Caad vs Secteur vs Custom steel

Bozabyka

I am trying to compare the Caad9 with The Specialized Secteur and custom steel.
(I comparing frames not bikes)
(I need a big stack due to back injury)
Bike is for centuries and club tens with clip ons.
So I have three choices, what do you suggest?

desweller

Custom steel if you can afford it!

cycleclinic

The one you like the most. custom steel means you can have a bike with proper mudguard mounts, a pump peg for a proper frame fit pump, head tube rings so no cable rub and just a beautiful bike.

However you may love the CAAD 9 if that is the case then buy the CAAD 9. By the bike you love you will know when you ride it.

nochekmate

CAAD9/Secteur - totally different set-up to my knowledge.

sloppyschleckonds

CAAD9 and Big Stack aren't usually seen in the same sentence.

Bobbinogs

Why on earth buy a Secteur, which comes with a large headtube, and then slam it? Why on earth buy the more racy Caad9 and stick a load of spacers on it?

There are hundreds of other bikes out there and you seem to have picked 2 that are quite different and then attempted to make one like the other.

Have a think about what you want in terms of geo and then look at the right off the peg options compared with custom.

Bozabyka

Thanks Bobbinogs.
My reasons for choosing the Secteur -
It is not carbon, I do not like carbon. It is based on The Roubaix, a serious race bike on the pave and a favourite amongst the less flexible.
I currently ride the Caad with a big stack of spacers like many individuals.
My groupset requires replacing and I am looking for what is available.
I would prefer a big head tube rather than a stack of spacers.
I would be grateful for any suggestions of suitable bikes bearing in mind I have a back injury.
I have tried many bikes and find that I am being encouraged to buy bikes with head tubes too short that will require big stacks and short stems.
I believe that my best option is custom steel.

DiscoBoy

Get a bike fit, then buy an appropriate bike.

kajjal

You may find your body dimensions mean you have a smaller bike frame for your height and need to use spacers etc to get the riding position to what you need. I am over 6ft6 but ride a 62cm Trek due to having a proportionally longer body. This means I have spacers and the stem flipped upright to get the riding position I want. If I had proportionally longer legs I would very likely be on the 64cm frame.

I prefer a bike that rides well and fits me to one that follows conventions such as not flipping the stem upright. It depends what is most important to you.

ctc

Depends...

I'm getting a custom steel frame (the wait is driving me mad!) because I've got a f*cked up back. I'm not too bad on flexibility, but I have the legs and arms of someone about 6'2" - 6'3" and because I've got pretty bad set of curves in my spine (thoracic spine all fused to straighten it out), I've got the body of someone about 5'9", ending up with me being 6'.
This means it's a bit difficult me getting comfortable on most bikes, so I went custom. I also like steel, and love the looks of a steel bike, so really was no brainer.

If you can get comfortable on a off the peg frame, I would have thought, as suggested above, you could get a bike fit and see what would fit. Or if you fancy it, get a custom frame

letap73

Have you considered the aluminium Cannondale Synapse or the Giant Defy?
TBH - you might be better of buying a bike from a well established fitter who offers you a bike fit when you buy a bike from them - cadence sport(Burton upon Trent), Epic cycles(Ludlow) etc.

FransJacques

How can you not like carbon? 18% of you is made of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:201_E ... ody-01.jpg

I love how "Other" is all in his head. If the diagram was me the lable would read "Voices"