Home Chat General Chat

after a long break hello again...!

after a looong break, hello again my fellow triholics!
oh it has been quite some time since i was last here and i am glad to see some familiar names ...hello and hello to all the new ones too!
after lots of trials and tribulations (i shall not bore you with the details) here i am again, older (not wiser obviously) a lot unfitter and with an olympic in sight!
training started slowly and since it has always been a lonely experience for me (everyone around me thinks i am a mad masochist) i thought i should seek the good company of other fellow mad masochists
with my greetings i also bring a link of a very very, dirty, filthy, disgusting piece of bike porn that i have just ordered for a test ride and i look forward to putting my hands on...however i would much appreciate your expert opinions for this baby does not come cheap....- is it as good as it looks or is just that >>> looks?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/quintana-roo/cd01-dura-ace-di2-2012-triathlon-bike-ec034631
thank you all!
eve

Comments

  • coolasbeanscoolasbeans Posts: 26
    I know little about bikes, so will let others respond.

    Nice post made me laugh, with a budget like that you must be good!

    Let me know which events you enter so I can see you on the podium LOL
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Hi - long time

    What a beast!

    You must post pics

    Nice to see you back
  • sportevesporteve Posts: 141
    thank you coolasbeans but you assume wrong! i am actually bad! really, really bad ...so desperately bad that most propably the subconcious track of thinking was: 'if i cannot turn heads with my outstanding performance let me at least turn them with my kit!'

    this is why i desperately need advice guys not only on the bike but also on me and the bike --->>>
    how bad is on a scale of 1-10 a really bad cyclist on really good bike? does it help you save face or does it make you look rediculous?

    zacnici... what has happened? just: 'what a beast!'???? no more comments? have you gone all soft in yer ol' age?
    i need critisism my people...bad if possible...i need you to tell me this ugly monster stinks and it's good for nothing ...i need you to tear me away from him because i am test riding him tomorrow and i have a feeling i wont be able to resist taking him home ......i have already been thinking about where he would sleep ...(in bed with me obviously) ... i knew that bike porn was bad ...now i know it can destroy your life ...is there a BPAA (BikePornAholicsAnonumous)?
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    OK you asked for it

    It is filthy and disgusting s/he will beguile and entice you, demand faster/harder/longer and just as you have given your all will demand even more, then when finished will demand total care and attention and nothing but the finest (most expensive) accessories.

    If you get a really good bike yes performance will improve but that may lull you into thinking you are doing OK. You can do better through training whether it is through TT's, weights, long rides etc. The combination of better and smarter training with a snot hot bike = better times.

    Cracking bike, the reality check is are you up to the task?

    The Roo is a fine bike - reality checks:
    DI, do you really need that? Pretty cosmic but will you get the benfit from it?
    Evans have the CD0.1 for £1999, blurb says Shimano R500 wheels but Reynolds on picture

    My own thoughts are base bike OK
    I would go for compact over standard and unless you have a long inseam I would go for 165mm cranks, 170 tops http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/b ... _calc.html

    So good carbon frame, compact chainset, 165 cranks
    Have a look at this http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... 4#features
    Has about 90% of the features of the SC9.0
    Surplus cash then on some top notch wheels http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/b ... els-31023/
    How about some HED Stinger 6 Tubs?

    That would give v savvy bike, tasty wheels which are not too in your face
  • gavinphezgavinphez Posts: 3
    Many years ago our founder was lucky enough to be sponsored. He rode a Giant TCR with Kysrium Elites, nothing to flash. Having past a number of age-groupers on super flashy kit and clearly not up to riding their bikes very often (nor very fast) he wished he had one of those too and wondered how much quicker he might go.

    Move on 16years. Our founder is now one of those flashy bike no go riders, the difference is now he can afford to buy his own kit.

    Fill your boots, life is to short to worry about what others think, because actually what their thinking is - I wish I had that!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    EC - Yep know where you're coming from, I am a mid ranker but had a yearning for the red/silver P2C. Used the excuse of going long in 2010/won £1k on premium bonds/divorce to get my dream red/silver P2C frame and at a knockdown price saving £400 as it was the previous season's colour.

    [attachment=0:1kchmj93]Shakti.jpg[/attachment:1kchmj93]

    I support anyone who wants to buy their dream bike but was asked to chuck in a reality check and hope I've been even handed. If Eve gets the Roo, fantatstic, if she decides to get something else then quite happy to offer suggestion if asked. But yes fully agree, only here once and why not
  • sportevesporteve Posts: 141
    ok guys this is what happened - when i went to the shop to test ride the bike instead of the reynolds wheels it has on the pic it had some other shimano ones plain aloy - they apologized for the misleading info ect and the guy just came back to me offering the bike at its original price but with zipp 404;s on plus a womens selle italia sadle because i hated the one it had on plus some keo pedals - all in the price of 5k
    apparently these zipps retail for 2k the set - does this sound like a good offer?
    problem is i got till saturday latest to decide
    opinions not just welcome - desperately needed! thank you all!
    e
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    OK
    Zipp 404 Firecrest tubs £1700 for the pair - make sure 2012 Firecrest
    DA DI2 Tri/TT setup as far as I can see about £2k

    So the wheels and DI2 about £3.7k so £1.3k for the frame cockpit etc

    Result hot snot bike that will be competitive and last many a year.

    Alternatives
    QR CD0.1 Ultegra £1999, Zipp 404s £1700 total £3699
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    So decision day today

    Buy the dream bike with hot wheels
    The whole package should see an improvement in performance ... but ... if you are weak on bike a Compact setup may suit you better. If you are unable to sustain a 53/11 and drop down to 53/12 but can sustain 50/11 a compact would suit you better as a 50/11 is bigger than a 53/12
    or
    An alternative top notch bike:
    QR CD0.1 Ultegra £1999, Zipp 404s £1700 total £3699
    Felt DA4 £2319, Zipp 404s £1700 total £4019 Excellent Vision Compact setup http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _Bike_2012
    Trek SC 7.2 £2499, Zipp 404s £1700 total £4199 SRAM Compact - Highly recommended on the 'other' forum http://www.btownbikes.com/products.php? ... b&vid=8395
  • sportevesporteve Posts: 141
    hi zacnici, thank you so much for all the brill and sound advice! sense won after all and decided not to go with this bike...it looks amazing and it would for sure turn a few heads but it is too much for someone at my level, i would hardly do it justice since i am not at that level where shaving off seconds would make a difference...so with a heavy heart i shall say goodbye to him at least for now ...
    i shall wait to see if i can get me set up more comfortably on my existing carbon bianchi c2c and if not i will sell it and go for a tri specific but entry level...at which point i will look at all the input you have given me...thank you again for your time and help!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    No probs, I am happy either way but I think that more 'bang for the buck' can be gained with the alternatives e.g. a Felt DA4 with say Planet X Guru R50's http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPP ... ___tubular about £2750 would be an absolutely awesome bike (and pretty flowers as well!)

    Also glad to help
  • sportevesporteve Posts: 141
    this makes me sound very superficial but i wouldn't go for the trek because i really do not like its colour scheme - the felt is the one i had a look at and would consider as i would some lower price QR's including the urtegra
    one reason i liked the CD0.1 DI2 was that is has electronic gears that you can find both on the handle bars and also on the aerobars - ok my race wont be on very hilly ground but i think i would have felt more at ease if i knew i can have both gears and breaks at the same place - but obviously this is a spec that comes on very expensive bikes
    thank you also for all your input on the cranks - i had never considered this factor
    like i mention before lets see if there is anything that can be done with the existing bike - although there is a part of me that wants to give in to porn!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    I know what you mean about the colour scheme and dare say that runs true for most of us

    I saw the 2009 red/silver Cervelo P2C and absolutely made up when I bought the frame in 2010 with £400 knocked off.

    So keep your eyes open and you will pick up the bike that has the wow factor and at a bargain price.

    Re DI2 - Cool - seriously thinking about DI Ultegra if I change my bike with the shifters on both the bars and hoods. There are only one set of brake levers though but don't worry with practice the conventional non DI setup becomes second nature, it just clicks.

    Seriously suggest that you get a compact, and cranks no more than 170mm. I have short legs, 29" inseam, and have 165 and 170s. Compact so flexible for you, 34 for V hilly, 36 for mixed and 39 for level/undulating. Only takes a few minutes to swap over. Nice cassette is the SRAM 11-28

    Wheels; PX R50s/Guru 50s £399, light (lighter than the normal PX50s) and good rep. I have the R50s. They are light for climbing, aero for speed and don't break the bank, couple them with Continental Competition tubs 21 front 25 rear.
    If I upgrade thinking of the Zipp 404 front 808 rear
  • sportevesporteve Posts: 141
    hi zacnici, sorry it took me ages to get back, been a pretty busy jubilee weekend!
    i am glad that i am not the only superficial person around and colours etc matter to everyone! - actually funny thing i noticed the higher end the product the better the colour scheme - it is the same with wetsuits etc ...it is like they say: 'well if you haven't got the money to spend on our high end products then you deserve to look like an idiot in our cheap ones!'
    ...and dont start me on the womens bikes! i wouldn't buy one of those atrocities even if i found one that fitted like a glove...i mean bar barbie and jordan how many women out there are surrounded by pink objects?
    continuing ...i did try to educate myself on the compact gearing you mention but still due to my cluelessness it remains a very grey area for me - somewhere between cassettes and chainrings and what their sizing numbers mean i am loosing the plot ...sorry ...
    did i mention i am racing london? if i remember correctly from last time it is almost as flat as a pan with some very slight uphills - i also live in london so i won't be doing challenging hill climbing in my training
    now for wheels - i was looking at PX as well but then i read the comments of someone on here who said that the quality of carbon and their make is really bad and low standard and so i changed my mind ....
    i am having my first face to face catch up with my coach this friday so i will see what she thinks fitwise about my bike - if it is a keep i will need to be looking at upgrades on it - if not, i shall be looking at a new bike ...watch this space
    thanks once again
    eve
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Re Compact and Standard (or Double)

    Have a peruse of these
    compact-or-double-t49153.html?hilit=compact

    And this one where we had a chat about gearing
    gearing-triple-double-or-compact-t47459.html?hilit=compact

    Summary, unless you are a good powerful rider steer clear of a a Standard 53/39 and go for a Compact, they usually come in 50/34 but 50/36 is probably best and 50/39 for flat courses

    Crank length, short legs - 165mm no more than 170mm
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Oh and re wheels

    I have the Planet X R50's http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPP ... ace_wheels I paid £550 for them when they came out byt PX having a big sale on and can be had for £350 - bargain. Nice and light, lighter than the standard PX 50 wheels, soak up the bumps and lumps nicely, much smoother than alloy wheels and not too bad in the wind.
Sign In or Register to comment.