Just won this Cervelo R3 (repaired) on eBay 🙂

£600 all in… seems pretty good to me (as long as the bloody repair holds up longterm, can't see why it won't; one of the selling points of the R3 is the strength of the frame which allows the skinny seat tubes in the first place, right?

Now… what to build it up with?? I'm thinking this 2009 SRAM Force groupset from Merlin for £499 would be a good midrange choice?

EDIT: ah, bugger… just noticed it's out of stock on Merlin… 🙁

Friend of mine snapped a seat stay on his trek carbon frame and had a
carbon specialist make up an internal collar and simply glued it in place. This was about 5 years ago and its still fine. In this case he reckons that the repair is actually stronger than the rest of the stay. Those stays on the R3 are very slim though. How did they repair it?

i looked at that, nice frame

Look at the 2010 Force Groupset on Fudgescycles £650 from memory for full group in boxes not grey import, would be a good compliment to that frame

How did they repair it?

Not sure exactly how, but sounds like it was done by a professional, so that's good! You can see the repaired stay (righthand one) more clearly in the eBay pics…

Those stays on the R3 are very slim though

I think that's because they don't need to have much load bearing capability, due to the strength of the rest of the frame (according to a few reviews I've read)?

i looked at that, nice frame

Yep, it's purty isn't it? Always liked Cervelo, and particularly the R3, so nice to get one at a price I can afford 8)

Look at the 2010 Force Groupset

May just go the whole hog and load it up with Sram Red 😆 8)

>I think that's because they don't need to have much load bearing capability, due to the strength of the rest of the frame (according to a few reviews I've read)?

But that's exactly the place the one you've bought bust (all be it due to a crash). But in the original sellers description:-

"eventually spoke to the guy at carboncyclerepairs.co.uk who said that they had fixed lots of these bikes in the same place"

Scratches chin 🙂

Anyway, looks nice – good luck.

600 quid on a shagged frame ? why didn't you buy a planet x
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/FRPXNA/nanolight-carbon-fibre-frame-with-fork-and-headset

or similar new?

Buy a Planet X and swap the stuff over, then sell the frame, or keep it 'just in case'?

600 quid on a shagged frame ? why didn't you buy a planet x

Because they're not actually that good? As long as the repair has been done well it'll be stronger than the original. I know a guy who works in carbon and has repaired a few frames for local riders, his repairs are that good you wouldn't know there's ever been an issue.

May just go the whole hog and load it up with Sram Red

I wouldn't bother myself, I weighed up the 2 options when I built my Scott Addict. Other than the overpriced cassette that is not as good as a Dura Ace one there's hardly a difference in it, Force is almost identical but £350 cheaper.

Apparantley the Cervelo's don't really need the seatstays, the chainstays are that strong, like i say, apparantley.

I still think its rather a lot of cash to be dropping on a damaged frame, i wouldnt ride it, but you pays your money and all that…..

600 quid on a shagged frame ? why didn't you buy a planet x

Because they're not actually that good?

Lots of owners and reviews suggest otherwise.

The Planet X is a good budget carbon frame – I chose to pay more and think my Trek Madone 5.2 is better if not better value.

I was chatting to a guy from Madison who informed me that the chainstays on Cervelos are so strong that the seat stays are not actually needed but they have to have them from a racing regs perspective and to hold the rear brake although that could be located on the chainstay bridge

might all be bollox of course 😉

the chainstays on Cervelos are so strong that the seat stays are not actually needed

Go on then Psycle, hacksaw them off to shed a bit of weight!

What could possibly go wrong?

The more I think about it, the more I think you are mad to spend £600 on a broken/repaired frame with zero guarantee.

😀

That's the one that was in the classifieds recently isn't it

Yep, his link above the pic points to the thread.

Looks nice – just make sure you leave a bit over from your budget for this…!

It'll be fine…I think the price is about 1/2 what it would have cost 2nd hand without the repair. I think it unlikely for both stays to fail so if it does break can't see the rider getting hurt – just losing a bit of cash. Maybe try and find some decals so put on the stays so as to make it look a bit better.

I think the price is about 1/2 what it would have cost 2nd hand without the repair

That was pretty much my thought as well, though I was hoping to get it for less than £500… oh well, what's a few extra pounds eh? 😆

Re. the seatstays, Bike Radar had this to say back when they reviewed the 2008 R3:

The squared-off Squoval main tubes and chainstays are basically so stiff that the seatstays don’t need to add any vertical strength, just torsional stiffness.

And I've heard the same elsewhere as well, so hopefully all will be OK… the repair looks sound and has been done by a professional, so again, no reason why it shouldn't hold up longterm?

That's the one that was in the classifieds recently isn't it?

Yep, the same… though without the stem included I just realised…

Beauty frame! post some pics when it's built up 🙂