable routing (according to the mechanic, I tried to adjust it on route to no avail). I have heard to get the best results you need Nokon? whatever its called. Visit the Cervelo forum.