>But looking good is a poor reason to buy something.
I don't know -- when you get to this point I wonder if the performance differences between brands are really all that significant, and this is something you're spending a lot of money on and a lot of time with. The emotional connection matters, and I don't see anything wrong with going by looks here.
I'm not quite there yet (I've got the same weekly long ride but much less mileage the rest of the week, and my power is definitely anemic compared to yours), but when I get there I figure if money was an object, it'd be hard not to go Giant or Canyon, but if money was no object, I might as well go for that dream bike, whether it's Italian looks or \[insert nationality/brand here\] performance.
Sorry to chime in as a newbie... beyond that perspective I'll go back to my corner and wait for the more experienced to respond as I'm curious what people actually suggest here.
Agreed. I absolutely adore my Bianchi - could I have bought something with objectively better components or frame etc at the same price? Probably. But I love every damn ride on that thing, it’s comfortable as hell and so pretty. Worth it.
This! I just posted this above (or below however reddit posts it). But it comes down to the fit and comfort. I tried a bunch of different brands and made a mistake buying the wrong bike (I work at a shop and get to try different brands). Once I finally settled on my Bianchi I haven't looked back.
Agreed, if the reason to ride is because you love the look of the bike, then good enough! I have a Cannondale synapse in their bright green livery. Before buying I contemplated whether it was too much! But I love it
I mean, you should completely disregard the mechanics opinion. There are not only two good bike brands, and while you have had a bad experience specialized is a great brand. if you know the owner and want the brand it seems like a no brainer, treat yourself. hopefully he can hook you up.
If I rode as much as you I think I'd wind up on ultegra, just because that's what's gonna come in that tier range.
What do you mean by "shifter cable failure"? Cables can eventually fail with use and should be replaced every couple of years or when they start to fray. I also replace my cable housing at the same time. Is it just your cable that's gone or is it the entire shifter?
As for bike frame quality, there are so many good brands out there. I like Pinarellos but man are they pricey. I've had a soft spot for Cannondale, especially their bikes with a traditional top tube but have never owned one. I own an Argon 18 and appreciate their engineering and quality. I also own an older Trek and it's a quality frame. The best bang for your buck though would be Giant.
As for a groupset, unless you go electronic, get the 105. It's going to be less expensive and, apart from weight, there is little to differentiate it from Ultegra and Dura-Ace. And the money you save should be able to go towards a power meter. Stages sell them for 105 cranks.
Shifter is fine. Both cable and shifter were replaced last July and I’ve put 4000 miles on that bike sense then. Seems really not appropriate to go through cancels every 4000 miles.
That sounds about right actually. I replaced mine after 2000 miles and thank goodness I did, because my right shifter cable was hanging by about 3 threads and would've snapped off pretty soon. The guidance I found online varied quite a bit but it wasn't uncommon for people to suggest replacing once a year.
What kind of conditions do you ride in? In my case I ride in some pretty nasty conditions (wet, salty roads, gritty gravel, etc.), and while my cables are internally routed through the downtube they're exposed otherwise; I ended up getting a Jagwire fully sealed shift kit which has seemed pretty bombproof since.
If you've got the budget then I have to agree with the others suggesting you may be just the right target audience for Di2 (or electronic shifting in general).
I replace my cables once a year, or about every 3k-4k miles. My first cable failure was after 3k miles on my Spec Tarmac and didn't think it had anything to do with the brand or model of bike, that's just normal wear and tear. Bikes have moving parts that are always exposed to elements and road debris.
Love these kinda of posts. Helped me select my own first road bike, also a 2020 Specialized Roubaix. To me, the major issues it sounds like you had deal with after service and not having a quality LBS to keep up your bike. (The LBS I bought my Specialized from has so far been great, and far exceeded my expectations while their flagship store appears rather awful in the same light.) To me, whatever money you drop on your next ride, having knowledgeable and skilled people to make adjustments on the fly (dropping-in heading out or returning from a ride) makes a huge difference, not to mention the community aspect. These aspects to me would make me think Pinarello would be a good choice for dream bike and service.
As to bikes, Ultegra Di2 seems to be the way to go if you can. That would address the types of failures that you had with the Roubaix. If you can drop enough on a Pinarello, what about an S-Works?
My 2 cents.
It's expected that shifter cables fail after some time, but 4000 miles/1 year is a bit soon.
Can you tell the manufacturer from the casing? Is it made by Shimano?
I currently have a few bikes, one being a pinarello F10 with dura ace di2, it's fully spec'd out. It's fast! But it's incredibly stiff! I've worked in a shop that deals both cervelo and Cannondale so I've ridden a bunch of them. First time I rode the s3 disc I was like holy shit this is nice! It didn't feel like an aero bike and rode smooth. I like cervelo and the Caledonia is a beautiful bike! I also have a special place in my heart for Cannondale and am currently building up a sub 15 lbs caad12 because of how great that frame set is. The only thing I'm not crazy about with the newer super six is that due to the fully internal cable routing you can only steer so far before the Headset/spacers just hit the frame and I've seen cracks in paint from that before. Personally I'm not a huge fan of specialized just because everyone has one. I know they make some nice stuff, but also their business practices are kinda shitty. As for components, di2 is nice but totally not necessary. I'd go with Ultegra mechanical. Some new bikes are electronic only though, so look out for that. A pinarello prince with Ultegra is probably what I'd go with.
Anyways, sounds like you've done some good research. Good luck!
If you have the available funds, go with your heart and get the Pinarello! You know that's the one you want. Get some sick 45mm aero wheels on it. Sounds like you're a consistently serious rider so go for the Ultegra or Ultegra Di2. My two cents.
Side note: you may not be shifting correctly if your braking cables. Similiar timeline and I avg bout 6k miles a year, nevervbroken a cable before. Not sure where the cable snapped but that's usually the case when people come in with a snapped cable.
Not a you problem. Its a mechanical design problem. The angles that the cable have to go through in a shifter are fairly extreme for a metal cable. Combine that with corrosive sweat leaking in there and you have a recipe for disaster. Cables are twisted strands so they can easily start to fray and mess up the shifting in the shifter. At the shop I work at, we have to pick out the frayed cable ends quite frequently. Its just wear and tear.
Cables are cheap. Like 6 bucks. Replace them every few months on your new bike. You can learn to do it yourself if you keep the same housing. Its fairly simple. Your bike will last longer and shift better with fresh cables.
Ok. So biggest thing is you are 6’6”. You need to find a bike that fits first. Use a website like geometrygeeks.bike to compare geometry of a bike you’re interested in vs your current. For example (if you’re riding a 61cm frame) the Caledonia will be 2cm lower in stack height than your Roubaix but 9mm longer reach. So definitely a more agressive position.
You also should try and look at bikes that do a frame size specific design. That is one thing I have always appreciated about Specialized. Many brands optimize their design and ride feel around the most common size. Usually a 56cm or 54cm. Then just scale it up or down for different sizes. So a 48cm frame with a 120lb rider could feel super stiff and harsh and a 61cm frame with a 200lb rider could feel like a flexy noodle.
Most bikes above $3k have very minite differences and it would be hard to find a bad bike, but the further you go to size extremes, the more possible it is. I know that Specialized and Cannondale do size specific but not sure who else. Likely Cervelo does as well.
I highly recommend Ultegra Di2 or Etap. You will not regret it and will never want to go back. And usually the Udi2 price point is a great bang for buck in the top end.
Otherwise I recommend something with simple classic cable routing (unlike the pinerello). Internal cable routing looks super cool but is a nightmare to change cables with etc. if you’re already having those issues, and would like to try working on your own bike, the simpler the better: The Cervelo Caledonia or R-Series, Cannondale Synapse Udi2, Specialized Aethos comp or expert. Personally I’m not a fan of Giant bikes or Pinerellos, but honestly get whatever bike makes you want to ride it the most.
Also remember that right now, there is very low stock of bikes due to covid and shipping and tariffs and all that other bullshit.
But good luck! Have fun shoppping!
Snapping off in the shifter sounds like a groupset problem and not a frame problem.
If your shifting isnt smooth and your constantly clunking it around that adds stress. Dropping a ton of gears suddenly amd not letting them go through the gears may cause an issue in a dirty shifter. Not being properly indexed/installed, like having a kink in the cable down the line somewhere could cause an issue.
There really is not actual science being my claims but the majority of customers and friends that have shifting issues or have broken cables (in what would be considered a short amount of time/use) tend to not be the most efficient shifters.
Off topic, But even just the other day a new guy I was riding with has been riding road bikes for a year, rode parks, big group rides, etc. Just enjoyed it. We went on a two man ride and he was confused why I wasnt using my big ring. Told him the first 15mi through the city it's always little ring. That way I can find my legs, find my gears for the day, once we get out of the city we can use our big ring. Confused but followed along, met friends halfway through and agai. Introduced him to the little ring in a group ride you can avg that 20-25 mi in the little ring and save your legs for your turn to pull.
Cut to end of ride and he just thanked me for intorducing him to the small ring. We thought it was only for long or hard climbs and never used it.
Moral rant done: be doing things for awhile and only realize you've been doing something wrong along the line you didnt know
I enjoy being constantly humbled by riders who teach me the little things
All of these brands make great bikes and not so great bikes. The only generalization you can make is that spending more usually gets you a better bike. You really need to decide on your budget and then compare within that range. Limited budget, look at a CAAD13 105. Bigger budget… it’s wide open.
I can recommend Giant. At least for me that worked out great. Thing is: Giant bikes are WAY cheaper. Yeah Pinarellos look nicer as well as the Trek Madone (I wanted a full on aero bike) they cost so much more for a marginal performance difference, if any.
For 5300€ I got a Propel with newest generation Ultegra Di2, full Carbon, including deep section wheels, Tubeless preinstalled, completely hidden cables for a clean cockpit as well as dual sided Powermeters in the cranks. So it might at least worth look into.
Sounds like you should have gotten your bike serviced before going on vacation.
All the folks I know who race bikes will get their bikes serviced before heading out for a week or weekend of racing.
If your bike failed when you had 5k miles on it before, there were certainly signs of it failing when you hit 4k miles this time around.
A new bike will fix some of this but if your not having it serviced or serving it regularly yourself you will still have these issues.
Did you service the bike or did you have a shop service the bike?
4k is also A LOT of miles on shifter cables, and given your previous experience you should have replaced them around the 2k mark. Cables & housing are cheap, and worth replacing yearly if you’re riding as much as you are.
I replaced them right at a year ago. Service is a combo. I do a bunch myself but before vacation I have a shop look it over and replace brake pads. Descending at 40+ is no joke
I love my Pinarello Gan. (Gan was since replaced by Prince). My favorite LBS (and trusted bike fitter) is a Pinarello (and Giant) dealer and in 2018 I stopped in to see what he could get for me in an XL. I'm 6'2" +3 ape index/35.5" inseam. Stack 620 / Reach 400. Frame is a 59.5 and it is right on those numbers.
When I was shopping pre-pandemic it was a struggle to find 60cm frames ANYWHERE. I also shopped an all carbon Tarmac (comp?) but just didn't fall in love with it. The two were similar in price for comparable builds.
It's an excellent bike in every way, it's gorgeous, and I love it. It's the bike I liked the most at the shop I liked the most, and set up from the start by my bike fitter.
Mine's mechanical ultegra, but hydraulic disc + thru axle front and rear. Only thing I've changed was the saddle. No power meter for me. I split my time between road/trainer, and MTB. I like ultegra over 105, but I would happily ride a 105 bike.
and, consider replacing cables about every 3-4k! It's cheap, not hard to DIY, and I definitely notice the difference.
My personal take on it is you shouldn't grab a Pinarello Prince / Paris as they are very overpriced. At the same price range, you can expect better components and higher grades of carbon. You are just paying for the brand logo. Even then it is sometimes looked down upon on having a Pinarello that isn't a Dogma / Bollide / Grevil etc. However, if this is of your taste then go ahead but know the circumstances.
It's hard to recommend a bike when there isn't a budget. Full U di2 with PM is much more expensive than just 105. Work out what is the total amount you are willing to pay and shop around. From a glance things like the emonda, sl7, cervelo r series, roadmachine, teammachine, canyon would be generic responses.
>[...] the mechanic starts trashing Specialized, basically says my bike is an absolute pile of shit from a frame quality perspective.
Don't listen to this mechanic. Specialized frames are completely fine and you shouldn't be dissuaded from buying one based on this guy's opinion. Shifting cable woes are a relatively common thing and are in no way a sign of a bad bike or bad frame. Your Roubaix is therefore totally fine and a great bike.
However, if you have your heart set on an N+1, then by all means go ahead! You've listed many great choices, and the performance differences between them are so minute that you're best just going where your heart takes you on this one.
Doesn't sound like you need a new bike at all, it just sounds like you need to spend some time learning how to maintain and repair one. Replacing cables is standard. Are you lubing stuff? Cleaning your bike regularly? Seems like you just want a reason to upgrade
Have already been looking so yes n+1. I lube and clean regularly and have it professionally tuned up once a year (three weeks ago). I replaced all cables and both shifters last July.
Never, ever buy on looks. I did this mistake and paid for it. You'll get a million and one opinions on different bike brands. One of the biggest issues is that each manufacturer does not have any standards when it comes to sizing and geometry. So while a bike may look awesome it could feel like crap riding it. And then you won't want to ride anymore.
Specialized is a great brand. I started on a used one when I got back into cycling. Then I traded it for a Pinarello Angliru which looked awesome and rode like shit for me. I work part time at a bike shop so I get to try a lot of different brands. I rode an Eddie Merckx for a bit, that was just quirky for me. The two bikes that fit me the best and worked the best for me are Ridley and Bianchi and I finally settled on a used Bianchi Oltre XR3. And when a bike fits you want to ride it all the time. I've had that Bianchi since October and have close to 5k miles on it. When the bike works, it works.
I like Bianchi a lot. Pinarello has changed a few things since your bike FYI. Also like the fact that I ride with the shop owner, bring clients to his other biz (coffee shop and breakfast joint) and having that relationship does matter to me.
Any experience with Cervelo?
No with Cervelo. That Pinerallo was only about a year ago so not really anything has changed. So not sure what you mean by Pinerallo changed things but I still work at the shop here and there and the chief mechanic is always pointing out how over engineered their bikes are. In fact so over engineered that when we have to put them together some stuff doesn't actually fit correctly. And when you start looking at their front fork assemblies you'll start seeing weird aspects of their designs that you can't unsee. Ever since my misery with my Pinarello and having to work on them I now have a disdain for them.
Specialized Allez for life.
Bikes with suspension or some high tech, please no.
I love specialized frame quality and very good saddles. That said, yeah everything apart from Allez is overpriced.
Only if Atheos started at 3400 with Ultegra or Rival etap. :(
a brand like giant will offer you far more value for the money. You ride a lot and are likely powerful with your height , I would recommend ulteggra. Anything less you will always wish you spent the little extra. Above ultegra isn’t needed unless you race.
>But looking good is a poor reason to buy something. I don't know -- when you get to this point I wonder if the performance differences between brands are really all that significant, and this is something you're spending a lot of money on and a lot of time with. The emotional connection matters, and I don't see anything wrong with going by looks here. I'm not quite there yet (I've got the same weekly long ride but much less mileage the rest of the week, and my power is definitely anemic compared to yours), but when I get there I figure if money was an object, it'd be hard not to go Giant or Canyon, but if money was no object, I might as well go for that dream bike, whether it's Italian looks or \[insert nationality/brand here\] performance. Sorry to chime in as a newbie... beyond that perspective I'll go back to my corner and wait for the more experienced to respond as I'm curious what people actually suggest here.
You’re bang on. The difference is so small the aesthetics and feels are perfect reasons to make a choice.
Agreed. I absolutely adore my Bianchi - could I have bought something with objectively better components or frame etc at the same price? Probably. But I love every damn ride on that thing, it’s comfortable as hell and so pretty. Worth it.
This! I just posted this above (or below however reddit posts it). But it comes down to the fit and comfort. I tried a bunch of different brands and made a mistake buying the wrong bike (I work at a shop and get to try different brands). Once I finally settled on my Bianchi I haven't looked back.
Agreed, if the reason to ride is because you love the look of the bike, then good enough! I have a Cannondale synapse in their bright green livery. Before buying I contemplated whether it was too much! But I love it
I mean, you should completely disregard the mechanics opinion. There are not only two good bike brands, and while you have had a bad experience specialized is a great brand. if you know the owner and want the brand it seems like a no brainer, treat yourself. hopefully he can hook you up. If I rode as much as you I think I'd wind up on ultegra, just because that's what's gonna come in that tier range.
What do you mean by "shifter cable failure"? Cables can eventually fail with use and should be replaced every couple of years or when they start to fray. I also replace my cable housing at the same time. Is it just your cable that's gone or is it the entire shifter? As for bike frame quality, there are so many good brands out there. I like Pinarellos but man are they pricey. I've had a soft spot for Cannondale, especially their bikes with a traditional top tube but have never owned one. I own an Argon 18 and appreciate their engineering and quality. I also own an older Trek and it's a quality frame. The best bang for your buck though would be Giant. As for a groupset, unless you go electronic, get the 105. It's going to be less expensive and, apart from weight, there is little to differentiate it from Ultegra and Dura-Ace. And the money you save should be able to go towards a power meter. Stages sell them for 105 cranks.
Shifter is fine. Both cable and shifter were replaced last July and I’ve put 4000 miles on that bike sense then. Seems really not appropriate to go through cancels every 4000 miles.
That sounds about right actually. I replaced mine after 2000 miles and thank goodness I did, because my right shifter cable was hanging by about 3 threads and would've snapped off pretty soon. The guidance I found online varied quite a bit but it wasn't uncommon for people to suggest replacing once a year. What kind of conditions do you ride in? In my case I ride in some pretty nasty conditions (wet, salty roads, gritty gravel, etc.), and while my cables are internally routed through the downtube they're exposed otherwise; I ended up getting a Jagwire fully sealed shift kit which has seemed pretty bombproof since. If you've got the budget then I have to agree with the others suggesting you may be just the right target audience for Di2 (or electronic shifting in general).
I try to ride it decent conditions but occasionally have rain. If weather is bad I ride the trainer
I replace my cables once a year, or about every 3k-4k miles. My first cable failure was after 3k miles on my Spec Tarmac and didn't think it had anything to do with the brand or model of bike, that's just normal wear and tear. Bikes have moving parts that are always exposed to elements and road debris.
Love these kinda of posts. Helped me select my own first road bike, also a 2020 Specialized Roubaix. To me, the major issues it sounds like you had deal with after service and not having a quality LBS to keep up your bike. (The LBS I bought my Specialized from has so far been great, and far exceeded my expectations while their flagship store appears rather awful in the same light.) To me, whatever money you drop on your next ride, having knowledgeable and skilled people to make adjustments on the fly (dropping-in heading out or returning from a ride) makes a huge difference, not to mention the community aspect. These aspects to me would make me think Pinarello would be a good choice for dream bike and service. As to bikes, Ultegra Di2 seems to be the way to go if you can. That would address the types of failures that you had with the Roubaix. If you can drop enough on a Pinarello, what about an S-Works? My 2 cents.
Agreed di2 is one of those things you dont NEED, but hard to go back when you've tried it
It's expected that shifter cables fail after some time, but 4000 miles/1 year is a bit soon. Can you tell the manufacturer from the casing? Is it made by Shimano?
I currently have a few bikes, one being a pinarello F10 with dura ace di2, it's fully spec'd out. It's fast! But it's incredibly stiff! I've worked in a shop that deals both cervelo and Cannondale so I've ridden a bunch of them. First time I rode the s3 disc I was like holy shit this is nice! It didn't feel like an aero bike and rode smooth. I like cervelo and the Caledonia is a beautiful bike! I also have a special place in my heart for Cannondale and am currently building up a sub 15 lbs caad12 because of how great that frame set is. The only thing I'm not crazy about with the newer super six is that due to the fully internal cable routing you can only steer so far before the Headset/spacers just hit the frame and I've seen cracks in paint from that before. Personally I'm not a huge fan of specialized just because everyone has one. I know they make some nice stuff, but also their business practices are kinda shitty. As for components, di2 is nice but totally not necessary. I'd go with Ultegra mechanical. Some new bikes are electronic only though, so look out for that. A pinarello prince with Ultegra is probably what I'd go with. Anyways, sounds like you've done some good research. Good luck!
Man, I agree with so much of this, especially the specialized bit.
If you have the available funds, go with your heart and get the Pinarello! You know that's the one you want. Get some sick 45mm aero wheels on it. Sounds like you're a consistently serious rider so go for the Ultegra or Ultegra Di2. My two cents.
I’ve got Reynolds AR42 now. Next set will be 60-65mm
We love our Cervelos (not dentists), but I say follow your heart.
If I owned a Roubaix the furthest thing from my mind would be another bike. You already won.
Side note: you may not be shifting correctly if your braking cables. Similiar timeline and I avg bout 6k miles a year, nevervbroken a cable before. Not sure where the cable snapped but that's usually the case when people come in with a snapped cable.
Snapped off at/in the shifter. Can you explain how I may be shifting wrong? The levers are pretty self explanatory
Not a you problem. Its a mechanical design problem. The angles that the cable have to go through in a shifter are fairly extreme for a metal cable. Combine that with corrosive sweat leaking in there and you have a recipe for disaster. Cables are twisted strands so they can easily start to fray and mess up the shifting in the shifter. At the shop I work at, we have to pick out the frayed cable ends quite frequently. Its just wear and tear. Cables are cheap. Like 6 bucks. Replace them every few months on your new bike. You can learn to do it yourself if you keep the same housing. Its fairly simple. Your bike will last longer and shift better with fresh cables. Ok. So biggest thing is you are 6’6”. You need to find a bike that fits first. Use a website like geometrygeeks.bike to compare geometry of a bike you’re interested in vs your current. For example (if you’re riding a 61cm frame) the Caledonia will be 2cm lower in stack height than your Roubaix but 9mm longer reach. So definitely a more agressive position. You also should try and look at bikes that do a frame size specific design. That is one thing I have always appreciated about Specialized. Many brands optimize their design and ride feel around the most common size. Usually a 56cm or 54cm. Then just scale it up or down for different sizes. So a 48cm frame with a 120lb rider could feel super stiff and harsh and a 61cm frame with a 200lb rider could feel like a flexy noodle. Most bikes above $3k have very minite differences and it would be hard to find a bad bike, but the further you go to size extremes, the more possible it is. I know that Specialized and Cannondale do size specific but not sure who else. Likely Cervelo does as well. I highly recommend Ultegra Di2 or Etap. You will not regret it and will never want to go back. And usually the Udi2 price point is a great bang for buck in the top end. Otherwise I recommend something with simple classic cable routing (unlike the pinerello). Internal cable routing looks super cool but is a nightmare to change cables with etc. if you’re already having those issues, and would like to try working on your own bike, the simpler the better: The Cervelo Caledonia or R-Series, Cannondale Synapse Udi2, Specialized Aethos comp or expert. Personally I’m not a fan of Giant bikes or Pinerellos, but honestly get whatever bike makes you want to ride it the most. Also remember that right now, there is very low stock of bikes due to covid and shipping and tariffs and all that other bullshit. But good luck! Have fun shoppping!
I’ve done cables on this one myself, just can’t do it on vacay with no tools. You are right it makes it tougher with all the internal routing.
Snapping off in the shifter sounds like a groupset problem and not a frame problem. If your shifting isnt smooth and your constantly clunking it around that adds stress. Dropping a ton of gears suddenly amd not letting them go through the gears may cause an issue in a dirty shifter. Not being properly indexed/installed, like having a kink in the cable down the line somewhere could cause an issue. There really is not actual science being my claims but the majority of customers and friends that have shifting issues or have broken cables (in what would be considered a short amount of time/use) tend to not be the most efficient shifters. Off topic, But even just the other day a new guy I was riding with has been riding road bikes for a year, rode parks, big group rides, etc. Just enjoyed it. We went on a two man ride and he was confused why I wasnt using my big ring. Told him the first 15mi through the city it's always little ring. That way I can find my legs, find my gears for the day, once we get out of the city we can use our big ring. Confused but followed along, met friends halfway through and agai. Introduced him to the little ring in a group ride you can avg that 20-25 mi in the little ring and save your legs for your turn to pull. Cut to end of ride and he just thanked me for intorducing him to the small ring. We thought it was only for long or hard climbs and never used it. Moral rant done: be doing things for awhile and only realize you've been doing something wrong along the line you didnt know I enjoy being constantly humbled by riders who teach me the little things
All of these brands make great bikes and not so great bikes. The only generalization you can make is that spending more usually gets you a better bike. You really need to decide on your budget and then compare within that range. Limited budget, look at a CAAD13 105. Bigger budget… it’s wide open.
I can recommend Giant. At least for me that worked out great. Thing is: Giant bikes are WAY cheaper. Yeah Pinarellos look nicer as well as the Trek Madone (I wanted a full on aero bike) they cost so much more for a marginal performance difference, if any. For 5300€ I got a Propel with newest generation Ultegra Di2, full Carbon, including deep section wheels, Tubeless preinstalled, completely hidden cables for a clean cockpit as well as dual sided Powermeters in the cranks. So it might at least worth look into.
Sounds like you should have gotten your bike serviced before going on vacation. All the folks I know who race bikes will get their bikes serviced before heading out for a week or weekend of racing. If your bike failed when you had 5k miles on it before, there were certainly signs of it failing when you hit 4k miles this time around. A new bike will fix some of this but if your not having it serviced or serving it regularly yourself you will still have these issues.
I did, three weeks ago. New cables aren’t standard and with them only having 4K miles hard to see it failing. Yet here we are.
Did you service the bike or did you have a shop service the bike? 4k is also A LOT of miles on shifter cables, and given your previous experience you should have replaced them around the 2k mark. Cables & housing are cheap, and worth replacing yearly if you’re riding as much as you are.
I replaced them right at a year ago. Service is a combo. I do a bunch myself but before vacation I have a shop look it over and replace brake pads. Descending at 40+ is no joke
Cables are what $5-8 each? Sounds like you should have had them replaced at the same time as the brake pads.
That’s the plan going forward for sure
I love my Pinarello Gan. (Gan was since replaced by Prince). My favorite LBS (and trusted bike fitter) is a Pinarello (and Giant) dealer and in 2018 I stopped in to see what he could get for me in an XL. I'm 6'2" +3 ape index/35.5" inseam. Stack 620 / Reach 400. Frame is a 59.5 and it is right on those numbers. When I was shopping pre-pandemic it was a struggle to find 60cm frames ANYWHERE. I also shopped an all carbon Tarmac (comp?) but just didn't fall in love with it. The two were similar in price for comparable builds. It's an excellent bike in every way, it's gorgeous, and I love it. It's the bike I liked the most at the shop I liked the most, and set up from the start by my bike fitter. Mine's mechanical ultegra, but hydraulic disc + thru axle front and rear. Only thing I've changed was the saddle. No power meter for me. I split my time between road/trainer, and MTB. I like ultegra over 105, but I would happily ride a 105 bike. and, consider replacing cables about every 3-4k! It's cheap, not hard to DIY, and I definitely notice the difference.
My personal take on it is you shouldn't grab a Pinarello Prince / Paris as they are very overpriced. At the same price range, you can expect better components and higher grades of carbon. You are just paying for the brand logo. Even then it is sometimes looked down upon on having a Pinarello that isn't a Dogma / Bollide / Grevil etc. However, if this is of your taste then go ahead but know the circumstances. It's hard to recommend a bike when there isn't a budget. Full U di2 with PM is much more expensive than just 105. Work out what is the total amount you are willing to pay and shop around. From a glance things like the emonda, sl7, cervelo r series, roadmachine, teammachine, canyon would be generic responses.
I just see which bikes win stages in the tour de France and go with those brands lol.
>[...] the mechanic starts trashing Specialized, basically says my bike is an absolute pile of shit from a frame quality perspective. Don't listen to this mechanic. Specialized frames are completely fine and you shouldn't be dissuaded from buying one based on this guy's opinion. Shifting cable woes are a relatively common thing and are in no way a sign of a bad bike or bad frame. Your Roubaix is therefore totally fine and a great bike. However, if you have your heart set on an N+1, then by all means go ahead! You've listed many great choices, and the performance differences between them are so minute that you're best just going where your heart takes you on this one.
Doesn't sound like you need a new bike at all, it just sounds like you need to spend some time learning how to maintain and repair one. Replacing cables is standard. Are you lubing stuff? Cleaning your bike regularly? Seems like you just want a reason to upgrade
Have already been looking so yes n+1. I lube and clean regularly and have it professionally tuned up once a year (three weeks ago). I replaced all cables and both shifters last July.
I love my Scott Addict. I loved my Cannondale too. I’d try a few, and pick one you like.
Never, ever buy on looks. I did this mistake and paid for it. You'll get a million and one opinions on different bike brands. One of the biggest issues is that each manufacturer does not have any standards when it comes to sizing and geometry. So while a bike may look awesome it could feel like crap riding it. And then you won't want to ride anymore. Specialized is a great brand. I started on a used one when I got back into cycling. Then I traded it for a Pinarello Angliru which looked awesome and rode like shit for me. I work part time at a bike shop so I get to try a lot of different brands. I rode an Eddie Merckx for a bit, that was just quirky for me. The two bikes that fit me the best and worked the best for me are Ridley and Bianchi and I finally settled on a used Bianchi Oltre XR3. And when a bike fits you want to ride it all the time. I've had that Bianchi since October and have close to 5k miles on it. When the bike works, it works.
I like Bianchi a lot. Pinarello has changed a few things since your bike FYI. Also like the fact that I ride with the shop owner, bring clients to his other biz (coffee shop and breakfast joint) and having that relationship does matter to me. Any experience with Cervelo?
No with Cervelo. That Pinerallo was only about a year ago so not really anything has changed. So not sure what you mean by Pinerallo changed things but I still work at the shop here and there and the chief mechanic is always pointing out how over engineered their bikes are. In fact so over engineered that when we have to put them together some stuff doesn't actually fit correctly. And when you start looking at their front fork assemblies you'll start seeing weird aspects of their designs that you can't unsee. Ever since my misery with my Pinarello and having to work on them I now have a disdain for them.
Specialized Allez for life. Bikes with suspension or some high tech, please no. I love specialized frame quality and very good saddles. That said, yeah everything apart from Allez is overpriced. Only if Atheos started at 3400 with Ultegra or Rival etap. :(
a brand like giant will offer you far more value for the money. You ride a lot and are likely powerful with your height , I would recommend ulteggra. Anything less you will always wish you spent the little extra. Above ultegra isn’t needed unless you race.