Dolan Titanium ADX

spokeydokey84
spokeydokey84 Posts: 8
edited November 2015 in Road buying advice
I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a Dolan Titanium ADX - they have a full Ultegra 6800 build, with Mavic Kysrium Elites, Deda Zero bars and stem, sound other finishing kit (and options) for bang on £2k.

This is a posh (for me, at least) winter bike, which will be fitted permanently with mudguards, set up slightly more relaxed than my summer/race bike, for long slow base miles and commuting (45 miles round trip) a couple of times a week. Also wet and rainy weekends in Wales, etc.

Before I press buy, a couple of questions:

1. Any alternatives? I'm looking at titanium for it's durability and smoothness of ride - and looks, of course! I don't want to spend more than £2k, £2.5k tops. I've looked at Van Nicholas, Enigma, Lynksey etc and can't find anything better at this price point. In an ideal world, I would probably go for di2 but that means getting internal wiring and most likely a custom build, which won't be cheap even if I cheekily buy the groupset online separately.

2. Would really appreciate some advice on sizing. I own a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX in size Small, and it's spot on for me with a 90mm stem. Geometry is obviously very different as the Canyon is racy and the Dolan is audax-esque, but the numbers suggest to me that the 53 would be the Dolan for me to choose.

Dolan geometry here - http://www.dolan-bikes.com/dolan-titanium-adx-road-bike.html
Canyon geometry here - http://www.bikecat.com/canyon-rental-bikes-in-girona/

Most important stats (I think) are as follows, but I'm not an expert and I'm not sure how to interpret them accurately:

Canyon top tube 53.7 - Dolan top tube 53.0
Canyon reach 37.5 - Dolan reach 37.8
Canyon stack 54.6 - Dolan stack 56.2

I am thinking the size 53 model is the one for me. I'm 5"8 and a bit(!) but I have long legs (32, 33) and a short torso, so I generally prefer a slightly smaller frame with a longer stem. I know for sure that the 55.5 will be way too big, so the question is should I be considering the 51? I don't know how Dolan's sizing plays out in reality, and appreciate that bike fitting is a minefield and I should try before I buy, but I want at least to go in to this fully educated...

For what it's worth, the Dolan sizing guide suggests the 51 is suitable for 5"2 to 5"5, the 53 suitable for 5"6 to 5"7 and the 55.5 suitable for 5"8 to 5"9. I therefore feel I'm already erring on the smaller side by going for the 53, but I'd really appreciate it if someone feels inclined to give me a noddy's explanation of how the 53 Dolan is likely to compare with the Canyon.

Cheers

Comments

  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    Why dont you ask Dolan?, there is no one more experienced than Dolan.
  • luv2ride
    luv2ride Posts: 2,367
    Kinesis Gran Fondo Ti? Gets great reviews....
    Titus Silk Road Ti rigid 29er - Scott Solace 10 disc - Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 disc - Scott CR1 SL - Pinnacle Arkose X 650b - Pinnacle Arkose singlespeed - Specialized Singlecross...& an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4 string...
  • Flâneur
    Flâneur Posts: 3,081
    IF you are local to Dolan, maybe go visit the bicycle lounge too
    Stevo 666 wrote: Come on you Scousers! 20/12/2014
    Crudder
    CX
    Toy
  • mr_mojo
    mr_mojo Posts: 200
    Can't say how it compares to the Canyon but I have the Dolan Titanium ADX with Dura Ace group, Enve 2.0 forks and Zipp 404 wheels and love it. I have a couple of carbon framed bikes but like the smoothness of titanium.

    The frame is maybe a little basic and agricultural compared to some titanium frames but I think it's great value for money.