My new S3!

davidb67

It's finally here!
I waited to see what the new paint-scheme would be, announced at Eurobike, and then pulled the trigger on the 14/15 model.
Built-up with Ultegra Di2, internal battery, D-fly wireless, DuraAce levers, Ultegra chainset, Reynolds Assault clinchers with DT Swiss straight pull hubs, and a great big grin!!
Untitled by david bradford, on Flickr

http://www.davidbf1.com

theraggyone

Beautiful machine you have there

Philly8mt

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19732554#p19732554]davidb67[/url] wrote:

It's finally here!
I waited to see what the new paint-scheme would be, announced at Eurobike, and then pulled the trigger on the 14/15 model.
Built-up with Ultegra Di2, internal battery, D-fly wireless, DuraAce levers, Ultegra chainset, Reynolds Assault clinchers with DT Swiss straight pull hubs, and a great big grin!!
Untitled by david bradford, on Flickr

http://www.davidbf1.com

Oh we like that

diamonddog

Not usually keen on Cervelo looks but that one is really nice.

davidb67

Thanks for the kind comments guys!
Likely I'll be wrapping it up in cotton-wool soon, and it'll re-emerge in the late-Spring!

Stu517

How easy was it to mount battery internally??

davidb67

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19734104#p19734104]Stu517[/url] wrote:

How easy was it to mount battery internally??

Hi, the build was carried-out by the bike shop in the N/E - they're a Cervelo dealer and have built up quite a few S2's, S3's & S5's now with the internal battery. Apparently it is positioned low-down in the downtube, there's enough space to pass it in through the hole in the underside of the b/b area.
Hope that helps.
David

ic.

That's very nice. Very nice indeed. Enjoy riding it !

Denny Crane

Love this. The colour scheme is so much better than this year's. Tempted by a S3 for a while and prefer the look of it over the S5. How do you find the assaults? Thinking of getting them but tempted to spend a bit more and get Zipp 303s.

davidb67

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19735343#p19735343]Denny Crane[/url] wrote:

Love this. The colour scheme is so much better than this year's. Tempted by a S3 for a while and prefer the look of it over the S5. How do you find the assaults? Thinking of getting them but tempted to spend a bit more and get Zipp 303s.

Hi Denny, yep I was exactly the same, waited until I saw what Cervelo announced at Eurobike, expecting the S3 to be just a paint-scheme update given the bigger updates to the frame 14/15, and although the official dealer pictures (and real bike) of the '16 S3 looks better than the originally grainy/out-of-focus phone camera shots posted online from dealer catalogues!, I went with the previous paint job. I could have probably saved a bit had I waited for some places to start offloading the "old" paint-scheme frame, I didn't want to run the risk of not being able to then get my frame size in the 14 year-model paint scheme! In the end my bike shop recognised the significant sum I'd be spending with them overall on the build, and offered a reasonable discount, so I probably didn't do too badly.

The Assaults. Love them, although to be fair they are my first experience of carbon wheels, and I only got into road-cycling in March '13, specifically buying my Trek 4.9 Di2 to train-for, and then take part in, a London to Paris cycle ride for charity. As expected, I loved the training and road cycling so much have stuck with it - probably like most on these boards.... Anyway, the wheels! I have no other carbon rims as reference points, but I do like them. They spin-up well and seem to hold speed, more easily than the clapped-out wheezing engine powering the bike! Not been troubled with any side-gust problems, yet!
Using the supplied blue cry-power Reynolds pads, I'd suggest ear-defenders when braking - I'm thinking of treating my riding buddy to a set for Christmas - the ear defenders, not the wheels!
I scoured the net trying to find solutions, half suggesting the pads need toe-ing in and then will be fine, the other half suggesting don't waste time, toed-in pads still making a racket! I'm living with the noise currently, and trying to ensure I brake hard and short, & don't "drag" the brakes. Not due to noise, but to help reduce heat-build-up. Love the wheels though. I spent more on these, as I had wheelbuilder.com in the US build-up to the spec I wanted - which was the DT Swiss 240 hubs straightpull, red spoke nipples and Sapim X-ray spokes. Whilst building-up the order online, I then thought "what the hell", and upgraded to ceramic bearings at the same time..... Again, lots of research beforehand, and can I tell the difference? (with the bearings), nope, but the wheels were going to represent a sizeable investment, and spec'ing the ceramic bearings at the time as options, was sort of "in for a penny, in for a pound" mindset!

I had these wheels on my trek for 2 months before the S3 build came, and the Trek felt good with the Assaults. Would recommend them, but then I've never ridden the Zipps!!
My bike shop did have a lust-worthy pair of Lightweights in though - I'm sure they'd have looked great on the new S3!!!

A friend of mine is 40 next year and wants to have a crack at Mt Ventoux, to which I've said I'd tag along, but I'll be switching to an alloy brake-track for that, i don't want to risk the heat-build up on descents. My Bontrager rear rim on the Trek developed hairline cracks around some of the spoke holes, and although I've looked hard, a new rear rim is in updated colours from original - my OCD won't permit such differences, so it's another new set of wheels for that. Trying to get some Kysrium Elite S '16's delivered - spotted a bargain but they've twice sent the wrong model. They'll go on the Trek, but I'd use them for the Ventoux adventure.

Sorry for the War & Peace, but it doesn't take much to start me off regarding the bikes!

mekong_velo

Ye, fantastic colour scheme on that S3, pity they are changing it for next year. Although I'm happy with my R3 in last years colours (black/blue) wish I had went for the S3 in that colour scheme instead, just looks the dogs b####s IMHO.

Regards

Denny Crane

Hi David

Many thanks for the reply. Really helpful. I get the braking difficulties on carbon wheels. Did the Etape last year up the Tourmalet and Hautacam in atrocious conditions, wet and cold. Had on my alu wheels and on the descent of the Tourmalet overtook dozens of people on full carbon wheels with lots of screeching sounds everywhere. Your S3 looks like a winner there. I've got a 2014 R5 which was a warranty replacement for a 2010 R3SL. Awesome bike but tempted to build up an S3 or trade the bike in for something Italian but scared it won't be as good as the R5!

defride

Nice bike, surprised to hear you're having brake squeal problems. I've Attacks, same brake track and the braking is strong though they take a moment to grip in the wet and quiet with both Ultegra and Red brakes, does sound like toe in.