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New TT Bike

Thinking of investing in a TT bike after this season. Looking at Felt B12 or B2, Specialized Transition (maybe expert) or possibly a Cannondale Slice. Anyone got any experience of these and any preferences. Im lost in a world of conflicting reviews and am not sure. I know the bike that fits the best is the clear winner but I haven't got as far as test riding any yet. So any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Comments

  • Go for the Argon 18. You can get a pretty good build for £3,000.

    I was looking at all those bikes but decided to buy the Argon 18 E-112 frame and im going to build it up over the winter. Reckon it will cost about £3,500
  • wyno70wyno70 Posts: 189
    I have just got a Felt B2R (2009). It's a stunning bike and seriously fast. I love it.

    If you are looking for one and know your size have a look at Wiggle as they've currently got some great deals, i.e. the 2009 B2 is cheaper than the 2010 B12. Also the 2010 B2 is horrible unless you like Orange! (B12 2010 is black).

    I think the main difference between the B2 and the B2R is that the R comes SRAM Red equipped, rather than Dura Ace. The original price difference was £250, however they're now £450 different, so the standard B2 looks like the better buy unless you desperately want SRAM.

    I managed to get mine for £1800 so even better!!!

    Good luck.
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    The Felt/Specialized will feel like a quantum leap for most people (in my own case it was going from a Giant SCR2 to a humble Focus Izalco)

    Once you progress from this point then serious bucks are required to get a similar quantum leap (well of sorts), It's all diminishing returns. Now that is not meant to sound depressing but rather a note of encouragement. As the previous posters have said they will 'do the business' they will do so affordably and have you grinning through many a race.

    Either of those will go like s### off a shovel, so do lots of research, ask lots of questions, get your components sorted, wheels etc. Look for the raw data rather than the 'fashion' and you will get yourself a sound bike that will give you miles of satisfaction and will need little tweeking and expenditure in the future.
  • Fox5Fox5 Posts: 21
    Thanks for the input guys, very helpful. Since the original post I've spoken to several LBS who are specialized dealers among others. All seem very keen to discount the transition without even being asked about a deal. I've been offered 10% off any transition and when I spoke to another shop offered the expert for £1999.00....thats £400 off a 2010 bike!! All this has got me thinking a little, the specialized team now all seem to be riding the shiv, Macca rode it this year at Kona and according to the specialized website it will be available in very limited numbers for 09/10. This would seem to me they have all but given up on the transition and given the enthusiasm of LBS to discount is the transition going to be discontinued and replaced by the shiv?? Also if this is the case is it likely we will see loads of transitions severley discounted come next year??? The last thing I want to do is buy a bike now and see it discontinued and massively discounted in a years time. Also I was told due to specialized over advertising when the new carbon transition was released they could not fulfill the huge amount of orders generated so they had to put back the project for a year so the '10 bike is essentially an 09 bike and the 09 bike is essentially an 08 bike and so on. Don't know if anybody else has heard or thought this, but would be great to hear what you guys think.
  • huwdhuwd Posts: 228
    I might be wrong but I think the transition still has it's place in the lineup whilst the shiv will be a high-end/low-production spec to replace the s-works transition at the top end
  • Fox5Fox5 Posts: 21
    Oh damn now Planet X have joined the party. How am I ever going to decide. aaaaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhhh
  • easy - you'll lose a Planet X among all the others in transition!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    It's just like computers, you pay top whack for the topmost spec machine then in 9 months time the boxes are piled up in the shops being used as door stops. There is very little difference in most cases between an 09 and a 10 model except for cosmetic bling.

    OK the manufacturer may gush about aero this, weight that and wind tunnel the other but in the majority of cases and for the majority of mere mortals the difference in speed is about the equivalant of having a good fart.

    Keep an eye for the deal, when it comes along grab it - if you save £400 that's £400 for a decent set of wheels, the fave on the forum at the moment for that price seems to be American Classic 420s.
  • Fox5Fox5 Posts: 21
    I take it you don't think much of the Roval Fusee Star wheels?! on the specialized.....
  • Fox5 - where do you live ?

    Area wise ?
  • Fox5Fox5 Posts: 21
    I'm in Cornwall.
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Fox5, have no opinions on the Roval Fusee Star wheels on the Specialized as I have not given an opinion as to which bike would be best. What I am saying is that the difference in many cases between an 09 and 10 model of whatever maufacturer is generally cosmetic and a bit of 'aero sculpturing' which in the real world is unlikely to make a heap of difference. If one can save £400 by getting an 09 model over a 10, then my thoughts would be to grab that bargain and plough that saving into an area that will bring real benefits which in many instances are the wheels. Most reviews of bikes I have read usually include a phrase like 'now if you then swapped out the standard wheels for a set of XYZs ...' and it seems to me that manufacturers just assume the wheels they supply are going to be swapped out either immediately or at some time in the future.

    I referrred to the AM420s as they seem to be highly regarded on the forum although I have no experience of them myself.

    Perhaps I should have clarified some options regardless of which bike is sleected.
    1 Keep the standards, pocket the £400 saving or spend on tyres, aero bottles etc.
    2. Sell the standards, get a set like the AM420s or whatever, lots of opinions here, and pocket the difference or spend on tyres, aero bottles etc.
    3. Sell the standards add the proceeds to the £400 savings and get an absolutely cracking set of wheels.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    Fox5 wrote:
    I take it you don't think much of the Roval Fusee Star wheels?! on the specialized.....
    there's a review of the spesh transition expert 09 at bikeradar and the overall summary could be 'great bike, crap wheels', but if you want to read it for yourself then it is here. the suggestion that a £2.5k bike would be improved with aksiums (cost maybe £250 or so a pair) just demonstrates to me quite how piss poor those wheels could be.
  • wyno70wyno70 Posts: 189
    I keep banging on about the Felt and of course I'm going to as I've just got it and love it. It comes equipped with Felt TTR 2 wheels which I guess unless you ride a Felt you probably won't have experienced.

    General consensus is that this is a top notch set of wheels, indeed some reviews state that people have 'upgraded' them to a more conventional aero wheel and gone back to the Felts. One fella indeed proclaimed them better than the Zipps he'd put on it.

    Now clearly, some people just want to be seen with Zipp wheels on their bike and if you're one of them, then nothing else is going to turn your head.

    However, if your looking for an all in factory package that comes well equipped throughput the spec, then it's definately worth a squint!
  • Fox5Fox5 Posts: 21
    wyno70, did you get your B2R from Wiggle and if you how did you get it for £1800? Thats a hell of a deal and would seriously consider one of those. The list sale price I get for last years B2R is £2400.
  • wyno70wyno70 Posts: 189
    It is a wiggle bike, which a mate paid £2400 for 6 weeks ago. He's since had a recurrence of a knee injury which means he's out for a year. I offered him £1800 and to my amazement he accepted! Happy days.

    To be honest the standard B2 comes in at £1950 and is pretty much Dura Ace equipped and with the same rims, so is still a stunning deal. I tried to get more discount from Wiggle as I was about to buy this bike, until my mates injury but they weren't having it.

    I got lucky!!
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