New Race Bike - Recommendations

[ft_critical]

Hello all,

Right so I want a new race bike. I race both crits and road races. I am looking for something that does crits (handling, aggressive) yet is not too uncomfortable over a 3hr road race and is not too twitchy on descents. Am I asking the impossible?

Geometry-wise, I have a short reach and normal seat tube. I am 54 top tube, but I personally feel I can go a size down to a 52, I am a 55 seat tube (not sloped).

Price - not sensitive, but sub say 11k. Must have electronic shifting AND disc brakes.

Things that look interesting, Venge/Tarmac, CAAD12, Colnago C64...

I currently have two bikes that really are road race bikes both ride the same - super comfy on long rides, but handle only okay - Cinelli Best of Pro, Colnago Cristallo. I want something a little sharper yet I do absolutely love the ride of both of these bikes.


I get these are difficult for people to answer, so happy to collect ideas. PS: I have a fit based target geometry and would seek to ride before I buy.

[g-boaf]

I was going to suggest the Venge, but saw this:

https://www.canyon.com/en-au/road/aeroa ... sc-el.html

Very damn nice. Option it with E-Tap disc setup, add your wheels of choice. Actually, they do the whole thing as a complete bike:

https://www.canyon.com/en-au/road/aeroa ... -0-sl.html

The only thing you can't do there is ride before you buy. Maybe if you contact them they might be able to do something about that. If you are spending near $10K, it's the least they can do.

[ft_critical]

thanks g-boaf. Nice choice. I do want DT Swiss wheels or maybe Firecrest 303. I have DT Swiss wheels ages ago - best wheels I have owned.

[ironhanglider]

I was going to suggest the Venge, but saw this:

https://www.canyon.com/en-au/road/aeroa ... sc-el.html

Very damn nice. Option it with E-Tap disc setup, add your wheels of choice. Actually, they do the whole thing as a complete bike:

https://www.canyon.com/en-au/road/aeroa ... -0-sl.html

The only thing you can't do there is ride before you buy. Maybe if you contact them they might be able to do something about that. If you are spending near $10K, it's the least they can do.

It comes with it's own theme song too.

https://youtu.be/PI_Jl5WFQkA

Cheers,

Cameron

[cerb]

I'm looking at the same, but a bit tighter on the budget. New Venge Disc & Canyon Aeroad Disc are the ones on my short list.

For more 'premium' (more $$ for something that less people have) options, maybe also check out the new Bianchi XR4 Disc & Wilier Cento10Air?

The new BMC Timemachine looks pretty nice too, but BMC haven't really been known for stiff race bikes... time will tell if they've made some big improvements!

[ft_critical]

I ended up going for the CAAD12 Disc, SRAM Red and Hollowgram 35 carbon wheels - carbon seatpost, bars and stem.

Only 150km on it - no racing. Handling is great. I do notice the bumps more and expected to notice better acceleration - but can’t.

I must say as a long time Campagnolo user I am very impressed with SRAM.

Stopping on discs is amazing. But more amazing is that for way less finger pressure I can get brilliant modulated slowing.

First race on the weekend at Heffron Park, so I will really find out how it goes!

[MichaelB]

...
Stopping on discs is amazing. But more amazing is that for way less finger pressure I can get brilliant modulated slowing.

...

Shhhhhh. Don't tell anyone !!

Good luck for the 1st race !!

[Mububban]

I ended up going for the CAAD12 Disc, SRAM Red and Hollowgram 35 carbon wheels - carbon seatpost, bars and stem.

Only 150km on it - no racing. Handling is great. I do notice the bumps more and expected to notice better acceleration - but can’t.

I must say as a long time Campagnolo user I am very impressed with SRAM.

Stopping on discs is amazing. But more amazing is that for way less finger pressure I can get brilliant modulated slowing.

First race on the weekend at Heffron Park, so I will really find out how it goes!

Nice. Every review raves about the CAAD12 frame.

If you had an 11k budget, you must have had a fair bit left over. Are you buying another bike with the change?

[ft_critical]

Yes, heaps left over. It makes the race travel discussion easy for Orange and East Gippsland though!

[ft_critical]

[10speedsemiracer]

Nice looking bike. I like the fork geometry, looks like it might be nice on some fast sweepers.

[Strawburger]

Would not have picked that at all! I'll have to check it out at Orange and east gibsland, or Goulburn if you're doing that one.

[ft_critical]

Thanks 10sp and Strawburger. Raced Heffron. Handling is amazing - saved energy there. But I am not used to the shorter cranks and feel under-powered. I still think it is the right decision, I just need to get used to them. I was doing 140rpm onto the straight for the final sprint... Many people suggested you wouldn't notice the difference (172.5 to 170) but I certainly do. My cadence is higher but power is down.
See you in the Masters Strawburger - Gippland looks interesting, but more of a Roleurs course than a climbers course?

[Tim]

Gippland looks interesting, but more of a Roleurs course than a climbers course?

Glad it's you racing it, not me.
I live in and ride that area and the exact same course quite frequently.
There is a killer, mongrel, bastard hill just after you cross the Tambo River, Stephensons Road.
While it isn't a climber's course there are certainly 2 or 3 nasty little pinches that'll sort out the pack.
I'd consider a 28 cog on the back, maybe compact cranks. I climb Stephensons on a 39 - 25 combo, weigh 61kg's, good fitness, IT HURTS. There's another one on the way home, a few K's from the finish, you'll ride down it not long after the start. Steeper again but a bit shorter. Both climbs are only about 1km each but man they are tough, can only imagine how much tougher racing up 'em.
Have fun, I'll be watching.
A good strategy would be to train plenty on shortish (1km) steep 15% plus hills and attack on these climbs.

[ft_critical]

Thanks for the tips Tim, much appreciated. I am doing as you suggest already for Orange. But will continue and look for some longer climbs to repeat on.

[Tim]

No worries.
Nice bike BTW.
From time to time I still ride my old CAAD 9. At high speed it handles as well as my TCR SL.
If I could keep only one of my (many) bikes the CAAD would be it.

[Strawburger]

Gippland looks interesting, but more of a Roleurs course than a climbers course?

Glad it's you racing it, not me.
I live in and ride that area and the exact same course quite frequently.
There is a killer, mongrel, bastard hill just after you cross the Tambo River, Stephensons Road.
While it isn't a climber's course there are certainly 2 or 3 nasty little pinches that'll sort out the pack.
I'd consider a 28 cog on the back, maybe compact cranks. I climb Stephensons on a 39 - 25 combo, weigh 61kg's, good fitness, IT HURTS. There's another one on the way home, a few K's from the finish, you'll ride down it not long after the start. Steeper again but a bit shorter. Both climbs are only about 1km each but man they are tough, can only imagine how much tougher racing up 'em.
Have fun, I'll be watching.
A good strategy would be to train plenty on shortish (1km) steep 15% plus hills and attack on these climbs.

Thanks for the tips Tim. Not a pure climbers course that I love, but I'm glad there may be something in there for me!

Glad you're new bike is going well ft. I'd be throwing on a 53/39 for the flat courses and a compact for hilly courses, if you have that gear lying around. A few years ago I picked up a tip from Derny Driver (Marcus) about gearing and crank lengths. I only ride compact for one race per year (tour of bright). Every other race can be done on a standard 53/39 with 28 on the back. It won't suit everyone but as you know me ft, I'm fairly light and have a bit of power so use that as you wish.

I'm a bit curious to the leg speed with smaller cranks though. I ride 165mm on the track at 115-130 cadence and it feels good. Shorter cranks would decrease leg speed as the foot travels less around the revolution?

[Tim]

On second thoughts the MKB climb up Stephensons Rd from the Tambo River happens very early in the race. Probably better to stay with the bunch but near the front on that one. The climb is followed by two or three loops of the main circuit.
The looped section contains numerous shorter, less steep climbs, plenty of opportunities to attack or chase. None-the-less be well prepared for some hard work. 15% might be a slight exaggeration but they're pretty darn close.

[ft_critical]

Glad you're new bike is going well ft. I'd be throwing on a 53/39 for the flat courses and a compact for hilly courses, if you have that gear lying around. A few years ago I picked up a tip from Derny Driver (Marcus) about gearing and crank lengths. I only ride compact for one race per year (tour of bright). Every other race can be done on a standard 53/39 with 28 on the back. It won't suit everyone but as you know me ft, I'm fairly light and have a bit of power so use that as you wish.

I'm a bit curious to the leg speed with smaller cranks though. I ride 165mm on the track at 115-130 cadence and it feels good. Shorter cranks would decrease leg speed as the foot travels less around the revolution?

Hi Strawburger. It seems from discussion at my club that it is a semi-compact setup. To be honest, I think it is pretty good. I did Beauie on the weekend and stayed in the 52, sprinted probably on the 12 or so, and it was fine. Two weeks to West Head, I will see how the gearing works because I will have to go down to the small ring.

The handling is awesome on the Beauie course.

Cranks, well, isn't it just a shorter radius, smaller circumference (circle) to pedal, sure seems faster by circa 5rpm avg.

[g-boaf]

I can't say what the Canyon disc bike is like, but I'm riding at the moment a fairly top end Aeroad CF SLX with normal rim brakes and Mavic carbon wheels worth squillions of dollars (I guess).

Spent a day with it today going up Aravis, Colombiere, Cote de Domancy and Cote 2000 - along with the descents. It's a very stable bike on high speed descents, but it is unforgiving. If you want a comfortable bike over poor roads (as some of them are here) then you'll not like it.

The braking was better than I expected, but not a patch on alloy wheels with some quality pads. I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of using carbon wheels on the descents, but that's how it is. The Canyon I had today was 52-36 and 11-28. I did sort of run out of gears at a couple of points, but it wasn't impossible.



But certainly I felt it was a harsh bike compared to my normal Giant TCR Advanced SL which is getting new bars, freshly readh for Emirates to smash them again on the way back.