Best alu bike/frameset

tom_down

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Current prices:
Trek Emonda ALR £800, last years frame discounted £675
Caad12 £840, discounted to £679
Canyon AL £550

bowman?

Crap tyre clearances, ditto ribble/ dolan

Didn't realise there were clearance issues on the bowman - found this on the website.

Some of our Palace:R customers recently gave their experiences using various rim and tyre combinations on this post on our Facebook page: bit.ly/FBPalRTyre For those of you non-Facebook users here is the original post and a few comments: Post: “Heard a little bit of the chatter about clearance when using 25mm tyres on the Palace:R, so thought would give my verdict. I run a set of Knights + GP4000s. The rim widths are 18mm internal and 28mm external and there is plenty of room. I’m 80kgs (on a good day) and ride the bike pretty hard. I am constantly in and out the saddle on climbs and I’ve barely noticed any rub. There’s a little bit on occasion for sure but nothing major at all.” Comments on post: - I'm on Hunt wide wheels (19int/24out) and considering the Palace:R.
Seen anecdotal posts on forums RE chain-stay bridge clearance issues (on wider rim widths) but it sounds like GP4000s (25c) should be OK given you're on 19.6mm internal. - My 2 penneth worth, Mavic Ksyrium Pro Exalith hoops with YKSION PRO Powerlink 25mm's. Plenty of clearance & zero rub.
- Ample clearance on my Palace:R/Fulcrum Quattro LG (17C int/23.2mm ext)/Vittoria Rubino Pro III 700x25

- DT-Swiss Di-Cut Oxic with 25mm GP4000Sii - works well.

Another customer asked this question on our Facebook page regarding tyre clearance: Q: Will a 27mm rim with a 25mm tyre fit ok on a Palace:R? A: The external width of a rim isn't a great measurement to use, as the internal width varies dependant on manufacturer, and material - carbon sidewalls can be 2mm plus thick, alloy less. Internal width gives a far better comparison on how a tyre will measure up once fitted. Two brands with 18mm internal width will likely come up a similar size, whereas two 27mm external rims can vary widely.

marin_maniac

Matthewfalle wrote:

thegreatdivide wrote:

BR did a bit earlier in the month on the new Emonda ALR in its new lovely paint for 2018

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/art ... alr-52903/

its a trek. duuullllllllllll and fugly. nice paid for promotion masquerading as journalistic prose though. bet everything else they have been guven is the best possible and works amazing.

Dull as in how?

Dull ride, dull looks?

I'm interested in your opinion as like the OP, I also am looking for an ally frame.

thegreatdivide

Marin Maniac wrote:

its a trek. duuullllllllllll and fugly. nice paid for promotion masquerading as journalistic prose though. bet everything else they have been guven is the best possible and works amazing.

Dull as in how?

Dull ride, dull looks?

I'm interested in your opinion as like the OP, I also am looking for an ally frame.[/quote]

It's not dull at all. He's just the resident troll.

I've been hugely impressed by the frame. I'm lucky enough to have some pretty fancy top end bikes in my collection but the Emonda ALR has probably had more ride time this year than any of the others. It also looks great in the metal.

thegreatdivide

Soz - dropped the other quote marks

marin_maniac

I was interested to hear his opinion, as I would have expected him to have some experience of riding Trek bikes to make such a cutting remark of them. Not liking how something looks is one thing, but stating its dull would suggest he has some experience of riding them.

bondurant

I think he has or had a Trek, so at least some experience.

Matthewfalle

Bondurant wrote:

I think he has or had a Trek, so at least some experience.

this. had a Madone with all the fandangoes. Sold it as it was dull to ride, dull to look at and uninspirational. its been discussed before.

also got an ali trek as holiday home bike. its so uninspirational i can't remember what model. full ultegra, carbon deep rims and full carbon sl-k finishing kit can't save it.

that trek is dull to look at: it doesn't exactly get you excited. they are flat and uninspirational to ride as well as being over priced as its got Trek on it.

much more attractive fun bikes svailable for the same money.

Matthewfalle

thegreatdivide wrote:

Marin Maniac wrote:

its a trek. duuullllllllllll and fugly. nice paid for promotion masquerading as journalistic prose though. bet everything else they have been guven is the best possible and works amazing.

Dull as in how?

Dull ride, dull looks?

I'm interested in your opinion as like the OP, I also am looking for an ally frame.

It's not dull at all. He's just the resident troll.

I've been hugely impressed by the frame. I'm lucky enough to have some pretty fancy top end bikes in my collection but the Emonda ALR has probably had more ride time this year than any of the others. It also looks great in the metal.[/quote]

incorrect. just someone who knows his stuff, doesn't get carried along with the sheeple and speaks his mind.

no trolling from these parts.

marin_maniac

Matthewfalle wrote:

this. had a Madone with all the fandangoes. Sold it as it was dull to ride, dull to look at and uninspirational. its been discussed before.

also got an ali trek as holiday home bike. its so uninspirational i can't remember what model. full ultegra, carbon deep rims and full carbon sl-k finishing kit can't save it.

that trek is dull to look at: it doesn't exactly get you excited. they are flat and uninspirational to ride as well as being over priced as its got Trek on it.

much more attractive fun bikes available for the same money.[/quote]

I think I understand you logic now or lack there of.

Like you, I owned a Madone in the past (2012 vintage if I recall). I actually thought it rode very well and it just worked. I found it very easy to work on which is always on my criteria list when looking at bike purchases. I thought it looked pretty good too. I didn't find it inspirational, but I've never found any of my bikes that, because how can you define a bike thats inspirational? That is the sort of BS that would be written about a bike in a magazine.

Your opinion seems to be largely driven by your love of the aesthetics of how a bike looks, because as someone who has ridden push bikes for quite some time, I'm still yet to be able to find a definitive measure of a nice riding bike or one that isn't. Like aesthetics, that is still something that is very subjective.

I find your Bowman recommendation very interesting. Aside from I like how the Bowman looks and it comes with a threaded BB which will make working on it simpler than a push fit BB, it would be too much of a gamble for me as I wouldn't be able to get over the fact of someone like Trek or Cannondale having an R&D budget which would be far in excess of Bowman's. That would make in my mind in all probability, the likelyhood of getting a really decent bike from one of the big names, very likely.

Spasypaddy, this is almost the best advice you're going to get:

there's not a huge difference in the ride of top end alloy frames, theyre all good.
For me it would be based on price, looks and the brand I like best.
You wont find a bad review on any of them.

gary_sparrow

Singleton wrote:

Poptart242 wrote:

Owner of the latter, used to own the former. Can't tell the difference tbh.

I sold my SuperSix and bought a CAAD12 and I prefer it.
Not a massive difference I suppose, but I prefer how the CAAD it rides.

Is the caad more lively and the supersix smoother ?

spasypaddy

im test riding both the caad12 and the bowman tomorrow.

so hopefully will have a decision made after that.

Vino'sGhost

Indigo Gorilla wrote:

The CAAD12 2018 Tiagra is availible for £875 from Evans Cycles. Good option could be to either use that as a complete bike or buy it, remove the groupset etc and sell them on as think to buy a frame alone is very close in cost.

that would be a good move

Vino'sGhost

Gary sparrow wrote:

Singleton wrote:

Poptart242 wrote:

Owner of the latter, used to own the former. Can't tell the difference tbh.

I sold my SuperSix and bought a CAAD12 and I prefer it.
Not a massive difference I suppose, but I prefer how the CAAD it rides.

Is the caad more lively and the supersix smoother ?

my feeling is that the supersix (not the hi mod version which is very very special) feels a little dull against the caad 12 its subjective i guess but i compared with like for like builds

spasypaddy

Vino'sGhost wrote:

Indigo Gorilla wrote:

The CAAD12 2018 Tiagra is availible for £875 from Evans Cycles. Good option could be to either use that as a complete bike or buy it, remove the groupset etc and sell them on as think to buy a frame alone is very close in cost.

that would be a good move

it would but its a pain in the arse to sell stuff. so will only be buying a frameset whatever happens.

spasypaddy

test rode the bowman and the caad12 today.

only one winner.

the bowman.

Matthewfalle

huzzah! huzzah!

phat deep rims planned I trust?

pictures please.

spasypaddy

Matthewfalle wrote:

huzzah! huzzah!

phat deep rims planned I trust?

pictures please.

will provide photos when its done.

im stripping my summer bike the 695 in my signature for it (which will get an upgraded groupset in the spring).

but build list is:
bowman (54cm)
3t bars, stem, seatpost (all stealth blackout logos)
arione
dura ace 7900 (Look will get etap or new mechanical da on it)
dura ace c50s
powermeter of some description (probably a quarq)

just need to decide bottle cages and bar tape

pianoman

Have you considered the Merida Reacto alloy? They don't appear to be that common and as such you can likely pick up a complete bike (if let down by Tiagra) for under a grand.

You could get one, upgrade the drivetrain to 105, put your best wheels and tyres in and I'd be inclined to think you'd have a fast bike on a very reasonable budget.

Matthewfalle

spasypaddy wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

huzzah! huzzah!

phat deep rims planned I trust?

pictures please.

will provide photos when its done.

im stripping my summer bike the 695 in my signature for it (which will get an upgraded groupset in the spring).

but build list is:
bowman (54cm)
3t bars, stem, seatpost (all stealth blackout logos)
arione
dura ace 7900 (Look will get etap or new mechanical da on it)
dura ace c50s
powermeter of some description (probably a quarq)

just need to decide bottle cages and bar tape

thats going to rock.

slammed stem i trust?

which colour scheme frame?

spasypaddy

PianoMan wrote:

Have you considered the Merida Reacto alloy? They don't appear to be that common and as such you can likely pick up a complete bike (if let down by Tiagra) for under a grand.

You could get one, upgrade the drivetrain to 105, put your best wheels and tyres in and I'd be inclined to think you'd have a fast bike on a very reasonable budget.

thanks for the suggestion but dont want to have to strip and sell bits

Matthewfalle wrote:

thats going to rock.

slammed stem i trust?

which colour scheme frame?

of course slammed, will be the black and jade

Matthewfalle

spasypaddy wrote:

PianoMan wrote:

Have you considered the Merida Reacto alloy? They don't appear to be that common and as such you can likely pick up a complete bike (if let down by Tiagra) for under a grand.

You could get one, upgrade the drivetrain to 105, put your best wheels and tyres in and I'd be inclined to think you'd have a fast bike on a very reasonable budget.

thanks for the suggestion but dont want to have to strip and sell bits

Matthewfalle wrote:

thats going to rock.

slammed stem i trust?

which colour scheme frame?

of course slammed, will be the black and jade

mo'fackkin' sweet. going to be dope.

craigus89

Make sure we see some pics!

spasypaddy

pics are here
viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13100634