Which Aero and why?

sparklehedgehog

I am after an aero road bike and would like recommendations. I have previously had a Specialized Venge and liked it a lot but feel it is a bit long in the tooth now (the original shape). I had to sell it (house purchase) so wasn't an option to keep it at the time.

I am currently looking at the Giant Propel Advanced Pro range, the new Trek Madone, Specialised Venge's, Canyon Aeroad and am open to sensible alternative ideas.

Please help, it's a minefield at the minute with so many great deals about!

:shock:

noodleman

I'd be wary of buying a propel. Must be due an update soon.

sparklehedgehog

I'm aware of that but the discount plus the price increase due to exchange rates announced for next year make the gap between new model and old white large and tempting surely?

MikeWW

Propel Advanced SL2 is a nice bike

nickbotfield

I've ridden the Venge Vias and it's a fabulous bike and the disc version looks brilliant. I really like Boardman Airs too - very classy looking bikes.

bernithebiker

The Madone cleans up in different aero tests and it's a very nice looking bike, but I'd be a bit wary of all the proprietary Trek parts (brakes etc) that you can't change.
The Venge Vias has had a lot of stick, haven't followed exactly why, but it's quite heavy and has complicated brakes.
Canyon Aeroroad is a good compromise assuming you're patient!

noodleman

sparklehedgehog wrote:

I'm aware of that but the discount plus the price increase due to exchange rates announced for next year make the gap between new model and old white large and tempting surely?

Just saying if you thought your Venge was long in the tooth, it probably won't be long until the Propel has a facelift, leaving you in the same position. I'd be looking at the new Oltre XR4.

meesterbond

I guess a lot of it depends on budget.
I'd add the Cervelo S3 / S5 in there too if you can stretch to them. Definitely the newer model S5, I had an older one for a while and whilst it was a really nice bike the new one fixes a lot of the irritations of the old (tall headtube, no room for 25mm tires etc).
Madone looks awesome, nearly bought one myself but the massive amount of integration put me off a bit and that I fell somewhere between the H1 and H2 geos.
Ultimately, it's got to come down to fit though. The Canyon Aeroad looks really long and low which never would have fitted me well. Same story with the Argon18 Nitrogen. Always liked the look of the BMC TMR01 but for an everyday road bike, I'd avoid integrated brakes. I've got TRP TTVs on my TT bike and they are a paid in the backside.
Is the Foil worth a look? Personally I'm not that keen on the styling but if it fits and the price is right, why not.
Personally, I think the Venge Vias is too heavy for the price you're paying but that's just my opinion.

Tonnes of options out there - I actually had a spreadsheet to try and help me choose - but your first job must be to work out what sort of stack and reach works best for you.

imposter2.0

sparklehedgehog wrote:

I am after an aero road bike and would like recommendations. I have previously had a Specialized Venge and liked it a lot but feel it is a bit long in the tooth now (the original shape). I had to sell it (house purchase) so wasn't an option to keep it at the time.

I am currently looking at the Giant Propel Advanced Pro range, the new Trek Madone, Specialised Venge's, Canyon Aeroad and am open to sensible alternative ideas.

Please help, it's a minefield at the minute with so many great deals about!

:shock:

Question is - why do you want one? Not sure that's been asked. If you want one for genuine competitive time/speed improvements (which are marginal anyway), then that will skew the answers. If you only want one for leisure riding, then get the nicest looking.

0ced0

need i say more

Sgt_Pepper

Dont really know much about aero bikes, but i do like the look of the Merida Reacto range

Stu517

bernithebiker wrote:

The Madone cleans up in different aero tests and it's a very nice looking bike, but I'd be a bit wary of all the proprietary Trek parts (brakes etc) that you can't change.
The Venge Vias has had a lot of stick, haven't followed exactly why, but it's quite heavy and has complicated brakes.
Canyon Aeroroad is a good compromise assuming you're patient!

Are you basing the comment on the aeroad on personal experience or historic forum posts? I ordered one on the 23rd of July and it's getting delivered tomorrow.

BarleyPointer

Canyon are much more on the ball these days. Mine came in two weeks from the initial order. CF SLX 6.0

And its a fantastic bike. Read the reviews. They are correct imho :-)

I was a little unsure about ordering a bike that I had not seen or ridden, but its absolutely stunning, incredible value .

The two most surprising things that I really didn't expect are, how comfortable it is and how well it goes up hills :-)

bernithebiker

Stu517 wrote:

bernithebiker wrote:

The Madone cleans up in different aero tests and it's a very nice looking bike, but I'd be a bit wary of all the proprietary Trek parts (brakes etc) that you can't change.
The Venge Vias has had a lot of stick, haven't followed exactly why, but it's quite heavy and has complicated brakes.
Canyon Aeroroad is a good compromise assuming you're patient!

Are you basing the comment on the aeroad on personal experience or historic forum posts? I ordered one on the 23rd of July and it's getting delivered tomorrow.

My personal experience of Canyon is having my Canyon rental partner in Majorca cancel 10 bikes on me back in April because they weren't delivered on time, which was interesting to say the least.

The well documented cases of appalling customer service (not just the lat deliveries) kind of put me off.

If it's all sorted now then that's great, and it's good people are getting their bikes on time.

jimmurray

From my current experience, trying to order a set of wheels, order from Canyon is far from 'sorted'.

optrexeyedrops

Ive got a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0 and its the nuts. The minute i got on it having come from a Cube Agree GTC i knocked minutes off my times all round and my avg speed went up 1.2mph across the board without even trying. Thats no lie.

It probably is due an upgrade now but wether its worth waiting for an upgrade just to save 0.10% more time off any given ride against the current Propel is up to you. In current tests the Propel still comes near the top for aero/stiffness/comfort even up against the latest aero bikes. I certainly wouldn't rule it out, its an awesome bike.

bernithebiker

optrexeyedrops wrote:

Ive got a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0 and its the nuts. The minute i got on it having come from a Cube Agree GTC i knocked minutes off my times all round and my avg speed went up 1.2mph across the board without even trying. Thats no lie.

Minutes off a 10 minute ride or a 2 hour ride?

And before you rode everywhere at say 20mph, and now it's 21.2mph? (but without even trying so presumably that 1.2mph has been gained with less watts than before?)

mamba80

bernithebiker wrote:

optrexeyedrops wrote:

Ive got a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0 and its the nuts. The minute i got on it having come from a Cube Agree GTC i knocked minutes off my times all round and my avg speed went up 1.2mph across the board without even trying. Thats no lie.

Minutes off a 10 minute ride or a 2 hour ride?

And before you rode everywhere at say 20mph, and now it's 21.2mph? (but without even trying so presumably that 1.2mph has been gained with less watts than before?)

When my daughter got a aeroad, it made no difference to race results but has upped 1 or 2 mph on her avg endurance training rides, might not matter to many but I was amazed, I didn't expect it to make any odds what so ever.