Considering swapping my Race bike for an Aero bike. Thoughts?
#51
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Québec, Canada
Posts: 2,112
Bikes: SL8 Pro, TCR beater
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 988 Post(s)
Liked 584 Times
in
439 Posts
I gotta say, i have a Venge and it is a near-perfect do-it-all bike. It's lighter than most other aero bikes, handles really well, is super responsive when you drope the hammar (or is hamer?) - I test rode a S5 and found it dead to ride; the Madone was a couch and just flat-out boring. Didnt have a chance to ride the Propel or the Foil, but you really should consider a test ride of the Venge.
#52
Pointy Helmet Tribe
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Offthebackistan
Posts: 4,338
Bikes: R5, Allez Sprint, Shiv
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 519 Post(s)
Liked 627 Times
in
295 Posts
Thanks for this comment. I want to try one, but LBSs around don't offer test rides. With the COVID-19 situation, events are all being either cancelled or postponed to a later date. I am sure that the Venge would make me change my mind on buying another TCR if I could test-drive one. I really like the Venge Pro DI2 2020.
The Venge handles like any normal road bike, it climbs pretty well - my otherwise-stock Pro 2019 was about 7.95kg with CLX64s. It is around 7.3kg now with Dura Ace Di2. That's the same territory as many "GC/climbing" bikes.
If I sound like a fan, it is because I am. The Madone was my leading candidate (that Viper Red!!!) with the S5 a second, but the Venge was far more fun to ride. And as per Tour test reports, it is only a few watts slower than the Cannondale System6 and more or less on par with the rest. That falls within the error range of the tests, as far as i am concerned.
Likes For guadzilla:
#53
Full Member
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 425
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 167 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
163 Posts
My climbing bike, Wilier Zero.6 (Sram Red) is awesome on steep hills. At 5.8kg (weighed yesterday) it is ideally suited.
Yesterday I took delivery of my new bike, Trek Madone SLR 6. The idea is to upgrade the groupset and wheels but even in its current 8.4kg configuration, it proved faster on the flats today - marginal sure, but 14 seconds gave me the KOM.
I race...this will be my bike of choice on less lumpy routes.
Yesterday I took delivery of my new bike, Trek Madone SLR 6. The idea is to upgrade the groupset and wheels but even in its current 8.4kg configuration, it proved faster on the flats today - marginal sure, but 14 seconds gave me the KOM.
I race...this will be my bike of choice on less lumpy routes.
Likes For AlgarveCycling:
#54
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
This is actually not true at all. Everyone knows the person who wins a race is always the one with the most money to spend on bike stuff. That's why the pros don't even train anymore, they all work lots of overtime at desk jobs now to pay for disc wheels and Cuban fiber shoe covers.
Likes For Seattle Forrest:
#56
Newbie racer
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 3,406
Bikes: Propel, red is faster
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1575 Post(s)
Liked 1,569 Times
in
974 Posts
I agree on the exposed cables. Are those prices and specs for mech setups? I didn't look closer. On any modern aero bike I will personally NEVER own another without Di2. The mess of running mech cables in some of these bikes is rough. Sure, rear brake. But that's usually the easiest cable run.
And if those bikes are Di2 (or SRAM equiv), there's zero reason for all the exposed routing since the wires are smaller/easier to hide places than mech cables are that require a big enough bend radius to still work correctly.
And if those bikes are Di2 (or SRAM equiv), there's zero reason for all the exposed routing since the wires are smaller/easier to hide places than mech cables are that require a big enough bend radius to still work correctly.
#57
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Québec, Canada
Posts: 2,112
Bikes: SL8 Pro, TCR beater
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 988 Post(s)
Liked 584 Times
in
439 Posts
I agree on the exposed cables. Are those prices and specs for mech setups? I didn't look closer. On any modern aero bike I will personally NEVER own another without Di2. The mess of running mech cables in some of these bikes is rough. Sure, rear brake. But that's usually the easiest cable run.
And if those bikes are Di2 (or SRAM equiv), there's zero reason for all the exposed routing since the wires are smaller/easier to hide places than mech cables are that require a big enough bend radius to still work correctly.
And if those bikes are Di2 (or SRAM equiv), there's zero reason for all the exposed routing since the wires are smaller/easier to hide places than mech cables are that require a big enough bend radius to still work correctly.
Last edited by eduskator; 06-18-20 at 04:23 PM.
Likes For eduskator:
#58
Banned.
You got go with a cannondale system six imo.
go for it ! Imo the Scott isn’t a true aero the way the venge, Madone, and system 6 are.
imo it’s nice to have all 3 types of bike. Endurance. Road. Aero.
go for it ! Imo the Scott isn’t a true aero the way the venge, Madone, and system 6 are.
imo it’s nice to have all 3 types of bike. Endurance. Road. Aero.