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Cervelo, Boardman or Specialized - need help!
benjy706
Posts: 2
I've been trawling round my local bike shops and the Internet looking for a first TT bike. I'm looking to spend about ??2500 and my options haver come down to: Specialized Shiv Expert 2013 Cervelo P2 2014 Boardman Air tt 9.0 I'm definitely looking for a bike for tris rather than one aimed more specifically at time trialers. I'm quite a big guy: 6'2 and 89 kilos and not surprisingly not that flexible. I will of course have a proper bike fit done when I make my purchase. I'd be really grateful for any advice.
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can you find a place that will spend some time with you to find out which frame will fit you best? getting a fit after the event is great, but sometimes there are limits on what a fit can do.
i suppose the bottom line is which do you like best (colour, style). at a certain level that's all there is...
what sort of racing are you looking to do on it? long/short can make a big difference to the sort of frame/fit that you are looking for.
From what I've read there's not much between the frames, the specialized is ultra, the p2 105s and the boardman is a mix match.
Looks wise i'm leaning toward the p2 or Specialized. But it's a lot of money and I'm keen not to make a poor choice.
Chrissy Wellington won Ironman Kona on a P2!! Boardman bikes are supposed to be excellent value and you get great kit on them. For me it would always be a Cervelo but that is obviously because I am a bike snob and it is my dream bike!!
as an inverted snob i find cevelo's just so... meh. they're painfully ubiquitous in transition areas - them and bloody zipp wheels. overtaking p5's with zipps makes me assume that the owners have more money than sense or imagination!
don't get me wrong - i'd love to own them, they're better than anything in my garage/hallway/living room! but if i had the money i think i'd probably buy something a little more interesting - neil pryde, blue. sommet like that.
i think that all things being equal, and the fit is the key bit, i'd go for the one that makes you want to go out and ride with a smile on your face - even with a headwind in both directions.
nice choice to have to make!!!
I had a similar dilemma earlier in the year. Have you had a look at Felt bikes? They have some great looking kit that can be got at a good price. I bought an AR5 (aero road bike rather than TT bike I know) and have been really pleased with it. Paired with some Cosmic Carbone's and a bike fit I've had PB' sat both races I've done this year!!
enjoy the dilemma and the purchasing process, it's half the fun!!
Get your flexibility sorted, its a huge difference for bike handling and aero dynamics. Then I would try the bikes, find out which one suits you.
£2500?
Planet X.
End of discussion!
I agree with msx98 ,i got a PX Exocet2 with full dura-ace and 82/101 wheels for £2200 (should have been £2500) back in Jan and i am over the moon with it ,it was on the clearance section of the website someone had had it fitted then changed there mind so it had never even left the shop ,probably wouldnt choose the deep msection wheels though as they are scary in the wind ,did Bala middle last weekend and was sh**ing myself going down hills!
The exocet has about 5" tubes and forks, all I have to say is enjoy the X wind. sorry look at ADR, Dolan, Triton, Canyon, just to name a few
Think Benji wanted advice on 3 models not what TT bike manufacturer everyone recomends.
Best bet Benji research and find one that you like, all companies specify what resins, types of weave, they want on their bikes, and these behave differently. They also specify geometry and width's. Cannondale frames are a thinner diameter overall whilst others have razor sharp frontage and wider edges. Bike aerodynamics involves your mass and riding position as well.
The information is out their Wind tunnel research and effects on rider.
Sorry this is no help, but it is better than my bike is better than your bike. This company is better at this price etc.
BTW LBS should let you ride the bike and compare it without the hastle of couriers and usage arguments
Please god dont go for a PX. For your money, as rightly stated by yourself, you can get a bike from a proper manufacturer that develops bikes themselves rather than a drop shipper from alibaba.com that sticks grey import groupsets on a bike and badges them up as their own.
Spesh, Cervelo etc all good. Do take a look at the Felt DA as at £2400 with ultegra it is newer than the p2 by a long way and lighter and better handling than the Spesh (having ridden both). The Boardman is, in my opinion, a mid point between the PX's of this world and the established brands.
I have always liked Cannondale bikes, their Tri bikes are "older" technology but still good enough for a couple of IM Hawaii wins under Chrissie, their Ultegra equipped bike would leave you with £500 for some nice wheels
choices choices
Oh and if you go for a Cannondale, Trek, Scott look at Pedalon.co.uk for that money you can get a load of free extras such as a Garmin 510, shoes helmet etc
I would have serious doubts on spending £2500 on a P2 and getting a 105 groupset... I went for an prestigous Italian bike as my entry level road bike and I sort of wish I'd spent the same money but got a better group set from a less glam manufacturer - the amount of time I have spent tickering to get it running smoothly is simply not worth it for the benefit of a swanky Italian name.
my advice would be to get the bike fit first and see what bike geometry suits your body better. I have the Shiv Comp 2013 with SRAM components and its never worked properly. No prob ever with Shimano. Im sure all 3 bikes will do you fine but get fitted first.