TT Bike help please

rozzer32

So after doing a few TT's on the road bike and catching the bug I want to get a dedicated TT bike for this year.

Now I have narrowed my choice down to these two.

Focus Izalco Chrono



So this a top frame (same frame used across the chrono range) with all the mod cons, integrated brakes and stem etc and wind tunnel tested. 105 groupset and fulcrum wheels. OK not the best but could be upgraded over time. The next thing on the upgrade list after the bike is a second hand disc and deep section front. Price is £2500

Dolan Scala



Now this is a generic Chinese frame with Dolan stickers on the side. Yes I could go direct to China but would like some warranty back up. Now I doubt this frame has ever seen a wind tunnel. Does have integrated brakes but not stem. Now I can get this with Ultegra DI2 for £2400 with cheap mavic wheels or normal Ultegra 6800 for £2k.


Now I know on here we always tell people to go for the best frame as components can be upgraded over time. So that would push me towards the Focus. I also like the fact it is 10 speed purely for the fact there will be more second hand 10 speed disc wheels out there than 11 speed. However I also know fit is super important in a TT bike and I wonder how adjustable an integrated stem can be. It seems like the stem length is fixed?

The Dolan has the better components and arguably better adjustment. But at its core is a cheap Chinese frame.

Anyone help me out here?

Yes I know a lot of you are thinking just buy a Planet X but I've decided not to go down that route.

mallorcajeff

Hi
Out of the two i would go for the focus. Best to try a leg over what fits you best. I bought a bmc time machine but could never get the position right and s bike fit confirmed that even though the guy doing it really did not know what he was doing.

I bought a specialized shiv and love it i am hooked and ride it every single morning. I too have a scott addict but have not been out on it in ages as the speed of the tt bike is addictive but also i want to regain my legs for summer.

The shiv has a non adjustable stem but everything else is making it very adjustable.

Most important that you already know is buy what fit and feels right. I would personally not go for the generic chinese etc but thats just my opinion. That said the planet x wheels i run on mine are fantastic. I have the 88 and 101 with a disc cover and they are great wheels and cheap secondhand on ebay.

Good luck and enjoy it you will love it

mallorcajeff

Grill

The Focus is a much nicer frame (which is what's important). For wheels look for a trispoke front (barring that deep section is fine) and disc rear.

Don't listen to Jeff about his Shiv, it's a tri bike. :P

meesterbond

For what it's worth, I've just bought a Dolan Scala frame which I'm in the process of building up. Generic Chinese quite possibly but having gone over it with the proverbial fine tooth comb it's pretty well finished. Lots of thought gone into it from an aero perspective too - cover for the seatpost clamp, hidden brakes front and rear etc.

Will hopefully get it finished this weekend and take it for a spin. Already looks fantastic in its black with added black colour scheme.

gabriel959

mallorcajeff wrote:

Jesus, that is an ugly bike alright.

I am not sure you could ride that at official events either.

meesterbond

gabriel959 wrote:

Jesus, that is an ugly bike alright.

I am not sure you could ride that at official events either.

It's the Tri version so not UCI legal (doesn't meet the 3:1 ratio rule), although I'm sure for 95% of us that isn't a problem. I don't think CTT have a problem with it providing you're not adding your own farings and suchlike.

The TT module is a little less slab-sided but eye-wateringly expensive.

rokt

I also got the TT bug and spent weeks looking a bikes. I had two in mind, a Planet X Exocet & a Cannondale Slice. In the end I purchased a 2014 Cervelo P3 !!!! The bike was £800 over my budget but the fit was perfect and as many have said, that's the most important thing.

Between the two bikes your looking at I'd go for the Focus, if the fit is right.

brettjmcc

Rory,
You could always build a frame up as well? Does it need to be new for instance?

I build the below up for just a smidge over £1700, which included a NEW full Force groupset including the TT900 shifters and brake levers, it's then got 2nd hand Corima front, a wired P/T and the QR CD01 frame was only 3 months old


Untitled by Brett-GT40, on Flickr

arthur_scrimshaw

brettjmcc wrote:

Rory,
You could always build a frame up as well? Does it need to be new for instance?

I build the below up for just a smidge over £1700, which included a NEW full Force groupset including the TT900 shifters and brake levers, it's then got 2nd hand Corima front, a wired P/T and the QR CD01 frame was only 3 months old


Untitled by Brett-GT40, on Flickr

Hope you weren't badly hurt in the crash?

rokt

Grill

I have yet to see a pretty tri bike. I find TT bikes to be so much more elegant (Nik Bowdler's monstrosity excluded).

brettjmcc

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Hope you weren't badly hurt in the crash?

Sorry, for one less enlightened than yourself and Rokt, you'll have to explain what comes across as clearly derogatory humour, as I don't get it.

Grill

They're just talking the p!ss, no biggie. Let's face it, the kink before the head tube isn't the most inspired of design choices. You should see how much grief I get for my pink bike...

arthur_scrimshaw

brettjmcc wrote:

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Hope you weren't badly hurt in the crash?

Sorry, for one less enlightened than yourself and Rokt, you'll have to explain what comes across as clearly derogatory humour, as I don't get it.

Sorry, I wasn't intending to be unpleasant. As Grill pointed out, it's not the most attractive looking bike, but each to their own.

rokt

Sorry if I offended, but even by TT bikes standards it's a bit of a moose.....

rozzer32

Now now ladies let's play nice

I think I'm going to go with the Focus. But can some of you TT people help me with sizing.

My normal road bike is a 54. 540mm seat tube, 550mm top tube, 140mm head tube and run a 90mm stem. Now from reading about people seem to suggest sizing down with a TT bike. So I'm thinking about getting a small. That sound right?

mallorcajeff

I dont need mine to be legal i just belt around mallorca on it for fun everyday ;-)
Its an acquired taste agreed but i do like it. Next time will be the new canyon speedmax i think next year. Will be moving back to england so will be buying a full on tt bike.

Yes id say a small probably but would get a leg over it first. I normally ride a 56 but have a medium on my shiv. I had a bmc that was also a medium but if it was to go via bike fit both said i would get away with a small but didnt want to be too cramped.

hstiles

+1 for the satisfaction of building up a TT bike. I built one using a Carrera Virago TT frameset, which is identical to a Dalkiia F1Zero or whatever it's called. ~£300 for the frameset and cockpit, £400 for the groupset, £100 saddle and £600on some end of season FFWD F6R.

I'm 6' 2". I ride a 56cm or 58cm normally, but opted for a 55cm TT bike to get a nice low front.

rokt

My road bike is a medium (53/54cm) but my P3 is a 51 cm small !

brettjmcc

Rory,
I would go one size down to what you normally ride. Try and find a shop where you could try a few, if all else fails pay Evans their £50 refundable deposit and get one into their stores and try it.

As for my bike, it will get replaced sometime in the future, but hey, I wanted a TT build to do myself and that frame came up for 25% of the original price, so no biggee.

Jeff, are you comng back to Essex? I agree the Speedmax looks very nice.

rozzer32

brettjmcc wrote:

Rory,
I would go one size down to what you normally ride. Try and find a shop where you could try a few, if all else fails pay Evans their £50 refundable deposit and get one into their stores and try it.

As for my bike, it will get replaced sometime in the future, but hey, I wanted a TT build to do myself and that frame came up for 25% of the original price, so no biggee.

Jeff, are you comng back to Essex? I agree the Speedmax looks very nice.

Evans don't stock Focus bikes. On all the websites that sell the Focus it says "available to order". So will give a few a call and see what they say about a test ride.

brettjmcc

Sorry what I meant with Evans, that even though they may not stock Focus, you could try a bike with siilar geometry to give you an idea

rozzer32

So now I'm having second thoughts.

Focus won't have any in the UK until early June. With 105 5800 just being announced I don't know if I should wait to see if it comes down in price or they do a 5800 version.

Or is there anything else out there I should be looking at for the £2500 mark. Must have integrated brakes and preferably stem too.

Grill

Integrated brakes? The aero data suggests that there is no real aero gain when compared to the loss of braking power (from the mouth of Simon Smart).

brettjmcc

Rory,
I still think you would be best to build. You seem to have an idea of what you want and therefore you are narrowing your range of options.

As an example, a quick Google shows Slane cycles selling an Ultegra TT gruppo for £509.99. There is then someone selling a Scott Plasma 2 that may be good for you on TTF, he's saying £750 but I guess you could bring him down a bit. That would leave you worst case another £1250 almost for wheels (which I gues you have anyway), bars/saddle etc. You could probably even have money spare to buy a skinsuit and a nice Kask Bambino then

Brett

rokt

Have you looked at the Planet X Exocet 2, comes with Dura Ace 9000. A lot of bike for £2500 !!!

napoleond

The Dolan Scala is as generic Chinese as the Focus. They are made to dolan's spec and design and made in China. The focus is made to focus' design and made in China.

rozzer32

NapoleonD wrote:

The Dolan Scala is as generic Chinese as the Focus. They are made to dolan's spec and design and made in China. The focus is made to focus' design and made in China.

I don't think it is Nap.

http://www.gotobike.com.cn/gs_detail.asp?id=500392&nowmenuid=500006&previd=500027

Although I've just pinched that from a thread on the TT forum.

napoleond

Roger! Not seen one before. It's a great looking frame though. Wonder how much the goto bike ones are...

xixang

I think the suggestion of self build isn't a bad idea. I did it with my first TT bike and ended up with full carbon bike with disc and deep sect front for under £1k (in 2007). Everything 2nd hand off ebay - teschner TT frame, HED disc and Jet60, cinelli angel bars etc. Granted I went for an older 7 speed disc then put barends on friction. But you don't need that many gears for a TT. Worked for me until I decided to upgrade to current bike