robin's bike build.
Working with Todd Kenyon, the online bike fit guy. I am a big stack, low reach guy. 6'-6". 185 lbs.
So I have an expensive, custom, Zinn, double travel couplered, titanium, round tubed, triathlon geometry bike, aero carbon fork.
To get a couple aero iron minutes, getting 2012 Blue Triad EX frame. Great price. Cheap build as I can swap most of the components over. And will get front Tririg brake.
two questions for now.
Anyone know of fit problems with this frame and the Flo wheels ??? Front Flo 90 for now. Rear Flo 90 at some point.
Bottom bracket is made for BB30. I have gxp power crank. So I can use the easy adaptor. But, can I put a Pressfit GXP into where the BB30 would normally go instead ???
Will be weird geometry, but plan to convert the Zinn into a travel Road bike. I think should work ok.
Comments
I am a big fan of Blue's bikes (I own 5 right now, included a 2010 Blue Triad SL and a 2012 Blue Triad SL LE). I have run the Flo wheels on both bikes and the 2012 frame definitely has more room than the 2010. With that said I didn't have any trouble with the 2010 at IMAZ running a Flo disc on the rear. The main issue there was picking the right tire. To make the rear wheel fit I found I had to use a 22mm rear tire when running the wheel with the 2010 frame. Specifically I used the Vittoria Evo Open Triathlon tire that comes in a 22mm width. No issues rubbing the sides with that tire. One the 2012 I don't have issues with width but have found that I have to be careful with tire selection because of how the rear brake is mounted. There isn't much vertical clearance with the rear brake and some tires have more "depth" than others. For example, I put a Conti GP 4000s on the rear and that tire rubbed the brake bracket at the top of the bracket. With a Vittoria Open Corso EVO CX I had no issues. One thing I have noted is that with the wider wheels the brakes need to be opened a little wider to accomodate the wheel and this lowers the vertical clearance. I don't know if this will apply with the Triad EX frame or not.
I love the wheels, the ride well and are fast. I have set PR's on the bike in 3 races this year running these wheels. I wouldn't say that this is due entirely to the wheels but they definitely didn't slow me down versions the Zipp 808's with the disc cover that I ran in the same races last year. I had one sprint race where I picked up 5 minutes on the bike this year versus last. 49:50 for 17 miles last year versus 44:23 this year (same bike course). Now I am using a different bike (the 2010 Triad vs the 2012 Triad) and the fit is a bit more aggressive but my FTP isn't that much higher (315 last year vs 325 this year). All that to say that I really like the bang for the buck of the Flo wheels.
I'm trying to decide if I want to use the disc at IMLT this year because the one knock on the Flo's is that they are heavy. But then so am I so maybe I'll just skip a few beers a week and lose the weight difference before the race...
Hope this helps. If you want I can send pics of the wheels in the frames and the wheel/brake interaction so you can see what I am talking about.
Thanks folks. My front Flo 90 should be here in three days.
However the Triad fell through. I guess Todd Kenyon's supplier sold it.
So wait for another Triad to surface. Or may get Cannondale Slice 5. Or Specialized Shiv Rival.
So no new bike yet. Latest thought is Cannondale Slice 5 or Specialized Shiv Rival.
I like the simple wrenching of the Slice.
I like the hydration gizmo and shape of the Shiv. I think the main wrenching issue on the Shiv is the rear brake.
I am leaning towards the cheaper Slice. Just easier to mess with Throw on Tririg front brake.
Thoughts to talk me into one or the other ???
realistically, over Ironman course, Shiv might give less than minute over Slice ???
Shiv fit the fatter wheels better ???
Is there a top end to your budget Robin? I have to admit that big stack low reach bikes are not my area of expertise so I don't exactly know where the best offerings in the market are, but speaking of the slice have you checked out the Slice RS? Or do you want to go with something a little less integrated for travel ease and maintenance?
I really hope that the new P3 comes in a frameset or more reasonable builds other than DuraAce 11spd sometime soon, because there you have a fast frame, external brakes for maintenance (with excellent stopping power), plus the new P3 geometry is much higher stack than the old Cervelo geometry. I'm not sure about the reach, Cervelo has always been long but I got the impression that the new P3/P5 geometry were not as long as in the past.
Back to your Slice vs Shiv debate. I have to say that the Shiv just looks so damn funky to me I always have a hard time with it. The integrated hydration sounds super cool to me, but I don't know any Shiv owners personally to ask how well it works. Cleaning it seems like it'd be kind of a bitch?
The Slice I'm sure would be a great all around bike, but it's decidedly not a next-gen super bike (not completely a bad thing) so it just depends whether you are down with going to a new bike but not to the latest frame shape trends?
@Trevor - was in my LBS last week and this is what I heard regarding the Cervelo Tri Bikes for 2014 (VERY UNOFFICIAL) --
P2 is going to be updated in 2014 - priced in the $2-$3 K range
P3 - will have an ultegra option to keep it in the $4-$6K range
P5 - will stay mostly the same
trevor et all.
best i can tell from the frame dimensions, none of the Cervelos are going to work.
about $3000 cap for price.
Yes the lower end Slice for the ease of wrenching and travel. If I were to do the higher end Slice, I probably would just do the Shiv.
The Shival Rival seems to be very wrenchable and adjustable. Just the rear brake access issues.
So, lower end Slice that would penalize me maybe 45 seconds over an Ironman versus the Shiv ???
Is that really the time savings for an older aero frame versus a newer aero frame ???
I think the biggest savings in latest gen versus previous gen are in integrated front ends and high-yaw. The front end thing is actually a good thing though, because you can make almost any bike a superbike by just being super clean on your front end. I forget what bars you run, but if you put something like a Ventus or a Tri Rig Alpha with a Sigma integrated stem on there (i.e. manage your cables), coupled with a clean front brake like an Omega then I think you've closed most of the gap.
The high yaws are a different story. There are just certain bikes that are thin and fast as hell at low yaw, hell I think the P4 even still leads the charts within like a 0-8deg yaw band, but the crazy new frame shapes have a done a lot to improve performance at higher yaw. I think the Speed Concept is especially known for it's yaw performance. So if you are racing super windy courses that might be something to consider. But other than like Kona, I can't think of what races are especially known for their cross winds?
thanks trevor.
if I get the Slice, the first replacement would be a tririg front brake.
looks like finally going to order the bike::::
still between Cannondale Slice 5. 60 cm. around $2000.
or Specialized Shiv Rival. Large OR XL around $3000.
Todd Kenyon says the Cannondale will fit.
However, we are not clear on the Specialized. I need sort of a mix of stack and reach for the Large and XL. XL reach a bit too much reach. But Large not enough saddle height? I assume we could make the XL work?
so:::
1) mild uncertainty of the perfect fit for the Shiv. probably XL.
2) mildly faster Shiv frame. Latest generation frame.
3) mildly easier wrenching on the Cannondale.
And don't underestimate the wrenching point.
Slice it is. Bike shop agreed. they have both.
zipp Vuka alumina ski tip bars ordered. I like these better now than the straight. and todd Kenyon said getting the hands up and closing the head to hand gap is more aero.
tririg front brake ordered.
bb30 to my gxp quarq crank adapters ordered. (Wheels Manufacturing).
Anything I am forgetting?
welcome to modern tri racing robin. Al T. can get his round tubed titanium steed going fast enough, but I am only human so will take all the advantage I can get. I can still use my lovely Zinn titanium travel bike for travel training.
What bars come stock on the Slice, going to stick with them? Not advocating it right this moment, but as a future upgrade if you wanted to take it to the next level consider something like a Tri Rig alpha + Sigma Stem (if the fit works) since you already are going with the center-pull omega up front. With the cable routing pulled through the sigma and a clean non-housed cable for the brake it's super clean
yes will consider the Tririg front end once I get my fit dialed for this bike.
electronics too expensive. plus the reliability scares me. battery.
I would think more folks could/should use the ski bend type extension. more aero closing off the head to hand gap. and I find it more confortable (less thumb tendonitis) and safer for grabbing going downhill.