New Multi Use Bike - Advice Needed!

JesseD

I am currently looking to buy a new frame and forks and build up a race bike for next year, I am currently riding an aluminium Felt Z75 which whilst is a great bike for what I need right now, is going to be resigned to the winter/bad weather bike come winter.

I have just started racing again and am loving it, though the races I will be concentrating on are mainly road races and crits, and this will continue next year. Because of this I was initially considering a CAAD 10 or a Specialized Allez E5 Smartweld, both are aluminium and would be great for the type of racing I do.

The new bike would be finished with DA9000, some 60mm tubs for racing and a pair of handbuilts for training, plus other favoured finishing kit.

I have been told by the boss that I can only afford (am allowed) to buy 1 new bike despite my protests, I suppose it’s my fault for proposing this year, and getting married next summer.

My confusion is that I also want to ride the Paris-Roubaix sportive next year as well and am thinking that an aluminium race bike with not best be suited to the cobbles and are likely to rattle my fillings out, so as I am only allowed to buy one bike, what other frames should I consider which would be at home in a crit and also on the cobbles/longer rides/sportives?

I did consider the Synapse/GF01/Spesh Roubaix, but the head tubes are a little high for me even with no spacers under the stem, plus I am feeling that the relaxed geometry is not best suited to crits (the Z75 has a relaxed geometry and I can feel it in the corners when putting the hammer down), so what else is there, or will the Spesh Allez or the CAAD 10 be fine on the cobbles?

mamil314

Best compromise would, perhaps, be buying fast racing bike with a bigger clearance and using wider tires+lower pressure for Roubaix pavé?

JesseD

Mamil314, that's good advice.

What would be the best size tyres to go for when riding the Paris-Roubaix, would 28mm be better or would I get away with 25mm?

My guess is finding a race bike with clearance for 28mm would be hard, whereas clearance for 25mm is more common I suspect.

Am I just kidding myself that I can find a bike to both?

I have never ridden the Paris-Roubaix so don't know what to expect, but reports I have read say it's brutal!

rafletcher

I's say ideally you'd want to fit 32's and have a relaxed geometry for Paris-Roubaix, so as you say incompatible with a crit bike - which will be stiff, with a high bb and very short wheelbase.

Monty Dog

Ridden P-Rx a few times, the full 270km (no the shandy-drinkers ASO sportive) and 25mm tyres are fine, but keep the pressures moderate and do invest in decent mitts, gel bar tape, decent shorts and comfy saddle. Do the right training - being able to 'roll, a big gear whilst keeping your bum hovering over the saddle and work on your wrist / forearm strength. The faster you can ride the secteurs helps to reduce vibration and being on the front to chose your lines.

JesseD

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19660324#p19660324]Monty Dog[/url] wrote:

Ridden P-Rx a few times, the full 270km (no the shandy-drinkers ASO sportive) and 25mm tyres are fine, but keep the pressures moderate and do invest in decent mitts, gel bar tape, decent shorts and comfy saddle. Do the right training - being able to 'roll, a big gear whilst keeping your bum hovering over the saddle and work on your wrist / forearm strength. The faster you can ride the secteurs helps to reduce vibration and being on the front to chose your lines.

:shock: :oops: I know just the exercise!

So would get away with a crit based alu bike in your opinion or should I be looking at carbon something or other?

it seems my goals for next year seem to be miles apart, one is 60 minute of short sharp efforts and the other is a painfest for a day!

Monty Dog

Having raced in Flanders with guys riding over-built, alloy Ridleys, it's not about the bike but how you ride it - Belgian crits usually involve cobbled sections which you take at full-tilt every lap. If you want to ride P-Rx hard treat it as an crit-training interval session - getting to the front of the group and leading through each secteur! I've tried to ride pave 'softly' but found I'm genetically disposed not too - I just think of it as 'hammer time'

JesseD

Thanks Montydog, good advice

Giraffoto

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19659913#p19659913]JesseD[/url] wrote:

. . .
I did consider the Synapse/GF01/Spesh Roubaix, but the head tubes are a little high for me even with no spacers under the stem, plus I am feeling that the relaxed geometry is not best suited to crits
. . .

If you do decide that the higher head tube isn't a deal breaker, the Specialized Roubaix can accommodate 28mm tyres and is amazingly smooth on rough roads. I looked at geometry over the year or so it took me to choose it, and its head tube is about the longest you'll find on any bike, though. And have you consedered Trek's Domane, at all?

JesseD

Giraffoto - Sort of discounted the Roubaix because the HT was too tall and the wheelbase was too long to make an effective crit bike which is where most of my racing will be done with the odd road race thrown in, the Paris-Roubaix was an after thought and after getting the green light from the OH to do it next year then started looking/thinking about what bike I would use.

Initially I thought Alu bike would be too unforgiving to ride the cobbles and something like the CAAD10 or the Allez E5 Smartweld would basically beat me up riding over them, which was why I was asking what other bikes would be suitable for everything, however it seems its more about how you ride with small changes to the bike rather than buying another bike and making compromises.

Monty Dogs advice was pretty helpful in so much as I would get more benefit in using bigger tyres, running lower pressures and learning to climb in to the hurt locker on every section of Pave. Given that I am now thinking that I could build a no nonsense race bike for next year and now using my Felt Z75 for the Paris-Roubaix. Its alu with a carbon fork, has clearance for 28mm tyres, and fits me, plus if it does break wont cost a small fortune to fix/replace. I was thinking about what changes would need to be made to it for P-R and it would be to chuck some 32 or 36 spoke wheels on it, 28mm tyres, metal bottle cages and double up on bar tape.

This means I can set the race bike up purposely for its primary use with no compromise!