NewBikeShopper (intro & opinion request)

[NewBikeShopper]

Hello Forum, nice to virtually meet everyone,

My bike was stolen last week (Felt F1, Mavic Ksyrium, Ultegra), it was an older ride but many hours in the saddle and personal customizations make it difficult to let go.

I’m trying to replace it as soon as possible, hard to do with everything out of stock due to the pandemic, opinions & recommendations are greatly appreciated (so far narrowed it down to 3 frame options below):

I ride roughly 150-200 miles a week, weekdays are flats and weekends are climbs. I’m 5’11” with a slightly larger torso and as I’ve gotten older my setup is less aero than it used to be. My approach is to research a ton, invest wisely in the best, take very good care of it and keep for 10+ years.

Here’s the rub, I’ve tested the Emonda and I can ride away with it this weekend (from a shop I've never worked with before). Because of the industry’s supply & demand issues, the Pinarello and Colnago are anywhere from 4-8 months wait (from a shop owner I've trusted for years), however, he doesn't have anything in my size right now to test ride and I’ve never been on an Italian frame before.

• Trek Emonda SLR OCLV 800 (size 56)
• Pinarello Dogma F12 (size 54)
• Colgnago C64 (size TBD)

And since I've been away from the technology for so long:

• Carbon Wheelset recommendations?
• Dura Ace or Ultegra to save a few bucks?
• Disc or Rim brakes?
• Tubeless or Clinchers?
• SpeedPlay or Shimano pedals?

Thank you in advance!

 

[King Boonen]

Hi,

The biggest question I have is, how quickly do you need the bike? If you had one bike and it's been stolen then I think your only option is the Trek. If not, then that's a different discussion. FYI, 4-8 months in shop speak is "We have no idea" and 8 months falls right around when the next years models will likely be released. With the current pandemic situation new frame might be at a premium again and your delay may get extended.

If it is the Trek then that answers your brake question as I think that's rim brake only. If you're spending this kind of money then I'd think you're looking at Zipp or Enve wheels, a budget would be helpful.

I'd go Ultegra, DA is race equipment and it wears like it. Ultegra seems much more robust from my experience and cheaper to replace while sacrificing none of the performance.

I played around with tubeless, personally I'd stick with tubes. I've not found a sealant that closes holes well at high pressure and having to change it every few months is more of a hassle than I thought it would be. Unless you're racing, I don't see the gains being worthwhile.

Pedals depend on bike fit, if you ned long axles speedplay are still the only option I think (apart from those adapters that have a tendency to fail).





All that said, for the kind of money you're investing have you considered getting a frame made? Yes, it's not going to be as light as the carbon frame here (although it can still be pretty light) but if your position is moving away from the "High post, slammed stem" position you may find it suits you much better than forcing yourself to fit a race bike. Price is going to be similar and steel rides really, really well. I can do 150-200 miles in a day on my 853 frame and while my legs might be dead the next day I can sit on a saddle no problem.