guadzilla

Bang for the buck - not so much, really. I am upgrading after a long time, and want a bike that puts a big grin on my face and motivates me to get out and ride more - I am under no misapprehensions that this bike will make me any noticeably faster than a cheaper bike. So it isnt a perfectly rational purchase (although i did eliminate the Red/Dura Ace trims as not being worth it).

Here's a re-cap of my elimination process:

- Ridley Noah Fast: I've only owned Ridley carbon bikes: a Damocles (my second road bike ever, which i still have), an Excalibur (their endurance trim, which I sold) and an X-Fire (which i am in the process of selling). The Noah Fast hit all the buttons - aero, red/black, good value, but i just wanted something different

- Most other brands: rightly or wrongly, I feel that the most cutting edge R&D on aero bikes is being done by the big boys (Spesh, Trek, Giant, etc). So i felt more comfortable getting an aero bike from one of these brands.

- Canyon Aeroroad Alphabet Soup: it's an older frame and due for a refresh soon. I know it is still relevant and fast, buuuut.... it would just nag at me.

- Giant Propel Advanced 0: even though i know they make very good bikes, I havent been that excited about the Giant brand. But this was an absolutely killer-spec bike, with a Force powermeter, for a lot less than the other options. While I am not particularly budget-constrained with this buy, I also dont want to spend more than i need to. But then they didnt have the red frame in my size. That, and the lack of wind tunnel data on the 2019/2020 bikes ruled it out for me.

- Cannondale System Six: this is the bike i wanted, after the Aero magazine test. But it was a struggle to find the right frame size and spec I wanted - the "local" AD couldnt get me a red or even all-black frame, only a meh grey/black one. I could get a red frame from Germany and have someone ship it to me, but then it wouldnt be a hi-mod frame (so heavy) and this was mechUltegra, so i'd have to upgrade all the parts, etc. Too much effort.

- Cervelo S5: I just couldnt find a regional dealer. Emailed a couple but very slow and incomplete replies.

- Trek Madone SLR 7: I loved (and still love) the red. Was gonna pull the trigger on it, as I was getting a good deal from an overseas dealer. Then I read about the BB90 issues here and had some concerns, mainly about the complexity of shipping the frame internationally for service. The other issue was that mail order, i wouldnt be able to have the frame dialled in for me. And buying from the regional dealer would have made the bike a lot more expensive and also entailed a 45 day or longer waiting period.

- Specialized Venge: the Cervelo S series and the Venge were my original dream bikes when they were released. The VIAS killed me interest in the Venge, but reading about the newer Venge got me interested again - it was only a few watts off the System6, comparable to the S5, and better than the Madone in aero as per Tour magazine, plus it handled a lot better. Color looked good, stock wheels looked good, I'd have preferred eTap but Di2 sounds pretty good and i can always upgrade later and i got a killer combo deal on the Venge for me and a Shiv for the missus (who won her AG and qualified for the 70.3 world championship). Plus, and I know this is silly, I have always been a fan of Quickstep back from their Boonen days, and it just felt good to get a Spesh. The deciding factor was a bunch of people telling me that it was a *lively* ride. That's what i want the most. Stiffness and lack of comfort dont bother me too much (my Shiv on HED wheels is possibly the most jarring ride ever), but i want a bike that leaps forward when i 'drope the hamer and dial it up to 400W'. That puts a grin on my face. And by all accounts, the Venge does this really well.

So order placed, and we'll fly over in mid-November or so to pick up our new bikes.