Etape bike options

theboykidney

Looking at a new bike for the Etape next year, so went to the usuals chain shops for a gander, and also Condor.
Most impressed with the Condor Baracchi, with Sram Rival S350 and RS80's, weighing in at £2,600.
The dude in the shop really knew his stuff and I walked away thinking I'd found what I was looking for. Apparently the Baracchi is a well known bike for tackling Etape'esque scenarios, so a bit of peace of mind there.
You also get fitted so that's an added bonus.

However, this came along and put a spanner in the works...
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/cannondale-six-carbon-named-2010-bike-of-the-year-25639/
Lots of options, many considerably lighter, and many considerably cheaper.

So bottom line is I really like the Baracchi, although there's a strong possibility that there is a better option among this lot, but being too close to it all now, I cant see the wood from the trees.

Any banter to help my mind land somewhere would be very much appreciated.

richa

When I bought a new bike in 2009 for a similar purpose, I used the 2009 review to chose and went for a TCR Advanced and have been very happy with my choice.

The 2010 Cannondale looks like a belter of a buy. Therefore, how about either of these (depending on fit):
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cannondale-Synapse-Carbon-105-2012-Road-Bike_48903.htm
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cannondale-Super-Six-105-Carbon-2012-Road-Bike_48889.htm

Here is the 2011 review in which they both feature.

Maverick54

I'm not sure how fit you are, but if you are planning on riding the Etape then I think you should be looking at saving weight wherever possible. The Condor frame seems a little on the expensive side given that it has a £500 groupset on it and a £400 set of wheels. If the Cannondale is coming out considerably lighter, and cheaper then it's a no brainer. You will be gaining nothing by spending more on the Condor, other than a nice badge on the front of the bike. Go for the Cannondale, which is a fantastic bike by all accounts, and spend whatever you save on upgrading to lighter components if you really feel the need.

ugo.santalucia

theboykidney wrote:

Looking at a new bike for the Etape next year, so went to the usuals chain shops for a gander, and also Condor.
Most impressed with the Condor Baracchi, with Sram Rival S350 and RS80's, weighing in at £2,600.
The dude in the shop really knew his stuff and I walked away thinking I'd found what I was looking for. Apparently the Baracchi is a well known bike for tackling Etape'esque scenarios, so a bit of peace of mind there.
You also get fitted so that's an added bonus.

However, this came along and put a spanner in the works...
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/cannondale-six-carbon-named-2010-bike-of-the-year-25639/
Lots of options, many considerably lighter, and many considerably cheaper.

So bottom line is I really like the Baracchi, although there's a strong possibility that there is a better option among this lot, but being too close to it all now, I cant see the wood from the trees.

Any banter to help my mind land somewhere would be very much appreciated.

A bike is for life and not just for a day in the Alps (or pyrenees)... your performance on the day will be more affected by weather/luck/stomach problems than the bike you choose... if you like the Baracchi, get the Baracchi, a Condor is a slightly more exclusive product than a Cannondale

b16 b3n

Ive been umming and arring about this. I then found this for nearly half the price http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuild ... BRC&bike=1.

I then could get some decent kit also.

Monty Dog

FWIW Condor frames are either Deda or XPace Industrial from China - compare prices specs with the likes of Ribble or Planet-X and see that you are paying a hefty premium for their name. Not saying they are bad bikes, but depends on whether you want biggest bang for your buck?

cougie

Any bike over say £500 will easily withstand the Etape.

Do you know what gearing you want ? Compact, triple, standard ?

Weight of the bike isnt the be all and end all of it - most of us have a lot more to lose off ourselves than off our bikes, and the difference between similarly priced bikes in weight isn't that great.

You'd probably be better off spending half that amount on a good bike, and spending the savings on something like a week long training camp in France - riding the mountains will get you fitter - buying a flash bike wont.

theboykidney

Maverick54 wrote:

You will be gaining nothing by spending more on the Condor

well I wouldn't say nothing, piece of mind that the bike is the right bit of kit for the job - not too aggressive, getting fit for the bike too, which is a big thing for me. But even so I will admit it sounds like a lot of wedge to part with for the gear.

@cougie most important thing for me is comfort, never really had a truly comfortable bike on anything over 100k, so frame geometry is top of the list for me, and also bottom of the list when it comes to the amount of knowledge I hold of the subject.

ugo.santalucia

theboykidney wrote:

Maverick54 wrote:

You will be gaining nothing by spending more on the Condor

well I wouldn't say nothing, piece of mind that the bike is the right bit of kit for the job - not too aggressive, getting fit for the bike too, which is a big thing for me. But even so I will admit it sounds like a lot of wedge to part with for the gear.

@cougie most important thing for me is comfort, never really had a truly comfortable bike on anything over 100k, so frame geometry is top of the list for me, and also bottom of the list when it comes to the amount of knowledge I hold of the subject.

Bikes are not aggressive... they're quite docile, in fact... if you mean geometry, then they are fairly similar across the board (have you noticed they all look the same?)

Your reasoning is a bit flawed, it's a bit like saying: "I need to drive to Moscow and I know a few chaps did it with a Skoda, hence that should be the car to do it... not sure if risking it with a Renault, haven't heard of anybody driving to Moscow with a Renault"

The Etape gathers around 9000 entrants every year... I am pretty sure every frame manufacturer is well represented among the crowd...
Bike is irrelevant, rather concentrate on the details of your training and preparation... one thing nobody thinks of... are you sure you can have a good poo before the start? That's way more important than the bike you ride... condition your body to go to the toilet first thing in the morning and you'll outperform yourself!

nevman

Boardman Team Carbon,£1200 and spend rest on training-you,ll still be quids in at the end of the day.

shinyhelmut

Spend the rest on a proper bike fit, some decent shorts, finding a saddle that suits your bum and chamois cream. It's a long day and a lot of training. Get comfortable.

cougie

I don't think its necessarily the frame geometry that you need worry about. You can get two bikes with identical geometries but the way they're made up would make them ride completely different ?

What bike do you ride now ? Why isn't it comfortable - where do you get the pain ?

ajb72

b16 b3n wrote:

Ive been umming and arring about this. I then found this for nearly half the price http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuild ... BRC&bike=1.

I then could get some decent kit also.

Those wheels are some serious heavyweights thought at over 2kg! That could put a real dampener on the feel of the bike.

racingcondor

Monty Dog wrote:

FWIW Condor frames are either Deda or XPace Industrial from China - compare prices specs with the likes of Ribble or Planet-X and see that you are paying a hefty premium for their name. Not saying they are bad bikes, but depends on whether you want biggest bang for your buck?

Don't know about the cheaper frames but I don't think the carbon Condors are rebranded Deda anymore (my 2009 Leggero Looks like a Deda Scuro but I've kept half an eye on it and 09 seems to be the last year that the Leggero used the Scuro mould) even if they were (just because they looked the same doesn't mean anything, layup, type of carbon etc is vital).

One of the things you will get with Condor though is a bike that fits very well and is suited to whatever you ask for. Buying online is certainly cheaper but can be a good way to spend a lot on something that doesn't suit you.

That said, I freely admit to being bias. Condor have seen me through from a novice struggling to ride 30 miles to a 3rd Cat who can build a bike from scratch and they've always been patient, helpful and unlike most other bike shops I've been to I've never caught them lying to me to make a sale.

keyser__soze

b16 b3n wrote:

Ive been umming and arring about this. I then found this for nearly half the price http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuild ... BRC&bike=1.

Great bike. The missus has a Force-equipped model and changed out the wheels for RS80s. Flew around the Dolomites this summer. It's the same frame as used on the De Rosa R838 if you want to check out reviews etc (and can cope with having Ribble on the side rather than a fancy Italian-sounding name)

de_sisti

cougie wrote:

Any bike over say £500 will easily withstand the Etape.

When I first did the etape in 1999, I rode it on a Trek 370. That bike cost £499.

cougie

Obviously I'd factored in for 12 years of inflation. ;-)

de_sisti

We agree, you don't need to spend a fortune on a bike to complete the etape (or marmotte). One's fitness and strength
is more of a factor imo.

wildmoustache

As others have implied, it's you training that's the big issue ... that will be the main factor in how you do.

Pretty much any road bike frame in the correct size that can take a standard sized seatube can be made to fit. There will be a tiny number of exceptions, but don't sweat that. If it's set up right, and isn't comfortable, it's your body telling you you're not flexible enough/ have pains, injuries, whatever.

Sounds like a bike fit might not be a bad investment just to get your fit int he right ballpark and you can then finetune from there. Expect the bike fit to imply that you could ride 99% of frames in your size.