Cervelo C3 vs R3
Has anyone ridden both a Cervelo C3 and R3 (disc) for any reasonable amount of time? Or at least one or the other?
I've ridden both several times for relatively short periods of time (30min - hour) on very basic loops around my LBS, but was curious to hear what others thought that had spent more time with them. I'm going to try to get out there and take longer rides myself, but haven't had the time yet.
I recognize that they are very different bikes with different geometries (though on the C3, I slammed the stem and tweaked the setup to be pretty similar to the R3), but debating between the two for a couple reasons - mainly, stability and versatility. My main points of interest are
(1) climbing - I've read that the R3 is an outstanding climber, but haven't seen much on how the C3 fares
(2) descending (is the R3 stable or somewhat "twitchy" like some race geometries...I found my old Madone to be a bit twitchy for my taste on fast descents, and as such, hampered my confidence). I'm a bit of a wimp and NEED a really stable descender to enjoy descents
(3) compliance (I live in SF with an abundance of beautiful rides but also many crappy roads that I still like to ride). I like that the C3 can probably handle some light dirt roads...assuming the R3 can't. Any experiences on how well the C3 actually handles dirt and gravel? Is it more of a...if there's gravel on your route you can handle or, or are you seeking out fireroads to ride specifically.
(4) tire clearance - I loved that the C3 can run 28's easily and probably some 32's...much smoother, more stable ride in my opinion. I have read that some have had success putting 28's on their R3, but wanted feedback on that.
I use my bike primarily for fitness/endurance/exploring rides, typically on relatively short (<2hour) type rides, but I probably want to extend that a bit to do some more exploring. Being in the Bay Area, there are a ton of hills and descents, so climbing and super stable descending are very important to me. I love that the C3 can probably do some of the fireroads in my area, whereas the R3 probably couldn't, and I've read that the C3 is an incredibly stable descender, but haven't experienced that first hand. That said, when I got on the R3, it felt so lively, responsive, and slightly more "fun" to me, but again...short ride with unvaried terrain and circumstances. FWIW, I don't ride in a super aggressive setup, so I'd probably end riding the R3 "normally", erring on the side of relaxed, where I'd almost certainly be riding the C3 a bit more aggressive than it's "stock" setup.
Not interested in feedback on specs except tire clearance, opinions on appearance, etc...interested in the ride of each in different situations (sprints, climbs, descents, rough terrain, dirt, rain, etc).
Thanks!