Bopat23

Hi everyone,

New forum member here. After ages of not having ridden much, my wife and I have decided to do a lot more riding on the cusp of us hitting the 40s (the new 30s).

I am looking to buy my wife a new road bike for her birthday. I surprised her exactly 10 years ago with a Giant OCR 2, and now I'd like to do it again ten years on as she contemplates long weekend rides and starting her causal tri participation.

With a budget of about 1500-2000 USD, I have visited a few of the local shops in Dallas and narrowed my choices down to a couple of bikes with very similar specs:

1 2018 Cervelo R2 with 105 @ $ 2100 USD (Retail 2400) (Red color scheme)
2. 2018 Argon 18 Kryppton with 105 @ 1700 USD (Retail is 2000?) (Black and Red color scheme)

Both full carbon, 105 bikes, and, us being Canadian, double brownie points for both being Canadian companies.

I know she has always looked at other people's Cervelo's and we have both thought of them as unattainable for our budget, but at this price point, it seems so hard to resist.
I checked out the Argon in person too, and it seems like a very sweet bike.

Having a hard time deciding between these two!! Any feedback, especially if you have owned or ridden either of the two, would be huge.

One big thing going for the Argon dealer is their 30-day trial and return policy for something else, and also their trade in, where I might be able to get a little money for the Giant OCR. But this is less important, as I can probably sell this for more than the trade in.
The Cervelo folks don't have much going in terms of their incentives. But that Cervelo ... damn!

Bopat23

Anyone with any inputs on here?

Maelochs

No-brainer.
You are spending $2000, and buying something which your wife will probably be using for a decade or three. So saving a few hundred here or there, amortized over 30 years ... a few pennies a day.

If your wife wants a Cervelo, and has for a while ... imagine how she'd feel if you Didn't buy her a Cervelo, to save a couple hundred bucks, but instead bought her something she hadn't been wanting for along time.

Oso Polar

100% agree with @Maelochs. Plus Cervelo is red - which is usually far more important than any technical specs!

katsup

I'd suggest surprising her by telling her you are going to get her a bike and offer your suggestions. With a $2k bike, you want to make sure she likes and more importantly, is comfortable on the bike.

Bikes are not on size fits all, even if you get one that should fit.

Flip Flop Rider

tell her what you are doing and let her pick it out. Me personally, would never want to be surprised like that. Yes I appreciate the bike, but to be 100% happy with it I would have to choose it. Maybe just me though

Garfield Cat

Even though she likes to look at Cervelo, it doesn't mean that R2 is what she wants. Its probably the R5.

That said, she might as well go back to another brand. I have two Cervelo bikes and mine is 10 years old. If I had to get a new Cervelo, I would not choose R2.

clengman

I'd give a +1 to getting her input on the purchase.

If you choose for her, even if your choice is 100% correct, you've robbed her of the chance to go out bike shopping. Bike shopping is fun!

rgconner

I would buy her just some new pedals... then tell her they come with a "free bike" of her choice!

Aubergine 

Bopat23

This is brilliant!

I surprised her with her OCR 2 and she was over the moon. At the time (2008), she was participating in sprint triathlons with a Trek hybrid, and so I sold my old cyclocross and put money towards the Giant OCR 2. We strolled into a bike shop one day on the pretext of me checking out some bikes, and it was waiting for her with a big ribbon on it. To this day, she says that was the best birthday present she has received, not only because it was an upgrade, but because of the total shock of it.

In fact, when I spill the beans in advance of something, she often says 'aw that's sweet, but why did you tell me?'. All this considered, I think she would still love to be surprised. 10 years on and two kids later, we haven't done much riding to be honest. So I think whatever I get her, this will be quite the upgrade, and not a let down, given that both bikes look neat and are carbon. So, I'm still not sure I want to spill the beans in advance haha.

I wish I could post pics, but I don't have a high enough post count at the moment.

Retro Grouch 

Yup, I think you are looking for input from the wrong source. Let her pick it out.

TrojanHorse

Well,you know your wife better than we do. I like the surprise waiting in the bike shop idea because it gives you some wiggle room if she prefers a different color, model etc.

puma1552

Don't men and women typically need very different geometries? I realize the Cervelo site shows a woman on the R-series, but isn't that really a man's geometry?

Could also do a Colnago C-RS if you like, Velomine still has some 2017s for 50% off ($1200, down from $2400).

BirdsBikeBinocs

I'll be the odd ball here.... Tell her to close her eyes. Wrap the red bandana around her head and over the eyes. Gently lead her out to the garage and tell her when she's ready, take a look. She's going to love that '67 Camaro.!!

Seriously... I'm the odd ball once again. Buy her the Cervelo and surprise her with it at home. She will melt. Guaranteed. Who wouldn't.?? Don't worry about the fit. You can make that part of it better as you roll along.

Metieval

This ^

and this ^

tagaproject6

Get what she WANTS, not what YOU believe is a great deal and seem to be going out of your way to justify and get because it is what YOU want.

Get the Cervelo...that is what she wants. Oh sure, the Argon is a great deal with great incentives...but guess what...she will still be looking at other people's Cervelos.

Bopat23

b88

I would buy her a birthday card and take her out to lunch. Then on the way home I need to make a quick pit stop to pick up some bike lube. Drag her inside and tell her pick one.

chicagogal

I gave my husband a bike as a surprise. He was not expecting it and was not involved in the decision-making. I knew what frame material and builder he liked, otherwise, I picked everything. This worked well because I knew what he liked better than he did (I just know bikes and the bicycle industry better than he does). He loved that the bike was a surprise.

When he decided to gift me a new bike, it was not a surprise. He gave me a budget and told me to pick out whatever I wanted. I would have HATED it if he picked the bike himself!

As you can see, people are different in this respect. Only the OP knows his wife and whether she would be happy with a surprise bike or would want to be involved in selecting frame/components.

BlazingPedals

DON't get her a bike, get her a gift certificate for a bike. If you want it to be the bike of her dreams, let her pick it.

Rock71

+1

Bopat23

It's the same in our situation. I'm the one in the know about the bikes, components, pricing levels etc. My wife loves riding, and having a pretty looking, solid bike. I would also want to pick out my own bike, but I know she would be thrilled with receiving an awesome looking, upgraded bike. Of course there are many pretty looking bikes at a lower price point as well. I am well aware of that. The point is a solid upgrade. I know that how the bike looks matters to her -- drab colors would be out no matter how fantastic a bike it might be. Since her current bike (OCR 2 2008) is a silver/blue ... anything with a different (and colorful!) appearance would be appreciated! Not saying she needs a pink bike haha. Just not a repeat of the same colors, dull grays, blacks etc.

Thank you all for being so helpful in your responses!

124Spider

I love your idea, but I can't imagine buying a bike for my wife without her making the choice.

To me, buying a bike is a very personal matter, involving tangible matters (fit and price), and intangible matters (looks). I love the idea of giving her a little package with pedals, and letting her pick out the bike (and I say that as a Cervelo fan).

Mark

Nermal

Absolutely! This is not the time for surprises.