Carbon Faster than Aluminium ???

good to hear you have a plan ... and all that will definitely make you a stronger cyclist.

the reason i say it's a bit ask is because i got 8h50m and i feel that taking 25 miins off that for me is a big task for next year. i need a more structured training programme to do it, but i've done a fair amount of power work, got the weight down, the new bike etc. you'll realise each additional minute is harder to take off ...

but it's doable if you're committed enough.

finally, because the standards change i'd warn against going for silver as opposed to going for, say, the top 1000 finishers. but i know the appear of getting a medal!

the best value would be a knocked down Madone (last year's model). if you can bear the whole lance heritage. F3:13 is the nicest i agree.

please don't buy another specialized or you'll be forever a pasty-legged brit who will be marked down for the broomer!

for that budget i'd be looking to get a DA or chorus group and some eurus level hoops.

i wouldn't buy the cervelo! why?

- too many product recals
- shoddy finish
- becoming the new Madone ... yawn... stockbrockers' bike!!
- large diameter downtube overwhelms, meaning it only works aesthetically with deep section wheels.

it's a lovely frame, but not for me.

if you want outright performance for your etape assault, your £2k could do better.

good to see you're already making the main mistake of thinking it's all about the bike. 8)


joke!

Well how is this?? I took 2 WHOLE minutes off of my commute time this morning on my new carbon steed. 13 miles in 44 mins, 15 seconds in rush hour traffic, I'd say that's pretty fast, and my other bike is a Ambrosio Rapide Carbon (which is alu/carbon mix) which is hardly a budget bike!!

fenlandplodder wrote:

wildmoustache wrote:

i wouldn't buy the cervelo! why?

- too many product recals
- shoddy finish
- becoming the new Madone ... yawn... stockbrockers' bike!!
- large diameter downtube overwhelms, meaning it only works aesthetically with deep section wheels.

it's a lovely frame, but not for me.

I have an R3. It's seriously good. The finish is not as flash as some. The downtube is not as large as the Soloist range. When I got the frame out of the box, I was rather underwhelmed. It looked slightly odd. However, it looks really good once it is built up. I used Fulcrum racing 1s which are hardly deep section wheels.
And I am not a stockbroker.....

There were a lot of R3's on the Marmotte this year. Actually I saw non time trial Cervelos of all types. By the time I got the Galibier though my interest in identifying bikes had waned. I concerntrated on breathing and not falling off

i know it's a great frame, and my comments were slightly in jest. so far they've been totally reliable so it seems that cervelo has got this one right. i stand by my comment about them becoming a rich man's toy though ... they look the part and have earned quite a reputation due to CSC and their low weight. that would put me off, but each to their own. If I could afford another couple of bikes then the R3 SL would be in there!

if I was goung to buy a new frame/bike the Pinarello F3:13 would win.

Frame material is a very minor factor except for sprinting and short time trialling. In a sprint, you want the strongest material in the right areas of the bicycle with the least amount of flex possible whilst standing up on the pedals. Comfort is irrelevant to overall performance.

The real factors to speed over longer distances on a bicycle are:

(1) Fitting fitting and fitting. If I had £1,200 to spend on a custom built good-quality steel frame to my specific sizing or a factory made off-the-peg carbon frame, I would choose the custom-built frame every time. The custom-built frame would help me employ the right muscle groups in the right way and would reduce fatigue caused by discomfort. If you are riding with an inefficient posture or you are suffering back, neck, shoulder, buttock, knee, thigh or hamstring pain, you will go slower regardless of the weight of your frame or wheels.

(2) Quality of frame. A well made steel frame will be a better more efficient and faster ride than a low quality mass produced carbon frame, even if the carbon is slightly lighter.

I don't have any particular love of steel; I am just using it as an example of a relatively heavy material. If you can afford a custom sized good quality Ti or carbon frame - go for it.

The mass hysteria about frame materials is because bike manufacturers and bike shops want to sell lots of off-the-peg frames. So they hype up the differences in weight between different materials.

They are unlikely to tell you that you are better off spending the same money in a local workshop getting the size right.

yeah, i was going to say that terongi is right that fit is crucial, but overplays the custom benefits.

remember that as well as the frame size you have stem length, height, angle, handlebar height, drop, reach and width, crank length etc.

each frame can be made to fit a range of body sizes / proportions and maintain good handling.

also, fit tends to change a bit over time and it's hard for a custom fitter to know trule how you ride on the open road. custom will fit you on the day based on the perception of the fitter, but in reality may not be "perfect" after a few months of riding etc. Solution is normally to adjust finishing kit and components ... just as with a non-custom frame.

A custom frame is one way of ensuring that a frame, allowing for adjustments of the kit, will fit you, but so is having a bike-fitting session

My God you’re right!

I’ve just had a word with my next door neighbour who’s a scaffolder and we’ve built a bike out of scaffold tube and clips.

I’ve just ridden it around the block and I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between that and my carbon fibre bike.

Oh why did I spend so much on carbon?

Now I’m just going to paint it with red lead and put the carbon bike on ebay.

Orders taken.