[Mr. Hankey]

I am looking for a new roadie. I am planning to get into road racing, as well as ride route 66 beginning to end. I am looking at the new Trek Madone 5.5, and also the Cervelo Soloist Carbon. All the new features of the Madone, integrated bearings, seat mast, tapered headset all sound like steps in the right direction, and I am very interested in this bike, but the Pro fit Madones won't be out for awhile like October 30th witch is after I want to leave. They have a Soloist Carbon I test rode a few weeks back, and I loved it. Fastest bike I have ever been on. It was pure ridding nirvana. The aerodynamics were blatantly apparent, and the advantage was felt. Not to mention it's feathery weight.

I don't understand why Trek doesn't do anything aero. I mean the Madone is an awesome bike, but why not embrace the aero technology? The Madone 5.5 weighs in at 15.5lbs, Soloist Carbon not sure, but damn light. The thing I like about the Trek is 5.5 comes with SRAM Force, made in the USA, and lots of new technology. Cervelo gives me Ultegra, sorry not a Shimano fan. I come from MTB roots. The aero design is simply stunning, and I felt the difference, bike felt awesome. I can get one right now brand new for 3999.95 at LBS. Trek won't be around for a few months, unless I get the Poser, or Performance fit. I like low bars, I understand why Trek made Poser fit, but it is not for me, I wish they released the Pro fit on the same schedule.

So in the end is the Aero advantage of the Soloist worth it? Or should I wait for the Trek, and get the Groupo I want, and the same frame Contador won the tour on, and a not so slippery aerodynamic profile? Either one will be a great bike I am sure. Just having trouble deciding on which to get.

 

[FBTMILF]

You can always buy the Soloist frame and get whatever group you want on it. That would be pretty expensive with wheels, bars, etc. Or you could sell the Ultegra stuff that comes with the Cervelo and use that money to buy another group. That takes a lot of time.

I'd personally go with the Cervelo and ride it with the Ultegra or spend the extra cash and get it with Dura-Ace.

 

[indieboy]

you would be buying the same frame the entire discovery team rode during the tour. none of them were on the top of the line frame b/c it wasn't ready by that point.

 

[OGRipper]

Not many people come back from a test ride and call it "nirvana." Unless you've ridden the Trek and had a similar experience, get the Soloist. As for the group, when you are dropping this much cash you should get what you want, so if needed save a few more bucks and get a Soloist with SRAM.

But as for Trek not wanting to do aero stuff, isn't the new seat mast an aero design?

 

[Mr. Hankey]

Yeah the Madone is about as aerodynamic as a Frieghtliner! LMAO! IDK I need to ride one, and decide.

 

[Mr. Hankey]

I test rode an Orbea with SRAM Rival on it. Now I want SRAM force even more. I still need to ride the Madone. The closest one is 70 miles away, and I have no driver's license anymore. So I need to bum a ride with someone or ride 140miles round trip to try it out. The Orbea I rode was a pile. It was about as aerodynamic as a frieghtliner, it was kinda heavy, and it flexed like mad. The SRAM Rival was a gift from god though. Double Tap is awesome, and the fact you can hold the shifter and ride in sprints is cool. If I do buy the Soloist Carbon, it will be stripped of Ultegra, and swapped to Force.

 

[dhmike]

i'd go with the cervelo . i have no real input to the 2 bikes you want , but i'm just really liking the cervelo's.

 

[Mr. Hankey]

Yes I am liking the Cervelo allot myself. The Soloist Carbon is the same as the SLC SL, except the SLC SL is 200g lighter, and 15% more bottom bracket stiffness (high modulus carbon). This is a little add for the SLC SL, you can really see how all that R&D worked out. It really effectively cheats the wind. It seems almost as big of an advantage as my current roadie is vs. my DH rig on the road.

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=VIDEO_POPUP&SWFFILE=movie_no_logo.swf&VIDEOFILE=aerodynamics-ad.flv&SWFWIDTH=320&SWFHEIGHT=277

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Yeah the Madone is about as aerodynamic as a Frieghtliner! LMAO! IDK I need to ride one, and decide.

I think frame aerodynamics is a bit over-hyped, especially for pack racing. Sure, it'll help in solo breakaways but fit, stiffness, and ride quality should come first. Your body causes much more drag than the bike will, and most differences you'll see with an aero frame are a few seconds in a TT. The aero difference you felt in the test ride could have been the smoothness of the componentry/placebo. What wheels are on the Cervelo?

The 1st Madones were somewhat aero(headtube, seattube), but then lost the seat tube fin when they went to the SL. Now, in the latest incarnation the emphasis seems to be on frame stiffness/power transfer; as is the case with most bikes out there.

I'd wait, ride the Trek, then make a decision. And if you're really worried about aerodynamics, be sure to invest in a nice set of aero wheels and a professional bike fit.

 

[Mr. Hankey]

It could have been the placebo effect. It did seem faster though. The wheels were Ksyrium SLs. IDK what it was, but the Orbea I just rode, felt dog slow. Especially when compared to the Cervelo. I mean my 20 yr old beater that sparked my new passion almost seemed faster, and it flexes like a wet noodle. I guess I just need to try the new Madone out, then drive down the street, and try the Soloist again. I really love SRAM components so the Cervelo must feel allot better to justify all the BS required to switch it all over to Force or dare I say RED! I can switch it all over in 30min, but the cost, and hassle of eGaying the Ultegra garb, is gonna suck.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Ksyriums are quite possibly the most un-aerodynamic wheel made. I love how they do all of the engineering to make it slip through the wind then put Mavic parachutes on it. haha

Well if you pull the trigger on the Cervelo, at least swap out the wheels with a semi deep rim, please

 

[Mr. Hankey]

Ksyriums are quite possibly the most un-aerodynamic wheel made. I love how they do all of the engineering to make it slip through the wind then put Mavic parachutes on it. haha

Well if you pull the trigger on the Cervelo, at least swap out the wheels with a semi deep rim, please

Maybe I'll just pick up a SLC-SL frameset and build it up as I desire. Some Lightweight wheels, titanium brakes, all red components, lightest bar, stem, bottle cages, griptape, I can find, and the 95g SLR. Build a sub 13lbs bike, and when I race put a small weight in the seat tube for weigh ins, and then remove before races.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Maybe I'll just pick up a SLC-SL frameset and build it up as I desire. Some Lightweight wheels, titanium brakes, all red components, lightest bar, stem, bottle cages, griptape, I can find, and the 95g SLR. Build a sub 13lbs bike, and when I race put a small weight in the seat tube for weigh ins, and then remove before races.

Well, unless you're doing UCI sanctioned races, no need to worry about weighing in.

That would be a sick bike. But it would be But go for the SLR C65...tips the scales at around 70-75g.

 

[indieboy]

how bout buying the bike that you feel comfortable on and fits best?

 

[Mr. Hankey]

how bout buying the bike that you feel comfortable on and fits best?

Good luck with that. All the bike shops I go to have the bars cranked all the way up. I can get a feel on them, but still can't tell, until spacers are removed, and sometimes even the stem needs flipped over. Will bike shops do these modifications for you to test ride? I rode both 56 and 54 cm frames they both felt good. Not sure what size I am gonna go with probably 54.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

A good shop will do that for you. If your shop won't adjust the bike for a test ride, shop elsewhere. You're spending a good chunk of change on a bike, and you should get a bike that fits you. Small differences in bike fit are big on a road bike.

 

[Mr. Hankey]

Well I rode...........
a Trek Madone 5.2,

a Cervelo Soloist Carbon,

a Mongoose Bosberg,

a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL today.

I started off with the 'Goose. I will say I was thoroughly impressed for the money. For under 2k a road bike that is feathery light, with Rival components. It was comfortable, it accelerated well, was stiff, but yet smooth, it was even fairly light. For the 2K price tag it was allot of bike. It just didn't measure up to the one I chose, or even feel like it should have been in the same class as them, once I rode the next one.

Next up was the Performance Fit Trek Madone 5.2. I have been salivating over their new technology in this bike for at least a month now. The chance to finally experience it came today. It instantly felt better not sure why. It was substantially stiffer, and I love stiff bikes. I hate Shimano, but this bike had me think twice about writing them off. The stiffness was different too. When in the saddle it appears the seat mast technology actually worked. It was stiff when out of the saddle, but smooth and absorbing in the saddle. Other than that nothing spectacular out of that bike. Everything worked good, and felt good. It felt like it was worth $1500 more.

Next up was my old love I rode about a month ago. The Cervelo Soloist Carbon. Sporting the same old Ultegra, and still working flawlessly. First thing I noticed is the bike is a rocket ship. It was faster than anything I have ever ridden. The acceleration is just so smooth and easy. It clearly would smoke any other bike in a black and white drag race. Now thats all fine and dandy, but how did it ride? It was the stiffest bike of the day, stiffer than the Trek even. That said somehow it was comfortable and smooth enough somehow, post must flex well. I truly love this bike. All those who say the Aerodynamics is over hyped is wrong. Ride a Soloist or a SLC SL, and then tell me that. We had some decent wind gusts today, and I hit one on every bike I rode. It cut through like a knife making it apparent I was on the breakaway king. The only negative thing I say is when I hit bumps it made a weird noise probably just the internal cable routing near the end I though, who give a flying ****, this bike is awesome!

At this point I was baffled. I couldn't understand how the Trek that won the Tour, and all it's new technology was giving up, and rolling over to the Canadians, with a seat post, a 1 1/8" headset, and a bottom bracket. I felt like the memories of my mother shopping for clothes as a child. She would always spend 2hrs looking at stuff, and buy the first thing. So I said to hell with it. I found the best most expensive Specialized on the property.

I found the S-Works Tarmac SL. Now I felt like I was on something similar to the Trek it was truly inspired with new technology. Their radical hub design, their awesome crankset, and hell all the S brand components were awesome. I did notice it was heavier than the Cervelo when I picked it up. It also featured SRAM Force. The groupo I had salivated over almost as much as the TREK, and it's new technology. It worked awesome too. The SRAM Force is "THE GROUPO" in my mind. The bike was as stiff, and as comfortable as anything else I rode that day, I mean I tested some of the crem de la crem. The bike was awesome it really was, but when the ride was over the Cervelo on sale for almost half of the price of the Tarmac still felt, and rode better. I was baffled, I never experienced such a thing. Usually from what I have seen more money means better, but not today.

The others just felt like they were lacking something. They didn't have that breakneck acceleration found on the Cervelo. I don't know what causes this acceleration other than the super beef bottom bracket area transferring all the power to the ground. Or is it, the aerodynamics making the most of every pedal stroke. Or it could be that it seemed to weigh the least of all those tested. I don't know what it was, but I did test another bike with the same components, and it was faster, and rode better. It must be the frame. I don't know how else to end this post other than saying if you ever have the luxury of owning a Cervelo Soloist Carbon, or SLC-SL, buy it there will be no buyer's remorse.

No the question arises so did I come home with the Soloist. The answer is no. I am not sure if I am going to build one from scratch or what. I loved the Force group, and I really want it bad! Although the Shimano crap I used wasn't the crap I was accustomed to from my mountain days. So now I am deciding to build or buy......