Home Chat General Chat

Is there an error in my plan?..

Happy New year to everybody!

Done my first run of the new year in loverly sunshine with a bitting wind in my face!

My story at the minute is this.. the GAT officer has kindly and generously (although this might come back to haunt me!!) pledged £1500 to me as a Christmas/30th Birthday present. I am sure that some of you may be shouting at the screen saying 'Dont do it, its a trick!' but i am willing to take my chances!
The obvious question is what TT bike do i get. Well i have gone through previous forumn, especially the one stated by my fellow club mate Gun for Hire, and get just as confused as he did.
Planet X are no longer offering the Stealth Build for that super low price so that out and most of the carbon bikes on sale on Wiggle are ok, ie QRoo Tequilo and the odd Alu Felt.

My plan at the minute is to purchase the Focus Culebro Tria at £877 and then buy a Planet X Stealth Frame and put all the bits from the Focus onto the PX and either keep the frame or sell on ebay.
I have done some costing and the differences are about £100 between that and purchasing individual bits from various place, but thats not taking into account that price may go up after New Year and when VAT goes up again. So 6 of 1 really.
I have to admit i am a bit shallow and into looks and like the look of the Focus Culebro tria and the Felt S22 but they are not Carbon, and as we all know thats a whole new thread....

Bradster

Comments

  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    No you must take the money - sell your soul if you must but you need stuff!!

    Excellent plan of action and is in fact my plan as well . The Focus is well specced, I have the Izalco. Costed it out for the components alone compared to the price I paid for the bike and the frame was essentially free.

    If - well - when I upgrade to a carbon frame I can swap over most of the components over and sell the frame so that someone can then swap over their road bike bits and have an entry level/competent tri bike.
  • go for the carbon first as you'll only end up doing later any way.
    also swapping the components over may seem a good idea if you have all the tools,
    having built a bike last year you may end up spending a small fortune on tools.
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    TooMuchTrifle - agreed if going for it carbon would be better but IMHO a decent alu frame is better than a cheap carbon and at £900 the component price alone wouldn't be far shy of the Focus complete bike price. I am not aware of a decent carbon Tri bike for £1,500 unless Bradster a 51 frame suits in which case how about an Orbea Ora - luvvverly http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/114523.html
    The extra £600 can be banked as GAT goodwill or for the later/inevitable expenditure.

    Bradster, you will easily get a couple of seasons from the Focus and IMHO is worth sticking with. I am only planning to go carbon as I have entered the Outlaw and a carbon frame and wheels will be more comfortable over the 180Km (and hopefully a few minutes faster). If I wasn't planning to go long then the Focus would be my steed of choice for much longer.

    The Focus has a decent frame, rave reviews, well specced and if maintained the components are swappable and something that I plan to do with my Izalco. LBS quoted £100 for the build which if you look at it as also a service included then that for me is decent value and something I would prefer to trust them to do rather than buy the tools (for probably the same price) and for me to make a bodge of it.
  • Thanks Guys, both make valid points. Zacnici your advice is sound. I dont plan on doing any thing longer than OD at the minute with maybe a half IM next year.
    So saying all that The Focus has been ordered! Should be with me for next week. I think i will give her a go for a year and see how it goes. I want to do a few TT''s this year as part of my training, so i will have a good iea before i go carbon. Needless to say the GAT office is abit relieved, but there are beter wheels to consider!
    One thing i did do, was check this morning, photo's from various club events i did this year and have a look at what bikes the guys who are a bit better than me have. Most are decent road bikes with clip-on's and better aero wheels! Sad i know but that just proves its the rider that makes the bigger difference!
    Dont want to have a Lambo with a Mondeo engine!!

    Brad
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Quite true about the engine - but - aeroydynmic efficiency benefits lesser mortals more than it does for the elites. So going for the most aero position possible along with an efficient bike geometry is the way forward, and don't forget your pointy hat. A normal road helmet creates 4 times more drag than a £2,000 set of aero wheels.

    The Focus will be great for OD (and up to 70.3 from what I have been told, not done one myself) I would not be contemplating a reframe if it wasn't for the Outlaw distance. I love my Izalco and yes I have been passed by people on road bikes but I have also passed many more who were on road bikes and even a few on tri bikes . The tri aerodynamic efficiency and geometry has clearly proved its worth to me. My first posting is co-incidently about the Focus the-old-question-which-bike-etc-t14316-10.html

    Wise choice, you won't regret it - but practice in the park first as the position takes some getting used to and coming off on grass is preferable to coming off onto tarmac.
  • Hi Conehead,

    I have PMed you. May have gone through twice, problems with wireless broadband.
  • zacini, if you check out the Bike Porn,you'll see my Orbea Ora,
    frame picked up for alot less than £1500,
    top frame, pound for pound!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    TooMuchTrifle, the link I found was for the whole bike - but only the one and that's in a 51. I do like the Ora though - style - and you went for blue rather than red - you little rebel you.

    Bradster - let us know how you get on with the Focus, i am sure you will love it, it is well specced and has very positive reviews. I've had mine 2 years now and just so pleased with it. My road bike is a Giant SCR 2 and it was a quantum leap going from that to the Focus.

    By the way - and off topic - anyone tried the Halfords carbon tri bike for under a grand?
Sign In or Register to comment.