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other than the big SRAM boxes that is lovely.
I'd prefer Ultegra Di2, but due to CV-19 there is a global shortage, too many 'mid range' bikes being sold 😉
It's the one I'm looking at, but with MyO paint and hopefully a couple of tweaks to the build.
Interestingly a different dealer local to me has now also said July, so...
I’ve got the previous Domane sl, when I stopped racing I thought I’d go Uber comfortable and not worry about weight and speed. That mindset lasted about 6 months before I wanted a lighter bike.
Looking at the current Domane SLR, you need to be spending about £6k to get a 8.5kg bike. Nice looking bikes and I’m sure they meet their key criteria of being comfortable, but that’s a lot of weight for such an expensive bike. The Madone is similar. £7000 gets you an 8.1kg Madone with Ultegra Di2 or £5200 gets the lower spec frame, non integrated bar and stem and Ultegra Di2 weighing 8.25.
Be interesting to see what the new Emonda is like.
My Cannondale CAAD12 105 with saddle, seatpost and bars swapped out, ~1600g wheels and tubeless tyres weighs ~7.3kg. I reckon it will have been significantly less than £2k in total. So another £3k to find 500g? Easy. If you're sensible and scrutinise everything.
Or have I missed something in the 90 odd previous posts since the OP?
Or have I missed something in the 90 odd previous posts since the OP?
Well the OP wants aero, completely concealed cables & disc brakes as well as 6.8kg.
Not really relevant to the OP's post but as the Domane has been mentioned a couple of times:- I bought a 2018 model SL6 disc 2 years ago and it rolled in at 8.2kg and it's now jumped to 9.3kg which I don't get, as aside from increasing the cassette from 32 to 34t and the fancy wee cubby hole in the down tube the spec is pretty much the same. Love the bike btw, does exactly what I want, really comfy over long (for an old decrepit git like me) distances.
This reminds me a bit of when (maybe 15 years ago) I really had to have a sub 20lb mountain bike. I built one (thankfully not at all that much expense) only to find that I didn't particularly like riding it.
I suspect you could spend a fair bit of cash building a 6.8kg bike but with the only actually value in it being able to tell folks how light it was and bore them by telling them it was the same weight as a Tour de France bike.
My Roubaix is never going to be particularly light (it's 8.2kg even with Dura-Ace wheels fitted) however for me at least I suspect it'd be faster over distance than many/most lighter bikes as it's so comfortable.
I'm also a fat biffer so would probably break a really light build!
This reminds me a bit of when (maybe 15 years ago) I really had to have a sub 20lb mountain bike. I built one (thankfully not at all that much expense) only to find that I didn’t particularly like riding it.
I used to race a sub 20lb Scott Scale many moons ago, absolutely loved how it flew up hills, wasn't quite so good on the downs (more me than it though)....
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I think folk's expectations of weight are set by some fairly optimistic claims..
2019 Tarmac expert disc here with mechanical ultegra, paid £3250 in sales last year & that weights 7.3kg in 58.
I weighed the very same bike in medium on the shops park scales and without pedals it was around 7.6kg as I recall (I remember as it was pretty much identical to the tcr I also had my eye on). Likewise I fail to see how it would be lighter than the 7.5kg sworks with full duraace that the chap mentioned he was selling earlier in this thread.
If you weigh it 10 times on luggage scales and pick the smallest reading maybe, but in reality I'm pretty confident that's not it's real weight. Still a cracking bike though, it was a choice between that and my tcr when I bought mine last year.
Gcn did a vid where they weighed the pros bikes, and there were a good few that came in around 7.3 as I recall.
Gcn did a vid where they weighed the pros bikes
This one?
or this?
Some ideas here too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZsH75dRROw
Anyway, what's so clever about 6.8kg if you just want a road bike and don't care what the UCI say?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPn4RNvn4EE
Gcn did a vid where they weighed the pros bikes, and there were a good few that came in around 7.3 as I recall.
Thankfully, the pros have realised that weight is not the be all and end all of road bikes and actually aero, stiffness and comfort are all more beneficial.
Thankfully, the pros have realised that weight is not the be all and end all of road bikes and actually aero, stiffness and comfort are all more beneficial.
An interesting way to spin it.
Give it another couple of years development and they'll have all that "aero, stiffness and comfort" and be "10% lighter than last years model" (neglecting to mention the 20% gain a few years previously).
A bit like disk brakes have gained 10% more power every year since the 90's, yet I still remember my C2's having by far the most power and solid lever feel.
I think folk’s expectations of weight are set by some fairly optimistic claims..
2019 Tarmac expert disc here with mechanical ultegra, paid £3250 in sales last year & that weights 7.3kg in 58.
I weighed the very same bike in medium on the shops park scales and without pedals it was around 7.6kg as I recall
I'd also doubt it a little. I have a 58cm S-Works Tarmac SL6 disc, albeit in a fairy heavy acid mint green camouflage paint, with Ultegra 8070 di2, S-Works carbon bb30 Chainset and Roval CLX32 wheels, with Fizik R1 stem/bars and saddle, Dura Ace pedals. it's 7.17kg on my Ultimate scales.
Sounds about right, Blazin
Just weighed my S-works SL6 there now - same paint job as yours - so with Vector pedals and elite bottle cages, it's coming in at 7.6kg
so change the R8000 chainset to a DA one and could get it down to 7.5kg
so no idea what you'd need to spend on it to get it down to below 7kg
With all the “lightweight” carbon Domane mentions, god knows how much my 2015 AL2 weighs!
I’ve fluctuated between upgrading the wheels to save weight or buy a carbon bike.
Fortunately I’ve lost 13.5kg since Jan instead as that’s the cheaper option!
so no idea what you’d need to spend on it to get it down to below 7kg
About £4500 on a pair of Lighweights and £1000 stripping all the paint off and clear coating it I reckon.
so about £11k / kilo - Bargain 🙂
The main issue is that even 5k bikes do rarely come with great wheel sets. Set of Zipps or Knights are what 2k? Enve’s getting close to 3k.
5k should get you a good frame, probably Ultegra Di2 and some form of carbon wheels.
But there will be parts making up weight, like alloy bars and stem. Heavy BB. Possibly a 105 cassette etc. And again, the wheels and tyres may be on the heavy side.
If I were you I would start with a good bike fit (hard at the moment) and then get pointed in the right direction on frame sizing (frames measure fairly differently). And then go from there.
The good news is at 5k you will get a very good bike, and one you can probably upgrade a long the way.
, just that buying a bike for the longer term is a bit of a different perspective.
Two propels and a Defy Advanced SL. If I were to choose one bike for the future, it would be a new TCR Advanced SL. With manual Dura Ace if I could. As it is, I don’t have to choose. Aero is faster, but the Defy is stiffer. The TCR is the middle porridge. The Defy is my long term bike. That frame won Paris Roubaix. And I don’t want discs.
The 6.8kg is really all about the wheels. Once you’ve DA’d up, carbonned those bars, stem and saddle, you’ll be about 7 kilos. Lighter means tubs and carbon wheels. Tubs are too much of a compromise for me. Oh and if you want light you need titanium speedplay. Because the mechanism is in the cleat so the pedals weigh less. sad.
If I was spending 5k today, it would be a pro-level (Advanced SL or S-works) frame, ultegra Di2 and the best wheels I could manage to budget. You won’t get Dura Ace without a compromise elsewhere. And you won’t get manual DA.
Oh and if you want light you need titanium speedplay. Because the mechanism is in the cleat so the pedals weigh less.
Funny you mentioned this, I was idly considering where I could save some weight on my Rose. Turns out the best bang/buck answer is my shoes! My basic Lakes weigh almost 820g/pair so there's an easy 300g of rotating weight to save.
I don't care what anyone else says, my lightest bike is my funnest bike, and since everything I aspire to on the road bike involves pointing uphill (laughable considering my weight...) I'll continue to try and make it lighter.
If I was spending 5k today, it would be a pro-level (Advanced SL or S-works) frame, ultegra Di2 and the best wheels I could manage to budget. You won’t get Dura Ace without a compromise elsewhere. And you won’t get manual DA.
And you won't get much in the way of wheels, once you've dropped £3400 (S-Works Tarmac) on a frame, £1k on a groupset, and £400 on a bar/stem/tape and pedals.
For 5k you are not going to get a world cup level bike. Simple as.
Just look at the prices.
Frame 2.5 - 3k
Groupset 1k at least - that is ultegra or force, not DA or Red
Wheels 2k
And then you still need stem, bars, seatpost, saddle, headset - easily another 1k
What about power meter?
Off the shelves Canyon may get you close (ish) but still not world cup level.
I spend "a little" more a couple of years ago and got a custom Festka frame, complete Sram Red etap disc, Knight wheels, carbon components, Chris King headset and Quark power meter. It is closer to 8 kg I would say, but it is unique and the bike I wanted - and it fits me like a glove.
Why the adversity to disks tired ?
It's 20grams well spent 🙂
Not really relevant to the OP’s post but as the Domane has been mentioned a couple of times:- I bought a 2018 model SL6 disc 2 years ago and it rolled in at 8.2kg and it’s now jumped to 9.3kg which I don’t get, as aside from increasing the cassette from 32 to 34t and the fancy wee cubby hole in the down tube the spec is pretty much the same. Love the bike btw, does exactly what I want, really comfy over long (for an old decrepit git like me) distances.
I'd love to know why the jump too. Anyone got any inside information? Would be interested to know if the frame itself has put on a few grams, or if it's just bits. If I had to guess, it's hidden componentry cost-cutting to save money and maintain pricing levels. You'll probably find a square-taper bottom-bracket hidden in there somewhere 🙂
Why the adversity to disks tired ?
It’s 20grams well spent 🙂
I agree. I put discs on mind. I also think it will be harder and harder to get good choice of wheels for rim brakes going forward.
With all the “lightweight” carbon Domane mentions, god knows how much my 2015 AL2 weighs!
Hard to know exactly which it is, what with the confusion of bike model years, but this review from 2014 suggests 9.5kg. Today's AL2 will cost you £600 and weigh just the wrong side of 10kg and, if buying another one, you'll be spending a fair old chunk more money before you get down below the weight of your current bike.
Ride on! 🙂
I agree. I put discs on mind. I also think it will be harder and harder to get good choice of wheels for rim brakes going forward.
Agree , a mate of mine works for a UK wheel manufacturer.... And is/was very vocally old school in his views on disks since their inception......
He now has disks as thats where the good wheels at.
I agree. I put discs on mind. I also think it will be harder and harder to get good choice of wheels for rim brakes going forward.
Disc brakes a no-brainer here, despite the (modest) weight penalty, for two reasons:
1) braking performance, especially in grim conditions,
2) zero rim wear, especially in grim conditions.
If you only ever ride your bike on sunny days, or race, then I would agree that the difference is more marginal, but chuck in some ropey weather and especially winter roads, and there's no comparison. Only downside I've had is that the calipers nearly always need tweaking between wheelsets (unless they are identical, of course!), which is a bit of a pain. That said, I often had to tweak pad position between different rim-brake wheels, so it's no bad thing, but disk caliper positioning is a finer-art and generally once I've got it set up, I'll leave it be even if it means riding deeper rims in crosswinds than I would normally choose!
For 5k you are not going to get a world cup level bike. Simple as
I posted a £4k Rose that was 6.2kg with Dura Ace, 50mm carbon wheels, semi-aero frame. So if by 'world cup' you mean integrated cables and discs then I suppose you're right.
but chuck in some ropey weather and especially winter roads, and there’s no comparison
If you wear ear-plugs, or have some sort of miracle set up that still works reasonably quietly on cold wet rotors... I'm never going to stick carbon rims on a winter bike so will stick with basic aluminium rims and rim brakes.
Wet carbon still gives me the fear with rim brakes .
I wanted deep carbon rims. = Disk brakes.(which are silent)
If you wear ear-plugs, or have some sort of miracle set up that still works reasonably quietly on cold wet rotors… I’m never going to stick carbon rims on a winter bike so will stick with basic aluminium rims and rim brakes.
No magic - just keep the rotor true and clean, and torch the pads from time to time to get the contamination out of them. I like Shimano rotors which seem to be the least squealy to me. Can't promise that they'll never squeal, but they're pretty quiet and they stop on a dime!
Anyway, I think we digress here... 😉
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With all the “lightweight” carbon Domane mentions, god knows how much my 2015 AL2 weighs!
I’ve fluctuated between upgrading the wheels to save weight or buy a carbon bike.
Fortunately I’ve lost 13.5kg since Jan instead as that’s the cheaper option!
Yes, yes. And do a poo and carry one bottle. Non of these are mutually exclusive are they? Light bike + light body + mega dump + one bottle + aero = happy camper.
Not sure about the 20g uplift for discs? Maybe in the components but the frame and fork's are usually heavier to cope no?
Disk frameset are heavier than rim for the time being as manufacturers are having to design a bike that accepts both. With time and the move away from rim brakes the designers will bring the weight for disk brake down as they wont need the compromises to cater for both.
The quicker rim brakes are forgotten about the better disk frames will be.
Well the rims be lighter , if you live in hilly(mountainous) area no risk of overheating the tire or the carbon rim delaminating (happened to a clubmate on a set of lightweights in France)
I guess you could argue front wheel and non drive side rear spokes will be longer as no longer able to straight pull and the rear spoke angle not so good so less stiffness(triangulation)
There was also the issue towards the end of rim brakes and the into of aero brakes where you had hidden brakes that didn't work. Gen 1 propel stock + carbon wheels - the levers were merely a suggestion.....stopped me buying a propel until they brought out the disk model.
Disk frameset are heavier than rim for the time being as manufacturers are having to design a bike that accepts both
Is that really an issue though, I can think of one, maybe two framesets out there that are disc and rim compatible, and they are quite deliberately not at the pointy end, designed as versatile winter frames e.g. Kinesis 4S. The majority are very much disc OR rim.
Anyway, I think we digress here…
Haha, my fault, that argument is like a sore tooth for me, can never resist prodding it. I think I'm hoping one day somebody will come up with a solution to squealing discs that I HAVEN'T tried and then I can finally jump on the bandwagon!
My Cannondale CAAD12 105 with saddle, seatpost and bars swapped out, ~1600g wheels and tubeless tyres weighs ~7.3kg.
This sounds very light. Is it disc or rim brake? My Caad12 105 disc with Hunt wheels on (1550g I think) was very much the wrong side of 8kgs. It’s now wearing a lighter saddle and Ultegra di2 but doubt it’s down to 8kgs still. At some point I might get some better wheels for it to shave some more weight / get a bit more aero - but think I’d also need to go for carbon post / bars / stem to get below 8kgs.
The quicker rim brakes are forgotten about the better disk frames will be.
Yeah, MTB went through a similar phase in early 2000's where frames had disc and canti mounts, optimised for neither.
The idea now of buying a quality MTB frame with canti mounts is laughable!
A bit like disk brakes have gained 10% more power every year since the 90’s, yet I still remember my C2’s having by far the most power and solid lever feel.
Take off the rose specs.
They were good in the day. In recent back to back tests with tech 3 e4s showed them to be very solid ......ie wooden levers and very grabby giving a feel of lots of power but actually very lacking in over all stopping power ......and let's not forget the amount of front piston seals we would cook in a weekend of racing at fort William
Hard to know exactly which it is, what with the confusion of bike model years, but this review from 2014 suggests 9.5kg. Today’s AL2 will cost you £600 and weigh just the wrong side of 10kg and, if buying another one, you’ll be spending a fair old chunk more money before you get down below the weight of your current bike.
That's a surprise! Pre-lockdown I was on the verge of moving to a rideable commute and I was going to justify a new bike on that basis- the Domane to commute on and be a winter bike and a spangly carbon & disc bike for "best".
The need has gone in the current circumstances, but the want is still there!
This sounds very light. Is it disc or rim brake?
If people quote rough weights for their bikes then I tend to assume they haven't actually weighed them so ~7.3kg is probably ~8.3kg in reality.
My rim braked Roubaix with a mix of 105 & Ultegra but with a light saddle, carbon post and fairly light Dura-Ace wheels was 8.2kg when I weighed it (which I'm happy enough with), so I'm a little sceptical of weights in the low 7's for bikes with heavy wheels and 105. Particularly when you see how many of the pro bikes were in the low 7's but with much better wheels and kit.
Haha, my fault, that argument is like a sore tooth for me, can never resist prodding it. I think I’m hoping one day somebody will come up with a solution to squealing discs that I HAVEN’T tried and then I can finally jump on the bandwagon!
Heh, it's cool - we've all been on a group ride and been "that rider" that sounds like a cross-channel ferry manoeuvring in port at every junction.
Best tip I can offer is the blow-torch. Take the pads out, stick 'em on a concrete slab and burn them with fire. Get them good and hot, although be careful not to heat so much that the pad separates from the backing, and you'll burn off the contaminants which IME are a big contributory factor to wailing brakes.
That said, some bikes just like shouting and they can be an absolute arse to sort. There's no question that toeing in rim brakes is a load easier... 😉
I thought it was the norm that even decent road bikes came with crap wheels as roadies would already have a few pairs of wheels already for different types of road racing, is that not the case anymore due to disc hubs and carbon rims?
By world cup I meant a bike which would be at a level where it would be or could be represented in the world tour / conti tour / world champ level. I am sure the Rose is good value, but it is not on that level.
I love the idea of an aero road bike with discs but as I only tend to bimble around the - very rough - back roads of West Lothian. I don't think I'd like reality though of the extra discomfort and extra cost over my Ritchey Logic.
I could be wrong though.
Anyone have experience of riding an aero bike as their only road bike living in the central belt of Scotland?
I love the idea of an aero road bike with discs but as I only tend to bimble around the – very rough – back roads of West Lothian. I don’t think I’d like reality though of the extra discomfort and extra cost over my Ritchey Logic.
I could be wrong though.
Anyone have experience of riding an aero bike as their only road bike living in the central belt of Scotland?
Hey snap! I ride out of Kirkliston so West Lothian is a happy hunting ground.
I've always been given the impression that aero might be faster but are usually stiffer and less comfortable? As such I'd only buy one as an n+1+1+1 time trial bike for the Lang Wang. Otherwise I'm sticking to my 'endurance' bike and just trying to make it as light as possible without compromising comfort, there's some nasty little gradients in those Bathgate Alps! The long time trialish sections that I do ride seem perfectly fine, am occasionally tempted by aero wheels but couldn't afford a set that wouldn't be significantly heavier than my current 30mm deep Fulcrums...