£3k Which frame would you buy?

designman

I am looking into buying a new frame for the summer.
My budget is £2.5k - £3k maximum.

Can anyone recommended me a good frame for around that price.
Thanks.

Chip \'oyler

Viner Perfecta or Viner Mitus 0.4

Anonymous

You are going to get a hell of a lot of people recommending the bike/brand they bought.

First thing I'd do is get a really good bike fit then either get something off the shelf that fits you perfectly or custom.

It also depends what you are going to use it for, what you like etc.

Personally I'd get a Colnago (due to the wide range of sizes that virtually makes them custom) or a custom carbon such as Viner, Parlee, Crumpton etc. The ride quality of a good carbon frame is like nowt else. I've tried high end Alu, Steel and Ti... Each have their place but, well, carbon is where it's at.

Hoopdriver

Lots of possibilities open themselves at that price point. And as was noted above lots of folks will recommend the high-end frame they bought - but you have to remember, we all bought what appealed to US - you're you, and will have your own tastes, preferences, likes etc.

As for me - since you ask (at least in general) I prefer custom hand-built steel. For me carbon utterly lacks personality, whatever its perceived ride characteristics and advantages. But that's me.

Others will ooh and ah over titanium.

What kind of frame/material are you leaning towards? If we knew we could toss out some brand preferences and ideas - custom builders - that you mightn't have considered yet and therefore do something useful.

fleshtuxedo

Buy something you really like. It's a luxury purchase. What frame do YOU want.

Christ that's what Dennisn would say

:oops:

harryburgundy

£3k....I'd be knocking on Jims door to see what he could build me
http://www.kishbike.com/index.htm

Scrumple

At the risk of repeating myself, I echo the above.

At 3k, all the frames are "good". It comes down to looks, and fit which are peculiar to your tastes.

And type of riding, as some are more aggressive than others!

designman

I was looking at either a Cervelo, Colnago or Canyon.

Chip \'oyler

Scrumple wrote:

At the risk of repeating myself, I echo the above.

At 3k, all the frames are "good". It comes down to looks, and fit which are peculiar to your tastes.

And type of riding, as some are more aggressive than others!

Regarding fit the two Viner's I mentioned are available made to measure (at no extra cost), so a bike fitting session is incorporated in order to arrive at the frame design. By having them custom made you can also make the frame 'behave' how you want it to by adjusting frame angles etc

cookiemonster

Parlee Z5sl

(and I havent bought one - was thinking about it, but just too much when you get pick up an R3sl for 1900)

Buckled_Rims

I'm looking in a magazine now at all the lovely bikes listed and I honestly couldn't decide what I'd buy for £3k :shock:

I think it would come down to "pretty colours" rather then Hi-mod carbon fibre material

designman

cookiemonster wrote:

Parlee Z5sl

(and I havent bought one - was thinking about it, but just too much when you get pick up an R3sl for 1900)

Where can you pick up a R3sl for £1900?
And is that a 2010 model?

cookiemonster

http://www.slanecycles.com/bike-frames- ... qml0hulfj7

2009 for £1900, £2400 gets you the 2010

jon

galatzo

I like the Colnago M10 in the matt finish.
And the Cinelli Strato in the white with red and blu.
I really liked the Cannondale Super Six Hi Mod I had until my clubsyness reached a new level.
Not ridden the new Scott Addict enough to pass judgement.
New Principia ?
Stork ?
Hard to buy a duff one with that budget.

cougie

I'd probably buy two or three nice frames for different rides rather than one v expensive frame.

Evil Laugh

I'd get a c59.

rolf_f

Chip \'oyler wrote:

By having them custom made you can also make the frame 'behave' how you want it to by adjusting frame angles etc

I don't believe you have that option with Viners though. My understanding is that they give you flexibility in terms of basic geometry but that frame angles are limited to some degree. More made to measure than bespoke. Certainly not equivalent to going to a steel frame builder and defining all the main dimensions to your specific requirements. Viner will sell you a Perfecta to your size but it will still be a Perfecta. You can't get them to make you a made to measure Trek. That said, it will fit and if you are a wierd shape, that will be something. However, most people don't need this and will benefit very little from a custom frame.

The Custom builders certainly offer some good options but, if you look hard enough, you'll find something every bit as good a fitas made to measure in someones standard range as long as you aren't too fussed about who it is that actually provides the finished product.

designman

I have to agree with "Galatzo" the Colnago M10 does look very nice, but I guess its quite a heavy frame?

Evil Laugh

About a kilo and a half for frame and forks, medium size.

flanners1

cougie wrote:

I'd probably buy two or three nice frames for different rides rather than one v expensive frame.

I like that idea.

I can never understand posts that ask people what bike they should buy, the multitude of answers must be like a scatter gun effect, surely the person with £3K in their pocket knows the terrain and type of riding they will be doing and can take it from there? At £3K it's all aesthetics anyhow.

Mccaria

At that price for a frame, if you are not totally sure of your geometry requirements and as said above, it would make a lot of sense to incorporate a proper ftting.

At £3k most of the frames are of high quality, so the single most important thing is to get the right fit and a bike geometry that works for you. In this week's Cycling there is an interview with Dario Pegoretti who says that as a rule of thumb standard geometry frames fit 70-80% of the population. If you are one of the 20-30% then this will push you the custom route and even if you are one of the 70-80% a fit will give you peace of mind and help you choose the right geometry frame and components (stem length, saddle height etc)

I looked at frames in your budget and narrowed it down to the Parlee Z5 (£3.2k, BB30 bottom bracket and a fitting by Bespoke Cycling in London) and the Colnago C59 (circa £3k depending whether you go Maestro or Windwaave) In the end I decided that another carbon frame would give me only marginal gains over my current frame so went for a bespoke build 953 steel frame.

Chip \'oyler

Rolf F wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

By having them custom made you can also make the frame 'behave' how you want it to by adjusting frame angles etc

I don't believe you have that option with Viners though. My understanding is that they give you flexibility in terms of basic geometry but that frame angles are limited to some degree. More made to measure than bespoke. Certainly not equivalent to going to a steel frame builder and defining all the main dimensions to your specific requirements. Viner will sell you a Perfecta to your size but it will still be a Perfecta. You can't get them to make you a made to measure Trek. That said, it will fit and if you are a wierd shape, that will be something. However, most people don't need this and will benefit very little from a custom frame.

The Custom builders certainly offer some good options but, if you look hard enough, you'll find something every bit as good a fitas made to measure in someones standard range as long as you aren't too fussed about who it is that actually provides the finished product.

I don't really understand your answer. Even a slight tweak to the angles on the frame geometry will affect handling and how a frame rides. How do you explain the fact Viner can build you a Perfecta as a TT frame, with steeper seat angles etc. It's still a Perfecta, but one that behaves and handles differently to a 'standard' Perfecta.

spasypaddy

i am having exactly the same dilemma... i think ive settled on a look 695 in mondrian.

Monty Dog

My initial answer would be not a big brand frame made in the far east - all you're paying the premium for is the marketing budget / ProTeam sponsorship.

On a similar recent discussion, a common conclusion that the purchase should be as much about the experience as much as the finished article. The general consensus is that the 'best frame' out there at the moment is the C59 - someone I know who works for one of the 'big 3' reckons its a fantastic ride

spasypaddy

what the 695 ipack has that makes it stand out for me is the ZED2 cranks, the stem, and the special seatpost.

other than that i was looking at custom italian carbon, however the extra parts (seat post, stem, crankset) would put me over my budget

Chip \'oyler

Monty Dog wrote:

My initial answer would be not a big brand frame made in the far east - all you're paying the premium for is the marketing budget / ProTeam sponsorship.

On a similar recent discussion, a common conclusion that the purchase should be as much about the experience as much as the finished article. The general consensus is that the 'best frame' out there at the moment is the C59 - someone I know who works for one of the 'big 3' reckons its a fantastic ride

I've no doubt the C59 is a very good frame but is it better than a Parlee, Crumpton, Pegoretti, Indy Fab, Viner that's been custom built specifically for you?
That's a bit like saying that an off the peg suit will fit you better than a bespoke Saville Row suit!

Hoopdriver

Custom made is always going to better, and have more personality and character than something mass produced in the Far East.

And anyway, if you want to be grammatical there is no such thing as a 'general consensus' only a consensus.

cougie

I've had a couple of custom bikes. None had any personality. Actually none of my bikes have personality - they're only bikes.

I think people are getting caught up on obessing over shiny bikes. As Armstrong said - Its not about the Bike - and I'd add - it is about the Ride.

Hoopdriver

I feel sorry for you

cougie

Don't be - I've had as much fun on a boris bike as I have riding my custom bike from arguably the uks most successful frame builder. Most days on a bike are good days.

wildmoustache

Chip \'oyler wrote:

Monty Dog wrote:

My initial answer would be not a big brand frame made in the far east - all you're paying the premium for is the marketing budget / ProTeam sponsorship.

On a similar recent discussion, a common conclusion that the purchase should be as much about the experience as much as the finished article. The general consensus is that the 'best frame' out there at the moment is the C59 - someone I know who works for one of the 'big 3' reckons its a fantastic ride

I've no doubt the C59 is a very good frame but is it better than a Parlee, Crumpton, Pegoretti, Indy Fab, Viner that's been custom built specifically for you?
That's a bit like saying that an off the peg suit will fit you better than a bespoke Saville Row suit!

agree. for that matter is it better than a look or a canyon or a trek or an sl3? sure it's great but colnagos are one of the brands that have a cult following ... hence the "general consensus".

anyway, all the OP needs to know is what fits him ... which is easier said than done and in truth something that comes with riding for a decent number of years rather than a professional fit (though this is better than nothing), and buy what he likes the look of. fit aside, it's hard to go wrong with 3k to play with.