Forum home› Road cycling forum› Your road bikes

Parlee ESX eTap

meesterbondmeesterbond Posts: 1,240
edited June 2016 in Your road bikes
This will probably divide opinion.
Picked it up yesterday and it looks fantastic. Don't really know what the ride is like yet as I've only had half an hour on the turbo. The eTap feels really good though, shifting is pretty intuitive and still has the same reassuring clunk as the mechanical SRAM groups.

Anyway, it's a Parlee ESX with SRAM eTap, Zipp 303, Rotor chainset, p2m and some rather blingy ee brakes. A fraction under 7kg which isn't too bad for an aero bike with a powermeter.

image_3.jpeg

image_4.jpeg

image_1.jpeg

Posts

  • napoleondnapoleond Posts: 5,992
    Looks like a well thought out build.
    Be interesting to see how ETap does over time. May well consider it for my TT bike next year.
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • Devastazione2Devastazione2 Posts: 98
    Tell you what,looks a lot more appealing than the new Madone and the Vias. Not sure we can get that brand in italy. Very jealous about the eTap
  • tim_wandtim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Divide opinion????? No chance that is a thing of Beauty and Awe, The only thing I cant decide is whether you sold a kidney or your right arm to pay for it.
  • meesterbondmeesterbond Posts: 1,240
    tim wand wrote:
    The only thing I cant decide is whether you sold a kidney or your right arm to pay for it.

    I actually sold 2 Cervelos.

    Etap looks perfect for a TT bike. Blip box, 4 blips and two mechs makes it a much easier upgrade. When they're readily available I'd certainly consider it got mine too. Will see how it fairs for a few miles first.
  • MatthewfalleMatthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    Seriously sweet - very good work that man.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • tim_wandtim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Silly question time, what is the BB standard on the ESX frameset, is it BB Right for the Rotor chainset, take it this is the same spacing and Q factor as a BB 30 and there is no requirement to run a SRAM Red or SRAM Chainset for the trim function and set up of the E tap front mech.

    Theoretically then you could buy the Shifters and Mechs and run any chainset/ brakeset.

    P.S wheres the rear caliper, take it its a very busy BB/ Chainstay junction area, what are the clearances like.
  • meesterbondmeesterbond Posts: 1,240
    It's a PF30 BB - not quite the BBright but seems to work ok.

    I already had the Rotor chainset from a previous bike so just bought the eTap shifter / mech set separately.

    The direct mount brake is beneath the chain stays. Tolerances are fairly tight but no worse than most. I'll see how it fairs given time, although it's only going to be a summer bike and it's nice to have room for 25mm tires!

    image_2.jpeg
  • 1986sv1986sv Posts: 83
    Oh my...
  • sungodsungod Posts: 16,052
    that's lovely

    how are you finding the praxis works rings with the etap front mech?

    i installed etap a couple of weeks back and i'm still running my old srm with red 10-speed rings, i'm wondering if there's a bit more chainrub at extremes with these (this is with a red22 chain, i think you're running a different chain too though so it's not a direct comparison)
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • JesseDJesseD Posts: 1,961
    Be careful with the etap front mech, a guy who I race with wrote off his frame when the cage caught his chain when shifting to the small ring and it snapped the cage and ripped the front mech mount out of his frameset in a race, he wasn't a happy bunny.

    That said it could have been how he set it up (and I don't think he didn't have it checked by a shop before use)

    That said I love the bike, it looks fast stood still, I have a soft spot for Parlee's
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • meesterbondmeesterbond Posts: 1,240
    To be honest, I've ridden it for 30 mins on the turbo - picked it up on Thursday then went skiing for the week on the Friday. When I get back I'll give it a good go.

    I had it built by a shop who'd built a couple of them before so hopefully it's all set up ok.
  • napoleondnapoleond Posts: 5,992
    Praxis rings are substantially better than 10sp SRAM red, in terms of stiffness, shifting quality and most importantly appearance :)
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • white91white91 Posts: 431
    Wow
  • mekong_velomekong_velo Posts: 102
    Lovely lovely machine with great spec, I'm just not a fan of the rear brake being under the chain stays on any bike. Enjoy I'm sure it will be a flying machine.



    Regards
    Cervelo R3
    Tarmac Elite
  • meesterbondmeesterbond Posts: 1,240
    Thanks for the kind comments.
    Loving the bike so far with a few reservations. Etap is fantastic and would be perfect for a TT bike. The sequential shifting is really intuitive and hasn't missed a beat so far.

    Unfortunately the BB has started to creak a little so I need to get that looked at and I can't dial out the rubbing from the under chainstay brakes without having the calliper unacceptably wide apart. Might just be the wheel out of true but it's another annoyance.

    Other than that, it is fantastic. Handles beautifully, fits perfectly and it's surprisingly comfortable. Just need to swap the white Zipp decals out for black ones and sort the odd noises out and it'll be done.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,017
    Leave the white decals and add more white (saddle, handlebar tape) frankly the stealth look has done its time... it's as boring as a boring thing
    left the forum March 2023
  • toomanycarstoomanycars Posts: 6
    :o
    Stunning, love it, but yes, needs some colour.
  • Mr StampMr Stamp Posts: 58
    Stunning, everything looks just right, looks fast while stood still! I hope you enjoy owning it.
  • sungodsungod Posts: 16,052
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Praxis rings are substantially better than 10sp SRAM red, in terms of stiffness, shifting quality and most importantly appearance :)

    finally got around to fitting them, you're right, they are much better!

    the main thing i noticed was a big reduction in chain noise, shifting seems smoother too
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • mamba80mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    Great looking bike, e-tap is the way to go and the tan side wall veloflex add a nice quirk.
    R they the new reynolds blue pads? torn between them and sticking wiv campag reds.
  • vinnymarsdenvinnymarsden Posts: 560
    I don't agree with Ugo that stealth is dead!! For me personally Matt everything looks fabulous , but hey, what a boring forum if we all agreed , what color would you choose Ugo, or anyone?
  • meesterbondmeesterbond Posts: 1,240
    Ok, so loving the eTap... It's really very good. Shifting is spot on and so intuitive. Never used di2 or the Campag equivalent so can't comment on whether it's better than the competition but I'm sold!

    The wheels are now all black and I've gone back to a Fizik Arione saddle. The uber-light carbon job did not agree with me so for the sake 150g I've gone back to a more padded one.

    Otherwise I'm really enjoying the bike. Haven't had an opportunity to do any longer rides on it yet - just 50/60km ones and for those it's great - the test will be how comfortable it is for >100km. The fit is spot on though so I'm sure it'll be fine.

    Brake pads are the Zipp Platinum ones that came with the wheels. That said, I've used Campag red ones before and they're excellent - as good as I've tried with carbon wheels.
  • ugo.santaluciaugo.santalucia Posts: 28,017
    VinnyMarsden wrote:
    I don't agree with Ugo that stealth is dead!! For me personally Matt everything looks fabulous , but hey, what a boring forum if we all agreed , what color would you choose Ugo, or anyone?

    Any but black... that said, my frame is black with nasty blue and white features, but when you pay 200 quid on Ebay for a Ridley you get what you get in terms of colour palette. I wouldn't have chosen it
    left the forum March 2023
  • zoomer42zoomer42 Posts: 124
    Very nice...
  • MiddleRingerMiddleRinger Posts: 678
    I'm not much of a "reader rides" browsing guy, but this man. This is pure class! Build of the year.
    ~ ~ How fast is fast enough? ~ ~ ~ ~ Tempo Cyclist - Tasmania ~ ~
Sign In or Register to comment.