Moderate priced road bike
As OJ grows out of her entry-level road bike, we are thinking about modifying it a bit (e.g., longer stem) and letting her use it as her every day ride-to-school bike still..and investing in a "race bike". We have a "spare" P2SL that Chris isn't using much for her to use if she wants to TT, but if she sticks with the USAT youth races, they HAVE to have a "road bike".
Curious as to anyone's thoughts. If I have my druthers, I will stick to Trek, Cervelo, or Giant, since I have a very good relationship with my LBS, and this is what they sell mainly.
She is 5'8"+, so she doesn't need a special small sized bike.
Giant sells a mixed-105 "composite" aero-road bike for $2000-2500 street price "Giant Propel Advance 3". For a few hundred more you can get out of the aero-road frames and get the SRAM-Force 11-speed TCR Advanced 1, or for $3500+, the Propel Advanced 2, which is ultra 11.
Trek Madone 4.3 is a carbon frame with their "aero road" design with a 105 mix that lists for $2100. 4.7 gets you full ultegra 11-speed for another $1000. 5.2 is supposedly an improved frame (can't tell why) for another $400. $3500 list with full ultegra 11.
Cervelo S2 is $2500 list with 105 mixed components. The new S2 is the same frame as the S3, but a less expensive fork...and S3 has full Ultegra 11...but for $4000 list. S5 is sexy, but out of our price range.
Honestly, since we have a slew of power tap wheels that are 10-speed (adaptable down to her current 8, but not up to 11), I tend to think there is no incentive to go to ultegra 11-speed. I have a hard time thinking she'd ever notice the difference, especially if we upgraded some of the "mixed" stuff to real 105 or ultegra at the time of purchase. (Our LBS is cool about exchanging parts on new bikes). 105 saves several hundred outright and I don't have to buy another power meter. (We have a set of older 404's with a PT among the wheels at home, so she can use both a training and a racing PT wheel).
We haven't tried out fit, which is of course a predominant issue, but I guess I lean initially to the S2, since we've had such good experience with our other Cervelos. Does anyone have any thoughts to the contrary or words of wisdom? I'm not sure this is going to happen ... and probably would wait until winter to get best price (and maximum growth...she turns 14 next month). If a great used option came our way, that would be cool too, but I'm not sure how many bikes at this "price point" tend to float around.
Comments
- Love the 5-series Madones. Lighter than the 4-series due to different carbon construction
- Don't think 11-speed is necessary at all. HOWEVER, in my experience Ultegra is much better than 105 and if Ultegra only comes in 11-speed these days then maybe you change over the freehub in one of your PT wheels and chalk it up as the first move in the eventual migration of your bikes to 11-speed in the coming years. It may be slow but it will happen.
- Without question your best deal will be on a used bike. As you saw in a recent thread, I just bought a used bike and it is replacing a bike where I was the second owner. eBay has outstanding deals at all price points if you invest the time. But investing the time is key. Roadbikereview also has great classifieds. I have used Craigslist as well, although you don't live in a big city so not sure if that will work for you as well.
Honestly the used route is your best bet to get great value for your money. LBS margins on new bikes are thin enough that even when they start to go on sale in the fall they never fall below the neighborhood of 30% below list. That's why so many LBSs have bikes 2, 3 and 4 model years old still kicking around and not at "fire sale prices".
Clearly enough, used is the MOST cost effective thing is used...that's obvious. Used would probably be 10-speed. Roadbikereview has a 2012 54 cm S5 ultegra DI2 for $2500. I could cry ..wish I was ready to drop the coin right now. :-)
As to the LBS and switching out parts, this place will just let you pay the difference for upgraded parts on a new bike, so there's generally no incentive to scrounge parts for a new purchase. On a used one, I am reasonably handy, but would be a little nervous about attempting things like derailleurs.
The way I see it, there are 3 ways to approach this:
1) Buy from your LBS, but ask them to severely discount it for you. If you have a great relationship with them, then they WILL discount a new bike by 20-30% and they will still make a little money on the bike (but not much). If I were doing this, I'd go for either an S2 or S3. They are stiff (but she is young and fast so she can handle that) and the aero tubing will help her if she doesn't stay exactly with the group in the draft during a race.
2) buy a Used frame on eBay and build it up. There are a couple of decent ones out there right around $1,000. You already have a lot of wheels. You can either piece meal the other components or buy a full set from your LBS (at a discount of course) and have them build it up for you. I would of course buy the components on eBay and "mostly" build it myself. Then just take it to the LBS and bring them beer and a nice big tip to have them double check everything and get the deraileurs adjusted properly, etc.
Here are some options for this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111428428181?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331275248157?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141315735924?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
The Blue might be a hair big, so would depend if she's done growing or not...
3) Option 3 is to buy a complete bike on eBay/Craigslist. This will be your cheapest/less headache option. And by cheap I mean you get the most possible bike for the money you plan to spend (even if you allocate a couple hundred bucks for beer and tips for your LBS mechanics). There are some great options for this right now and in my order of preference, they are:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141315735924?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT This is a sick bike. If it were me, I'd buy this one today. You have a stable of wheels already, just move the saddle over from her current bike and you're done. So you get a great frame and top notch components for less than you would otherwise spend.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111426301141?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT You get the SEXY R5 (with Rival Components) for less than an S2. No Brainer. The FD is already Force, so you could upgrade the RD down the road if you really wanted to, but I don't know why you would. I personally like Shimano components better than SRAM for a road bike because I didn't love the double-tap shifting (because I had spent a couple yrs with Shimano before I tried it), but I have friends who prefer the SRAM (actually a lot of friends). They're certainly NOT inferior, just a little different and takes some getting used to. Some would argue that Rival is closer to Ultegra than 105.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221514748892?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT Here you'd get a brand new bike with 11-spd SRAM Force for ~$2,100 is my guess if you make them an offer... She's a Medium in the AC1, but my experience is these frames feel just a hair bit long, so she might need a short stem but would give her plenty of room to grow.