Planet X opinion.

gaddster

Hi all,

I've got the urge to 'upgrade' to a carbon framed bike and have seen the old Planet x one here http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPSP/sl-pro-carbon-sram-rival

I've been reading as much as I can about them on this site and elsewhere, they seem to be well regarded and everyone rates them. After talking to a chap at work about them he doesn't seem to think the quality of their frames are that good, mainly because they are such a low cost one. He has a Colnago and I guess there might be an element of brand snobbery going on and he doesn't seem to think it will give much more than what I already have which is a Specialized Secteur 2010. I've upgraded the wheels to some Mavic Open Rims with Hope Pro 3 hubs as the originals were rubbish, have stuck on a carbon seatpost and some clipless pedals too. It certainly feels much nicer to ride than it originally did.

Are the planet x frames made from good quality carbon?

Will I notice much of an improvement in speed and comfort from what I currently have?

My goal is a faster and more comfortable bike with a view to doing some century rides and maybe a triathlon in the not too distant future.

Thoughts and ideas gratefully received!

Thanks

amaferanga

I don't think the Planet X will be any more comfortable than your Secteur - if anything you may find it less comfortable since the Secteur has a very relaxed geometry. And I doubt it'll be much faster. And as for your mate with the Colnago - he's just saying that to justify to himself the vast sum of money he spent on his bike.

But you'll probably enjoy riding it so get it

cougie

Colnago bloke doesn't know what he's talking about. The px frames have been tested by their team and it's quality stuff.

I don't know about your comfort ( lower psi and or wider tyres would be my start there ) but it's a nice bike that you'll enjoy.

Anonymous

Colnago guy talking out of his ar5e.

Sure, Colnagos are fab but then Planet Xs are still mighty fine at a much cheaper price...

Bar Shaker

It's like a Breitling owner telling you Tags are rubbish. Both are excellent and very desirable.

Mass production of carbon frames has given us bikes which are much closer to pro level kit than the price would suggest.

PX have a great reputation. Buy with confidence.

tx14

it may be more comfortable. but it won't be quicker. stronger legs make you faster. as for frame quality, there are enough testimonials around the forums.

buder

Hi gaddster

I have a 2010 Secteur Elite and a Planet X SL PRO SRAM red edition.

The Secteur obviously will give you a much more relaxed ridding 'position' due to the geometry, that's what it was designed to do however my Planet X is much nicer to ride over rougher roads due to the noticeable difference in frame materials.

My Planet X is set-up with a much lower stack height im nearly 2cm lower ultimately because I race on it. Dont be concerned about quality of the frame that's all unfounded and misguided loads and loads of people have bought this frame which has been selling for years with no problems so dont be concerned.

I find the SL PRO much quicker to get up to speed and a much better climber so over a distance you should be faster on it, however if I was doing a sportive over 60 miles due to my setup on the SL PRO I would use the Secteur. The Planet X comes with about 30mm of spacers under the stem stock so its a comfy ride that's definitely for sure !.

Dont listen to your mate he is making assumptions based on price. Yes its not the stiffest frame out there and the compact geo may not be to every ones liking, also its not the most modern of frames no BB30 etc BUT for the price its superb and all the negatives are far far outweighed by the fantastic package you get for the price thats a fact.

Any question let me know dont know anyone else who has a secteur and SL PRO combo ?.

Donie75

Gaddster,
I have a secteur elite and I'm interested to see that you replaced the seatpost. Did you use the Specialized Carbon Pave seatpost with the Zertz insert? I'm considering this upgrade myself so I'm interested to hear what you used. I;ve already upgraded the brakes to Shimano 105 and they are much better. I'm also going to change from MTB pedals to Road pedals bewcause I'm planning on doing a few sportives this summer.

stronginthesun

id save a bit more money and get a px nanolight

gaddster

Thanks for all your replies! I must admit I've been pretty set on getting a Pro SL for a while and it's just a matter of time I reckon.

Donie75: The seatpost I got is here http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=39284 it's probably not the best but without doubt has improved my comfort on bumpy roads.

Buder: thanks for your mini review!

One other thing, I'm 6'1" and according to Planet X the L & XL is between sizes. I have a 58cm frame at the moment so would the smaller L be better but with a longer stem or should I get the XL with a shorter one? Unfortunately I'm not near anywhere that has these as far as I know.

kafkathedog

gaddster wrote:

One other thing, I'm 6'1" and according to Planet X the L & XL is between sizes. I have a 58cm frame at the moment so would the smaller L be better but with a longer stem or should I get the XL with a shorter one? Unfortunately I'm not near anywhere that has these as far as I know.

I have the SL in large and I'm 6ft and find it plenty large enough. You are getting an effective 57cm top tube so I think you'd be fine. I've swapped the stem to a 100 which now suits me better.

I think they are amazingly good for the price. I got the DuraAce/FSA build a few years back at £899, I wasn't going to buy a new bike (I had a specialized Allez from 2000) but couldn't resist that offer as there was nothing around that came close.

Don't listen to the naysayers, they haven't ridden one.
I'm not planning to change anytime soon unless an amazing offer comes up on a Nanolight HiMod frame. (If you are reading Dave )

buder

gaddster wrote:

Thanks for all your replies! I must admit I've been pretty set on getting a Pro SL for a while and it's just a matter of time I reckon.

Donie75: The seatpost I got is here http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=39284 it's probably not the best but without doubt has improved my comfort on bumpy roads.

Buder: thanks for your mini review!

One other thing, I'm 6'1" and according to Planet X the L & XL is between sizes. I have a 58cm frame at the moment so would the smaller L be better but with a longer stem or should I get the XL with a shorter one? Unfortunately I'm not near anywhere that has these as far as I know.

gaddster im 6'1" also with a 34" inside leg.

I went round in circles with going for a L or an XL in the end I went xl and am glad I did. My secteur is a 58cm also and the top tube of the xl sl pro is around 59 so go for a 100mm stem and it will be fine.

The reason I went for an XL is the frame is compact meaning you need lots of seat post showing, the L would of been ok but I would have been at the max line for the amount of seatpost showing and I also didnt fancy how that would look. The xl with a shorter stem is spot on !!.

Zachariah

I'm 187cm (which falls between 6'1" and 6'2") with longish arms and legs. I went for the L with a 130mm stem, and have since got a 400mm seatpost (though the 350mm just about sat at the right height, I wanted some wiggle room). I can get a good flat-backed position on it. Very comfy, an 80-mile ride did not trouble the derriere (using stock saddle).

nakita222

what 400mm seatpost do you have. I could only find the Push one and it is duck heavy.

Replace the d with any letter of the alphabet until you find one that fits

Anonymous

Thomson do a light 400mm seatpost, the masterpiece...

Zachariah

Ritchey Comp. Got one new from Ebay for £20.

Not a featherweight, but no discernible difference to the stock FSA post.

nakita222

Thank you NapD and Zach i'm going for the thompson,

Zachariah

A £100 seatpost! Now that's dedication to the cause!

Stuy-b

i had a 400mm easton ea90 post in my sl pro.

peejay78

planet-x are great, and represent pretty much the best bang-for-your-buck you can get.

i'd seriously recommend the nanolight over the SL. the lightness of this frame is something to behold; it accelerates extremely quickly and the power transfer is noticeable in comparison to my lightweight condor acciaio.

SBN

Hi Gaddster

I currently own a PX SL pro Large and i am 5 11" and i can vouch for the quality of the planet x frames. I have done a fair few long rides from 75 to 100 milers and i can say its very comfy.

Yesterday i went to Bike science in Bristol with my friend who also owns a Large PX but he feels its to big for him so he decided to get a medium SL pro but while we were in the shop we had a chance to see the Nano light frames in the flesh i can say the pictures on the PX website really dont do this frame the justice it deserves it is a very very nice looking bike and according to the guy in the shop its lighter and stiffer than the SL pro so if you have the budget i would say go for the Nano light.

After seeing the Nanolight my friend decided that was what he was going to buy and had a bike sizing done (which is free) to determind what size frame he needed just to make sure he got it right. while sitting there thinking hmmm thats a nice frame and not wanting to be out done by my cycling buddy i thought what the hell i am gonna get one aswell so i also had the bike sizing done aswell. However when we went to pay for the frames they were out of stock in both sizes :-( so we are waiting for the stock to come in.

To cut a long story short buy one you wont regret it or even better buy my old one :-) its in perfect condition and comes with a spare set of forks

Squillinossett

I love my nano to bits, would rate it much higher than my boardman Team Carbon, just "feels" faster to get up to speed, is also much stiffer.

peejay78

i can testify that the nanolight climbs beautifully. i bought one with the sole purpose of hillclimbs, and it has performed very well.

paired with a set of very light wheels, the built weight is under 7kg. if you haven't ridden a bike that weighs less than 7kg, then it's hard to explain how exciting this is.