Kimmo 

Well, they're organised, and a lot of what they get up to should be a crime...

phrantic09

Sigh 🙄

MidTNBrad

I'll add in my 2 cents. I got my R3 in 2016 and had the issue with a click in the BB area. I decided to put in a BBInfinite BB in it and it took care of the problem for a while but click came back. I took it back to the LBS where I got it and under closer inspection there was some unusual wear on the crank where it fits into the BB bearings. the LBS contacted Rotor and they sent a new Rotot 3D+ (an upgrade from the 3D30 spec'ed originally) and the shop replaced it for free. No problems after that. I love riding it. I'll sometimes ride my old 1999 bike for a few rides just so I can feel like Superman when I get back on he R3. When you stomp on it, it goes!

diphthong

have seen fewer cervelos and more canyons in the last two years here in socal. make of that what you will. at one point, i'd say cervelos were the most prevalent of any brand.
perhaps they're not the new kid in town any longer...

blazin

FWIW, my understanding is that Conte’s only carried Cervelo for a short time as a result of acquiring the stock from another DC area bike shop that went under (Fresh Bikes). I’ve heard this from managers of both former Fresh Bikes locations and current Conte’s locations.

I suppose it does beg the question of whether Conte’s had to enter into a contractual relationship with Cervelo to sell the bikes they did, while they did. And, if so, why they choose not to continue that relationship. But given that Conte’s a) carries Trek, Giant, and Cannondale already and b) is not an exclusively high-end, performance-oriented store it probably made sense, or might have been contractually impossible, to keep carrying Cervelos.

wthensler 

I'd be inclined to agree - but why would they point to quality issues? That is a pretty heavy ding against a bike manufacturer coming from a retailer in business since 1957 who should know their bikes. I admit to being more knowledgeable than most, but still, at some point I have to rely on 'expert' opinions.

In their defense, Conti did direct me to their high end brands Pinarello and Parlee, so I'd have to assume it's not simply about high end bikes.

wthensler 

I'm still considering the Endurace SLX 9.0. Would buy in a heartbeat, but awaiting a bike fit, and their highest end SLX carry SRAM Red ASX only, and I want to do a little more research before committing.

What I'm not thrilled about is lack of ability to customize. I'm a bigger guy and like wide handlebars and long cranks (175s). They want $400 to customize the bars, and longer cranks are a no go.

The nice thing I like about Trek is they'll do anything you want - for the right $$$$ of course!

Seattle Forrest

​​​​​​Because you're asking about a bike they don't sell, and they'd rather have you buy a different bike from them then take your money to a different shop that has the bike you're interested in. Happens a lot.

WhyFi

You're giving Conte's way too much credit and you're giving the person that wrote you the email way too much trust. Do you really think that there's some huge problem with Cervelo and Conte's was the only dealer to crack the code? I've been to a few Conte's locations on several occasions and I have been to some exceptional bike shops, but Conte's has never given me reason to think that they're anything more than a passable regional chain.

SlowJoeCrow

One shop claiming they dropped Cervelo isn't a reliable data point, nor is Hambini roasting them. From years of Bike Snob i think of Cervelos as "dentist bikes" but they sell too many bikes and win too many races to be written off. My first choice for a carbon road bike would be Giant or Look since they make their own carbon fiber rather than buying it.

Seattle Forrest

It's too bad they didn't say specifically what the problem might have been.

Seattle Forrest

C3

wthensler 

They didn’t say and I didn’t think to follow up. Cervelo is still on my list, but there’s not much near me in FL or VA, so not super convenient. We’ll see how it plays out after I get a fitting done.

dmanthree

I read that Cervelo was sold to a bunch of bean counters and that their chief engineer quit. Quality suffered after that.

ridinginjeans

You make a good point. The next time I change out the bearings on my BB30 frame, I'll do the 1 piece instead. Not happy with the two press fit bearings that seem to wear out quickly and hinder the crank from spinning freely. My wife's 2009 Allez with an Octalink BB spins more freely.

That said, the shell is more stiff and for the most part I like my carbon road frame. Just wish the mechanic had suggested the 1-piece when I brought it in for new bearings.

Also, make sure you tighten the crank before you lose your mind with the creak. Might just be a loose non-drive side crank arm.

ridinginjeans

Cervelo has a mystique. That's it. Just because they convinced everyone that their design is better doesn't mean it is.

I liken today's carbon road frames to yesterdays lugged steel frames. Very similar, slight differences, but one is not that different from another. Don't talk to me about custom layup, etc. Who can really tell the difference?

And by the way, half the cyclists I see/hear on the road this spring need a bottle of chain lube, not a new bike.

guadzilla

It is quite easy to tell the difference. My carbon Ridley CX bike, my old Ridley Damocles sprint-focused bike, my Venge and my R5 all feel very different to ride in terms of responsiveness and snap - and this is across lots of tire and wheel combinations.

If you are going to argue that this difference doesnt make a huge difference in terms of speed, sure, i agree - but to say that different bikes dont have a different "feel"? Nope, not buying that.

MSchott

When I read such things from dealers, whether it be bicycles, watches or the like it leads me to think the brand pulled the line for some reason, usually failure to meet some sales goal or poor finances.

Sy Reene

I think he was talking about different bikes being from different manufacturers and the layups. Sure, even in the same brand family, a Trek Domane will feel different than a Emonda, different than Madone, different than a Boone. But will a Emonda SL feel much different than an SLR? , and how much different than eg. a Spesh Tarmac, etc?

guadzilla

Ah ok, i misunderstood that, then.

WhyFi

Oh, he sounded like he was in full-on they're-all-made-in-the-same-factory-in-China mode to me, too.

phrantic09

I’m sure that’s the underlying statement.

matt92037

I have a C3 and it is a great bike. Especially great considering what i paid for the frame from Excel Sports. If my timing was better i would have gotten a C5 frame for ~$1,450 when they had them. The fact you could get an R3 for $3k is insane. No matter what you think of Cervelo, that is a lot of bike for the money.

Excel seems to have had the inside track on prior year close outs from Cervelo. For the prices they have been selling for, it would make it almost impossible for a stocking dealer to sell prior year bikes without taking a loss. If i was one of those dealers i would dump the brand to if i carried Trek, Giant, Specialized or other big brands.

there is a large shop in my area that always had a large inventory of Cervelos but they dropped the brand in the last 6 months.

WhyFi

Maybe, maybe not - it depends on the type of business that they do. The online, deal-sniffin' bike nerds of BF are not the norm. If a shop is competing primarily on price point, yeah, a seller like Excel could be trouble (I got my R3D frameset from Excel), but for upscale products there are going to be people looking for upscale service. This is kind of where I was going with the Conte's thing - they're fine, but they're not a place that would come to mind if I were considering a higher-end product from a lesser known (to the masses, at least) manufacturer.

DrIsotope

Might not even be an option in the first place-- the ultra-restrictive, inclusivity contracts Spesh and Trek make dealers sign mean they absolutely cannot carry non-approved brands. There's only one shop in my whole area that carries Trek. About 15 miles from that one is the Spesh dealer. My LBS refused to bow to them, so they dropped Spesh and Trek over a decade ago. The result? They can sell pretty much anyone other than those two. You go to a Trek shop, you can test ride a Trek. I went to test ride road bikes, I rode Focus, Fuji, Cannondale, Giant, and Cervelo.

It is quite highly likely (read: assured) that I will never own a Trek or a Specialized. Doesn't bother me a bit.