Does this bike exist?
 

First, I have to acknowledge that this post is, in part, a rant and, in part, a desire to find a bike I can have a long-term loving relationship with. I will also acknowledge that I'm an early adopter when it comes to bike technology and that, more and more frequently these days, that means I end up with negative product experiences. And I still remember the days when you could buy a bike, get it fit, and never ever have to have it fixed. Unless you had a bad crash, the only "service" items were replacing tires, tubes, and chains when they wore out. Completely reliable and unquestionably fast. [My newest BMC SLR01 has had me back to the dealer for four (4) warranty claims. All of them for unnecessary "innovations" that don't work as well as traditional technologies even when they're working right.] Hence my question.

I would love to have a bike that provides (or excludes) all the following:

• Carbon frameset, total bike weight of 16.5 pounds or less.
• Di2 shifting, internally routed but NOT routed through the stem/steerer tube.
• Disc brakes & 12mm thru axles.
• THREADED bottom bracket. Ideally T47, but I would accept English.
• Conventional seat post clamp (not integrated, not concealed, not a "wedge" type).
• A conventional steerer tube / stem combination for max adjustability and component interchangeability. No, I don't want "aero" spacers. Give me the old fashioned round kind so I can set up the bike LOW for triathlons and back up normal for the road.
• 2-bolt seatpost for easy adjustment.
• No suspension, flex zones, isospeed, springs, elastomers.
• Reputable manufacturer with support to back it up.

This is a serious question: Does that bike exist in a new bike showroom? What is it? [I'll sell my BMC in a heartbeat and buy one!]

Closest you'll get is a cyclocross superbike. Like Superx, Crux s-works, etc.....For your seat requirement, 2015 is probably how far back you'd have to get that.

However, all those seem to not have the seatpost and none will ever have a threaded BB. Convert the BB yourself, just going to have to get over that idea. Otherwise, pretty sure the Giant TCX's in Di2 are a two bolt seat.

Then swap the chainrings for road size rings and swap out the tires or wheelset.

That's a big ask, but about as close as you can get.

No bike is perfect. That's why you get more than one.

It's not possible. Oh, you can glue an adapter in there that has threads, but it's still a press-fit glued interface. The creaky part remains long after the adapter is glued in.

And an S-Works cross bike? OSBB . . . more proprietary crap. If you want to find the problem areas / limiters in the major manufacturers' bikes, look for the "proprietary" pieces.

Have you tried products like the Praxis conversion BBs?

Exactly. They exist. I see no glue involved in these directions, for example.

https://praxiscycles.com/wp-content/...PF30.REVB_.pdf

Check out the Allied Alfa Disk. It looks like it checks off all of your boxes, except for maybe the convential seat post clamp.


EDIT: Looks like Tace Bikes is a dealer if you are around Nashville/Franklin.

You might have to give up carbon and go back to Ti;)

I'm using Enduro / Wheels Mfg. bottom brackets. Much better than a straight up glue-in PF30. They last longer than a conventional press-fit without creaking, but are still not as trouble free as a good threaded BB.

Allied looked hopeful until I saw that they, too, have jumped on the hidden wedge seat post clamp bandwagon. Please make it stop! Don't fix what isn't broken and has no need for improvement!!

Hidden wedge seat post clamps are the BB30 of the late 2010's. Take a simple, inexpensive, perfectly reliable device (the traditional seat post clamp) and introduce problems for no apparent reason . . . another reason to get angry and take your bike back to the dealer. Genius!

I've never had issues with wedge seatpost clamps, but then I've always been meticulous about putting grease where it belongs and carbon paste where it belongs (and just enough of each). Used to work at a Giant dealer, and as far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with the Giant clamps when they're set up properly.

But of a fiddle though.

If you read this forum much, you know that it's a common problem across several brands, even when set up perfectly. And as you say, even with my current so-far-properly-functioning wedge seatpost clamp, you've got to fiddle with it periodically.

With traditional clamps, you didn't have to do that. And wedge type clamps offer zero benefit in exchange, other than styling. Form over function.

The manufacturer marketing departments actually make themselves the enemies of their customers.

I think more than anything, the seat post clamp will kill your ability to find what you are looking for.

My small collection will attest to that.

Depending on your definition of "reputable manufacturer" (does that mean "large and mainstream"?), the Argonaut Road Disc checks all those boxes.

Also, Trek appears to be moving to a (variant of) T47. If so, an updated Emonda might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Rolleyes.gif

Build up one of the Sarto disk framesets?