More aero or slightly better fit but hate colour?

[Indurain]

I'm in a tough situation. I really love the 2014 Felt AR2. Just love everything about it, but I have short arms and therefore need a high stack height. I am 5ft 10 (178cm).
The 54cm Felt is great reach wise but not enough stack. Would need 4cm of spacers (and probably still need to flip stem).
The 56cm is slightly too long reach wise (would probably need to convert to 90mm stem) but the Stack height is good (2cm of spacers with flipping stem).

or I could go a 56cm Cervelo S3 which has perfect stack and reach, but I don't like the colour and don't think it will be as aero even with only 1cm of spacers.

What would you do!! I have been stewing over this for 1mth.

 

[TexPat]

Dude, buy the bike that fits.

 

[veganrob]

Yep. Buy the bike that fits. You will be faster with that.

 

[avanti]

Ask your Felt dealer if he can get a 54" frame with a fork from a 56" bike and add spacers. (That is what I did when I bought a Lynskey recently)

or

buy a high rise stem.

But if you are a strong rider lots of spacers (or high rise stems) are not recommended by some manufacturers because they impose unacceptable stress on the steerer tube.

But I agree with the above that you need to buy a bike that fits you.

What I found in researching bikes for me fit is that reach and stack that are critical to fit

 

[LugHugger]

So, only one bike fits? I don't understand what the problem is

Buy the frame that fits and get it resprayed in a colour scheme that you do like.

And I suspect that the Cervelo designers know more about aerodynamics and fit than you or I (if their marketing blurb is to be believed)

 

[Indurain]

So, only one bike fits? I don't understand what the problem is

Buy the frame that fits and get it resprayed in a colour scheme that you do like.

And I suspect that the Cervelo designers know more about aerodynamics and fit than you or I (if their marketing blurb is to be believed)

Thanks, but I wish it was that easy. It's comes down to having 2cm more spacers and 1cm shorter stem on the Felt versus the Cervelo. Would that be enough to change for a less aero frame and a colour you don't like?

I wonder if I could drop the bars 2cm on the Felt but get a 2cm shallower drop on the handlebars (compact handlebars). Puts me in an aggressive position on the hoods but keeps me in the same position in the drops? What do you think?

 

[LugHugger]

Thanks, but I wish it was that easy. It's comes down to having 2cm more spacers and 1cm shorter stem on the Felt versus the Cervelo. Would that be enough to change for a less aero frame and a colour you don't like?

I wonder if I could drop the bars 2cm on the Felt but get a 2cm shallower drop on the handlebars (compact handlebars). Puts me in an aggressive position on the hoods but keeps me in the same position in the drops? What do you think?

I think that I would buy the Cervelo and get it resprayed

 

[Indurain]

Yes I think you are right. A cervelo it is. Thanks for all your help guys. I guess we are talking about smaller differences in aero between the Felt AR2 and the Cervelo S3 versus the fit.

 

[Master50]

As for the aero value. It is only realized when you are riding alone or at the front of the line. If you spend most of your racing time off the front then the aero factor is important but if you spend a lot of time chasing your problem isn't aero it might be your fitness. I think you have decided to go with fit and I agree that is the only thing that truly makes a big difference. You need the best platform to deliver your power. to set a balanced and powerful position is essential to meet all the demands of the road not just riding off the front. Enjoy the Cervelo.

 

[avanti]

Yes I think you are right. A cervelo it is. Thanks for all your help guys. I guess we are talking about smaller differences in aero between the Felt AR2 and the Cervelo S3 versus the fit.

To minimize bike drag use low drag wheels.

 

[Indurain]

Thanks for all your replies. I tried lowering the handlebars 2cm to give an aggressive 'on the hoods' position, but the same position in the drops with a pair of shallow drop handlebars. It didn't work for me. Killed my hands and elbows. So that was my last straw at trying to make the Felt work.

I am definately going the 56cm Cervelo S3. Will still need to flip the stem but can have it all the way down (or 2cm of spacers unflipped).

So I guess that is a lot better than the alternative with the 56cm Felt (1.5cm with stem flipped or 3.5cm unflipped) plus changing to a 90mm stem.

 

[Fiemme]

I'm in a tough situation. I really love the 2014 Felt AR2. Just love everything about it, but I have short arms and therefore need a high stack height. I am 5ft 10 (178cm).
The 54cm Felt is great reach wise but not enough stack. Would need 4cm of spacers (and probably still need to flip stem).
The 56cm is slightly too long reach wise (would probably need to convert to 90mm stem) but the Stack height is good (2cm of spacers with flipping stem).

or I could go a 56cm Cervelo S3 which has perfect stack and reach, but I don't like the colour and don't think it will be as aero even with only 1cm of spacers.

What would you do!! I have been stewing over this for 1mth.

I feel that you may need to go custom. The 56cm felt is 4mm shorter on the toptube than the Cervelo. If you have short arms I would have thought that the Cervelo would be wrong size comparing this to the Felt geometry. I understand that the Cervelo has a high head tube, but with the extra 4cm reach, simply changing to a shorter stem still may not feel right. This is common problem when being fitted for a frame. I have very long legs and short torso and arms and cannot find a suitable off the shelf bike. I have tried to accommodate off the shelf bikes in the past, but have never had the same fit and comfort as a custom frame.

 

[Indurain]

Thanks for letting me know. I double checked the geometry of each. The top tube length of the Cervelo is .4mm longer as you mentioned, however the reach of the Cervelo is .5mm less.

Cervelo S# stack and reach 58, 38.7

Felt AR stack and reach 56.7, 39.2

This is due to the different degrees in the seattube. Cervelo 73 degrees vs 73.5 degrees of Felt. Once I set my setback to 5.5cm behind the BB it will eliminate that extra length.

 

[Boeing]

Felt and their short head tubes ....

Go for fit as long as you aren't trying to fit a bike just to slam the stem for cool factor.

10mm stack is ok.

 

[Indurain]

Felt and their short head tubes ....

Go for fit as long as you aren't trying to fit a bike just to slam the stem for cool factor.

10mm stack is ok.

The Cervelo S3 allows me to slam the stem down, but still need it upturned. The Felt AR would need abt 20mm of spacers and still upturned 90mm stem (vs the stock 100m it comes with). So went the Cervelo.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I'm in a tough situation. I really love the 2014 Felt AR2. Just love everything about it, but I have short arms and therefore need a high stack height. I am 5ft 10 (178cm).
The 54cm Felt is great reach wise but not enough stack. Would need 4cm of spacers (and probably still need to flip stem).
The 56cm is slightly too long reach wise (would probably need to convert to 90mm stem) but the Stack height is good (2cm of spacers with flipping stem).

or I could go a 56cm Cervelo S3 which has perfect stack and reach, but I don't like the colour and don't think it will be as aero even with only 1cm of spacers.

What would you do!! I have been stewing over this for 1mth.

First, don't get any cervelo.

I'd get the 56, handlebar to saddle height is a key fit/comfort issue. 9cm stem on a 56 is not that outrageous. I ride a 58cm Merckx with a 10 stem...

 

[Indurain]

First, don't get any cervelo.

I'd get the 56, handlebar to saddle height is a key fit/comfort issue. 9cm stem on a 56 is not that outrageous. I ride a 58cm Merckx with a 10 stem...

Why not the Cervelo? They appear fairly reputable and put a lot of time and energy into development?

 

[42x16ss]

Cervelo are as nice a bike as any on the market - briefly

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Why not the Cervelo? They appear fairly reputable and put a lot of time and energy into development?

Leading in the recall arena also. When they were an essentially Canadian company with regards to productipn, yep, but now, their asian manufacturing makes for crappy product, in spite of some decent design. I'd stay away.

http://www.cervelo.com/en/support/recalls.html

 

[Indurain]

Leading in the recall arena also. When they were an essentially Canadian company with regards to productipn, yep, but now, their asian manufacturing makes for crappy product, in spite of some decent design. I'd stay away.

http://www.cervelo.com/en/support/recalls.html

There are a few ways of looking at that. I like how they take responsibility. Besides most of the recall issues aren't specifically to do with their fram innovation other than in 2005. LIkewise, SRAM recently have attempted to push the innovation boundaries and unfortunately paid the price with the recall of their hydrolic brakes. Or shimano with their original electronic system and it's problems. Do you stay away from all of their products because they recalled. It shows me that I can trust the rest of their products.

Better to pick the man that has made the mistake and learnt from it, than a new guy new to any of these experiences.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

There are a few ways of looking at that. I like how they take responsibility. Besides most of the recall issues aren't specifically to do with their fram innovation other than in 2005. LIkewise, SRAM recently have attempted to push the innovation boundaries and unfortunately paid the price with the recall of their hydrolic brakes. Or shimano with their original electronic system and it's problems. Do you stay away from all of their products because they recalled. It shows me that I can trust the rest of their products.

Better to pick the man that has made the mistake and learnt from it, than a new guy new to any of these experiences.

?? Di2, first gen was unique, kinda like 7400, but IME, no more problems than the current Di2..just completely incompatible with Ui2 or 9070.

I think the warranty department should be hard to find and when you do, hard to get the guy's attention. In other words, the least used warranty is the best. Cervelo and sram use the cycling public as beta testers..their stuff breaks, doesn't work, they say 'oh well', issue a recall and hope people forget.

Sram didn't push anything..their design was poor, their manufacturing tolerances were poor and they got bit. They are having the same issue with some of their MTB wet discs right now..specifically on Spec-eds...

Would I not buy a product because they had a bunch of recalls? No I would not.