New frame/bike?

andyrr
andyrr Posts: 1,819
in Road buying advice
I've seen a s/h Scott CR1 frame for sale for £250 of unknown vintage (Black with silver "Scott" decals with small red "Pro". I've hankered after a CR1 for ages - missed out on the Westbrooke offer way back for the HMXs.
I've just bought a (customer return) Triban RC500 at a reduced price which will be my training/dry weather commuter and I've 55.5cm Principia Rex e which I now find to be a wee bit on the large size, certainly compared to the new Triban which is a 53cm.
Is a CR1-based build going to compare positively with the stiff alu Principia, a frame that was seen as one of the nicest frames of its day? I've probably got most of the components to complete a build barring groupset as current'ish 11 or 12 speed would seem appropriate now.
I no longer race - the Principia fitted that purpose - altho I may get involved in fast group rides etc once these can take place in summer.
I really don't "need" it but ...
Thoughts please?

Comments

  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    edited March 2021
    You don't get much for £250 these days so it may be a bargain; then again, it could be a really old model or have some hidden damage. Can you find any photos of this particular frame online so we can work out the age?

    I have a 2012 Westbrooke's Pro 54, and it's a very nice bike: stiff, light and not unpleasant to look at. Plus points are external cabling and threaded BB (on my model) so very easy to maintain, but clearance between the seat stays is limited and some 25mm tyres are too big depending on rims used. This is exacerbated by having rear dropouts that tend to let the rim pull toward the left stay, but this can be fixed with some judiciously placed araldite. Later models have alu dropouts so might not be affected the same way. The ride quality is on the stiff side of plush, but certainly not harsh.

    I think the CR1s are quite long: I usually ride 54-56 and the CR1 54 with 100 mm stem is perfect for me.

    Mine is currently fitted with SRAM eTap and Zipp carbon post and bars, and is sub UCI weight limit. I have also had 10 speed SRAM Rival on it, and it was a tad over 7 kgs. I am guessing your build will be much lighter than your Principia even with a heavy groupset like R7000.
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,819
    edited March 2021
    This is the frame.
    My own Principia was weighed at 6.8kg from memory without pedals and cages when it had a set of 50mm carbon tubular wheels and a USE seatpost.

  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    That looks like quite an old model: perhaps from 2005 or thereabouts. Hard to say whether it's a good buy without inspecting it closely, but carbon doesn't fatigue so there's no reason to think it won't ride like it did when new.
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,819
    Thanks - I had a trawl around trying to see what model year it might match up with and thought it was probably pre-2010 so yeah, it's a good few years old but from the info supplied it's not had a hard life and looks in decent nick. Complete CR1s and Addicts seem to be available from around a grand or sometimes less tho' so it's not a giveaway either.

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