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And the amber wall tyres.
This is a bit better:
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I agree with njee20 - wheels look a bit 'quick, what have we got in the workshop that'll fit'.
(which from what I've read on frame delivery/build time may well have been the case).
I'm no racer but changing my Ribble Sportive frame (admittedly a more relaxed fit) to a Spesh SL2 (in teh sales I might add) the difference was very noticable 🙂
That bottom one looks pretty awesome actually. Looks like a long headtube though.
What would you guys recommend for a decent bike purchase?
Forget the 'first bike/newbie' bike. Something that punches above its price is more the ideal.
well I quite fancy that 2nd N2 P-X there so can you buy that and then sell it to me at 50% of retail after a month?
Only if I bought it at cost price 😉
ooh that PX is nasty.
The BB area looks good but the seatstays are too big where it joins the seattube and the headtube area is 'orrid (IMO)
It's a lot better than many of the new breed of aero road bikes, the Cervelo S5 is utterly gopping!
brant - Member
Bike with 1lb lighter wheels climbs hills quick shocker.
more like better bike costs more shocker...
I've always felt that the wheels make a much bigger difference than the frame both on MTB's and Road bikes. I'd be tempted to go for one of those Planet-X's and stick some really nice wheels on it, C24's or similar....
An aero frame with shallow section wheels? A bit pointless no? Or do you mean a Nanolight?
I'd far rather have those Planet X 50mm deeps than C24s anyway! The Dura Ace C50s are nice though.
"'ve always felt that the wheels make a much bigger difference than the frame both on MTB's and Road bikes."
Geniune question (agree on road bikes) - but on mtb's - really??
Yes tyres (drag, centrifugal weight/spin) but I thought it was only light rims to feel any difference but then you'd compromise strength??
Heh... the N2A with the white turbo, Spinachi's, Suzue hubs and amber wall Grand Bois tyres was Dave (PX Owner's) personal custom semi-piss-take build.
Proper build is the other one as ridden by RoadCC.
Dave was looking at putting green fixie-pops tyres on it at one point.
Bike will take a 26C which we're delighted about 🙂
I've found those Planet X 50's a bit flexy, and stuff like the FFWD's and cheaper Reynolds are heavy, especially the clinchers.
I'm more thinking along the lines of the OP with his PX SL, changing the wheels from Aksiums to something lighter would make a big difference without the need for a new frame. Unless you want to spend mega money on Enve or the higher end Reynolds, you'd be better with a decent shallow section rim on some decent hubs for the same money. Just my opinion of course, and deep section wheels do look much better...
My biggest revelation came when I switched from SPD's to look pedals with some stiff carbon shoes - the difference was massive.
Hora - I can't believe the difference lighter wheels made to my xc bike, best money I've ever spent..
I've found those Planet X 50's a bit flexy
We do a 24 spoke front version for people who find the 20's a bit floppy.
Don't get me wrong Brant, they're a good wheel and I used them (well, the 80/100) on my TT bike. Just found them a bit flexy for crits
I've found those Planet X 50's a bit flexy, and stuff like the FFWD's and cheaper Reynolds are heavy, especially the clinchers.
Well yeah, deep section clinchers are heavy unless you spend silly money! The tub FFWDs aren't heavy though, F4Rs look really good. It's why I'd go tubs, or build on some Alpha rims for clinchers. C24s are nice, but expensive.
"Hora - I can't believe the difference lighter wheels made to my xc bike, best money I've ever spent.."
Which ones etc? I'm currently using Hope Hoops on DT Swiss5.1/EX500
I'm using Tune King/Kong on Stans 355's or whatever they're now called. But I know Njee uses A2Z or whatever they're called and they're meant to be more reliable. Had some Amercian Classic hubs on velocity rims, really light but the hubs were made of cheese and I was forever snapping spokes. Depends on what you want to use them for of course...
Just general trail riding really. I had CK's for almost 7yrs that went through a variety of rims before they eventually gave up.
Personally for the cost the CK's are a bit heavy IMO. Lovely hubs though...
If its trail riding then you're probably best off on what you've got, maybe with some light'ish tyres. But whatever you do, don't get the Crank bros wheels, any of them. Pretty light but utter shit...
I had my first date with a road bike this weekend, having treated myself to this bad girl. Let's call her 'Tina. Quite possibly the most aesthetically pleasing object I've ever owned.
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Had a fantastic ride round most of the Isle of Wight in perfect conditions. As with any first date, and after 20 years of riding flat-barred bikes of one sort or another, I never quite knew what to do with my hands. 😕
Personally for the cost the CK's are a bit heavy IMO. Lovely hubs though...
+1, DT240s on Crests with your choice of spoke would be a very nice set up for all round trail use.
Saying that, as Flange said I've been really impressed with the A2Z hubs, and would certainly use them again! I'm sure there'll be a catch with them, but I've not found it yet! Mine built with Podiums and Revolutions are 1246g with yellow tape and valves. They're quick.
Tina is a pretty little thing, congrats.
You lot ^ quit the mtb talk up there
Sorry sir. 😳
Willier needs proper pedals.
Sorry sir.Willier needs proper pedals.
I know, I've got some of those Shimano SPD ones that look like road pedals for her now.
Don't want to go the whole hog with the disco slippers just yet - I was enough like Bambi on ice on the bike, never mind on foot.
And the Singletrack drinking bottle is a nod to the cognoscenti and a little [i]hommage[/i] to my mountain bike roots.
Rode one of the top of the range Trek OCLV frames when they first came out years ago was about 6k at the time I think (10 odd years ago), just twisted my brain how good it was 😀
I know, I've got some of those Shimano SPD ones that look like road pedals for her now.
You mean touring pedals? A520s maybe? I use them on my road bike in winter so I can use my mtb winter boots.
Rode one of the top of the range Trek OCLV frames when they first came
I've just got a 2012 Madone 5.9 frame, very nice to ride but not as sexy as something Italian I suppose.
Just done my usual 43 mile pre race ride, and compared to my Planet X SL Pro it felt akin to cheating.
So how much faster were you then oldgit? Unless your time for the ride was significantly faster then your old bike at the same level of effort I'd put what you're noticing down to the placebo effect.
I know, I've got some of those Shimano SPD ones that look like road pedals for her now.
But your Wilier is running Campag, how very dare you mix the two in any type, shape or form!!
So how much faster were you then oldgit?
I've thought about this before, if I put a power meter onto various bikes and kept the power constant over the same course on the different bikes then compared the time, that would show how the different bikes compared objectively wouldn't it? But I haven't heard anyone do this so probably wrong.
I have one of those Giant TCR 2's that racefaceec90 mentioned on previous page. Unridden, no pedals with rrp of £1,499. It is next years model as well.
Looking to sell for £1,000 keep meaning to put it on classifieds (somebody let me down!). The groupset is Ultegra / 105 and Giant finishing kit. It is a M/L size for 5'9" to 5'11" people. Email in profile if anybody interested.
But your Wilier is running Campag, how very dare you mix the two in any type, shape or form!!
😳 Campag do pedals?! Could I re-etch the lettering on the pedals to "Cimano" to make them sound a bit more Italian?
A520s, those are the ones I got. Is there anything proper road pedals do that A520s don't do, apart from shave off a trifling few grams?
As regards the "how much faster" debate, I was pretty disappointed how little speed I gained over going out for a spin on my roadrat. I guess if you take the engine out of a Trabant and put it in a Ferrari it's still not going to go much faster than the Trabant ever did.
Rode one of the top of the range Trek OCLV frames when they first came out years ago was about 6k at the time I think (10 odd years ago),
They've been doing OCLV road frames since 1992. I had a 1994 OCLV 150 one, and it was utterly horrible, really really really harsh.
The first of the more crazy ones was the 5900 in 2000, which used OCLV 110, then they did a Madone SSL in 2005 which was OCLV 55, and one in 2006 which was OCLV Boron. Neither were that awesome though - the current generation ones were lighter, you paid a massive premium to have something very rare that saved a very small amount of weight.
Like I say though, I still really like my 2004 one, and despite there being significantly 'sexier' bikes around, I'd have a modern Madone without second thought.
Is there anything proper road pedals do that A520s don't do, apart from shave off a trifling few grams?
Easier to clip in, support the foot better too I think.
Much larger platform, so they're far more stable, which is the biggest advantage of road shoes/pedals.
StefMcDef - MemberIs there anything proper road pedals do that A520s don't do, apart from shave off a trifling few grams?
I think 105 pedals are a similar weight to the A520s, and Ultegra/Dura-Ace aren't much lighter (though your wallet will be).
The A520s do a pretty good IME. The only slight gain with SPD-SLs is that there isn't any play once you are clipped in (my SPDs click a bit as I lift my foot but increasing spring tension helps with this).
Unlike mudshark, I think the road pedals are less easy to clip into and don't appear to offer any more support than the A520s.
I found that with a decent set of road shoes, proper road pedals made a massive difference (as in Look cleat type, as oppose to SPD)
Unlike mudshark, I think the road pedals are less easy to clip into and don't appear to offer any more support than the A520s.
It maybe that I was used to the SPD-SLs I normally use, I think they are weighted at the back and hang down so you flick them up as you put your foot in; I don't remember A520s being as easy but not used them for a while.
They're a much smaller area, so in that respect you'd expect them to be harder. One pair of Keos I have are pretty dead, so they spin really freely - makes clipping in much harder as you never know which way up they'll be.
don't appear to offer any more support than the A520s.
Really? Look at the area of an SPD cleat and an SPD-SL cleat. No more support?
Njee, it must have been a 5900 (not mine) and was amazing at the time as had been riding an Allez up until then hence it felt amazing, not really that much of a road rider then either, just a comment on the huge difference between a 'budget' frame and a V.high end (at the time) one
Yeah I had a 2002 5900, was a lovely bike. I rode it into a car at 35, it laughed that off! Well sort of, the fork wasnt happy about it!
They've always appealed to me far more than Scott, Specialized etc!