CN Best Team Bike 2011

[LugHugger]

I'm not sure what it says about the average respondent when over half of the votes cast were for the Cervelo S5 and Specialized's Venge. And the Colnago C59 only garnered 6% of the vote? Just how susceptible to marketing BS are cyclists?

Utter madness.

 

[Benotti69]

I'm not sure what it says about the average respondent when over half of the votes cast were for the Cervelo S5 and Specialized's Venge. And the Colnago C59 only garnered 6% of the vote? Just how susceptible to marketing BS are cyclists?

Utter madness.

or how fixed was the poll?

 

[ElChingon]

My vote generated a website error which prevented my vote from counting, its RIGGED!!!

 

[DirtyWorks]

I'm not sure what it says about the average respondent when over half of the votes cast were for the Cervelo S5 and Specialized's Venge. And the Colnago C59 only garnered 6% of the vote? Just how susceptible to marketing BS are cyclists?

Utter madness.

Now you know two things:
1. why there are so many people trying to flip Asian bike products.
2. The power of effective marketing. Make it pretty and watch the dollars flow in!

 

[hfer07]

I'm not sure what it says about the average respondent when over half of the votes cast were for the Cervelo S5 and Specialized's Venge. And the Colnago C59 only garnered 6% of the vote? Just how susceptible to marketing BS are cyclists?

Utter madness.

100 agree with you-but bear in mind that CN need to pay bills too-so "endorsements" like those made on the article have a purpose- apart of course from annoying people with bike knowledge

 

[Parera]

Now you know two things:
1. why there are so many people trying to flip Asian bike products.
2. The power of effective marketing. Make it pretty and watch the dollars flow in!

But the S5 is about the ugliest frame design since the "Wild West" years of full-suspension mountain bikes. Seriously, not even slightly pretty.

 

[DirtyWorks]

But the S5 is about the ugliest frame design since the "Wild West" years of full-suspension mountain bikes. Seriously, not even slightly pretty.

True. Maybe a better way to say 'make it pretty' is 'make it compelling.'?

 

[Parera]

True. Maybe a better way to say 'make it pretty' is 'make it compelling.'?

Or at least convince people that "Aero" on road bike is a real thing that matters...

 

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Or at least convince people that "Aero" on road bike is a real thing that matters...

I think you're letting yourself get carried away if you don't think aerodynamics matters. If you don't race, it doesn't matter. If you do, the S5 makes a real difference (see: http://www.cervelo.com/en_us/engineering/tech-presentations/, the "Aero vs. weight" presentation). It's a $3K frame -- not exotic or exclusive.

In a moment someone will come along to say that it's no different than any Chinarello and shouldn't cost more than a styrofoam cup, but that's another thread ...

 

[Parera]

I think you're letting yourself get carried away if you don't think aerodynamics matters. If you don't race, it doesn't matter. If you do, the S5 makes a real difference (see: http://www.cervelo.com/en_us/engineering/tech-presentations/, the "Aero vs. weight" presentation). It's a $3K frame -- not exotic or exclusive.

$3k is a very expensive, exclusive frame. Don't kid yourself. Then again, you did just quote Cervelo's own marketing hype on "aero" race bikes, so maybe you are delusional.

 

[Gaear Grimsrud]

$3k is a very expensive, exclusive frame. Don't kid yourself. Then again, you did just quote Cervelo's own marketing hype on "aero" race bikes, so maybe you are delusional.

It's not complicated: 1) look at the presentation, 2) state what part of it isn't true.

$3K for a racing frame is exclusive? Don't walk into any shops that sell road bikes -- you'll have a heart attack.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

These reader polls don't mean anything, mostly voted on by fanboys that don't have any experience at all with any of those machines. Everyone here knows this, well most do.

Top 3 criteria for people who vote on these lame polls.

1. More aero must mean faster.
2. Lighter must mean faster.
3. If a pro wins a race it must have been the bike.

 

[BroDeal]

Take into account the results of other polls that has CN done. The primary demographic appears to be people who ride a few times annually and whose yearly race viewing is limited to 22 days in July.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Fugly frame. Couldn't make the Cervelo S5 look good even if you put Charlize Theron on it.

 

[Gaear Grimsrud]

3. If a pro wins a race it must have been the bike.

Looking at the TdF GC, an aero frame will obviously not make THE difference. But it's still a difference.

And yeah, it's ugly.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Looking at the TdF GC, an aero frame will obviously not make THE difference. But it's still a difference.

And yeah, it's ugly.

Yeah. A difference in the wrong direction by the looks of it.

 

[Martin318is]

$3k is a very expensive, exclusive frame. Don't kid yourself. Then again, you did just quote Cervelo's own marketing hype on "aero" race bikes, so maybe you are delusional.

You are kidding right? Frames in that price range are as common as rocks

 

[Parera]

You are kidding right? Frames in that price range are as common as rocks

I'm talking about actually owning one. Maybe not Colnago exclusive. But it's certainly not the same as owning a Civic.

 

[ElChingon]

Take into account the results of other polls that has CN done. The primary demographic appears to be people who ride a few times annually and whose yearly race viewing is limited to 22 days in July.

Makes me wonder how even more odd ball the polls would be if taken during the Tour?

I mean all of cycling revolves around the Tour so might as well do it then instead of at the end of the year where the products showcased at the Tour are finally put in plastic bubble wrap and painted a different more marketable color.

 

[Parera]

Looking at the TdF GC, an aero frame will obviously not make THE difference. But it's still a difference.

And yeah, it's ugly.

Does it help sprinters then? I clearly remember Cav catching and passing Haussler on a rather unremarkable (save for the low weight) Scott Addict at 2009 Milan-San Remo. I'm just going to say, in a team sport where you spend most of the time cheating the wind by riding on someone's ***, an aero frame will only make a difference to someone riding a longish solo breakaway at high speed. And as a further reminder, most of the wattage savings these marketing/R&D clowns come up with only materialize at speeds that simply don't happen in real world situations.

It's not a big deal to simply admit that the S5 is simply another overly expensive carbon fiber race bike and a serves as a way for Cervelo to whack their loyal cash pinatas yet again. It's just a bike, yo.

You ever hear of the term "Product differentiation?" It's a key marketing goal for almost any company with a product. The motherboard of this PC I'm currently using touts itself as "military grade" because of the type of PCB it uses. They claim it's better performing and longer lasting; I have no idea if it's true. It's just something MSI markets, effectively distinguishing themselves from ASUS, Gigabyte, etc. Fortunately, in the PC enthusiast world, we have actual benchmarks that can irrefutably demonstrate which systems/components benchmark better than their competitors. And then do crazy things, like come up with price/performance charts. Which is why I chose this particular mobo, it was a nice breaking point for said price/performance.

In cycling all we have is some bull**** some jerk at Specialized tells us, which is then repeated ad nauseam by almost everyone involved in cycling. Except for people here, because they're all cool as ****.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Looking at the TdF GC, an aero frame will obviously not make THE difference. But it's still a difference.

And yeah, it's ugly.

Oh yeah, way ugly! Actually, anytime Cervelo is uttered I puke a little bit in my mouth.

Difference? The only difference from winning or losing is if the rider timed their doping schedule correctly, nothing to do with aero anything. What's next, big huge wings hanging off our posteriors to achieve downforce for a bike/rider combo that can only average just above 30mph?

 

[Parera]

Anyone care to share pics of their all time favorite team bike? Don't care if it's a local frame builder and their "team" or some old retro thing I'm too young to have ever seen/care about, I just like looking at pictures of sexy bikes.

My favorite "team" bike:

Only thing I don't like about it is the slightly sloping top tube. But Mike will do whatever you want with your frame, so it's a stupid complaint. He would even probably paint a pair of flaming breasts on it if you asked nicely. But yeah, whenever I ride with any of the DeSalvo guys, I get a little jealous.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Anyone care to share pics of their all time favorite team bike? Don't care if it's a local frame builder and their "team" or some old retro thing I'm too young to have ever seen/care about, I just like looking at pictures of sexy bikes.

I don't know what it is lately but you guys have to start your own threads instead of hijacking others and going off topic. Parera, discuss the CN article about he readers poll here, discuss dream/team bikes in your own thread. Hit the 'new thread' button and take a chance, I'd be happy to post something there.

 

[42x16ss]

Anyone care to share pics of their all time favorite team bike? Don't care if it's a local frame builder and their "team" or some old retro thing I'm too young to have ever seen/care about, I just like looking at pictures of sexy bikes.

My favorite "team" bike:

Only thing I don't like about it is the slightly sloping top tube. But Mike will do whatever you want with your frame, so it's a stupid complaint. He would even probably paint a pair of flaming breasts on it if you asked nicely. But yeah, whenever I ride with any of the DeSalvo guys, I get a little jealous.

My most recent favorite were the Parlee's that Fly V Australia used a few years ago. IIRC they also used Edge Composites wheels as well.

Classy bikes.

 

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Does it help sprinters then? I clearly remember Cav catching and passing Haussler on a rather unremarkable (save for the low weight) Scott Addict at 2009 Milan-San Remo.

And Hushovd winning the Worlds sprint on an S3 is a refutation of your point? It's not a refutation, because your point is obvious and I agree with it: the advantage of an aero frame is not sufficient to guarantee a win. But also obviously, when going uphill or with your nose in the wind, lighter or aero IS faster (everything else equal).

It's nice that there are a lot of people here who like to think their BS detectors are custom made with brazed lugs, but when you say that a lighter or more aero bike doesn't make a difference, you're just pandering. Being "authentic" is better than being a conspicuous consumer, but that's not saying much.