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Frame Technology vs. Components
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 2011-06-30 8:44 AM |
Veteran  281   Charlestown |  Subject: Frame Technology vs. ComponentsI'm looking to get into a new tri bike and I'm stuck between two bikes - hoping the BT crew can help me out! I was set on the Planet X Exocet with a full SRAM Red groupset until I went into my LBS yesterday and saw the new Trek Speed Concept 7.2 (full SRAM Rival groupset)....and now I can't decide. From what I gather, PX is a widely known/used brand in Europe but isn't as widely distributed in the US. It would be an online purchase - though the US distributor seems very responsive. It would include SRAM's top-of-the-line components, but the frame is a bit of a question mark. I'm definitely not a brand snob (don't care if people have heard of my bike before) but I am price-conscious and always looking to get the most out of the money I spend. Price, including the build, would be about $3150. The Speed Concept is Trek's newest TT bike and has gotten some great reviews. I'd get it from my LBS, so I'd continue building that relationship. I'm pretty confident that the Trek frame would blow the PX frame away, but it's built up with SRAM Rival instead of Red. How much better is Red over Rival? Total cost of this bike would be $2900. Opinions on which is better - top-of-the-line components or top-of-the-line frame? |
| 2011-06-30 8:59 AM in reply to: #3574448 |
Champion 16151  Checkin' out the podium girls | Subject: RE: Frame Technology vs. Components Tough one. First adage of buying a bike: The frame IS the bicycle. everything else hangs off of that. The frame dictates handling, comfort, fit and more. Planet X is a great frame. You're not making a mistake by buying that. I like my SRAM bike which is mixed Red and Force. The Trek is also a great bike. Trek comes with a lifetime warrantee. The Rival group is just fine: you're not compromising there. The BIGGEST thing I see is the fact you're talking about tri bikes and not road bikes. The fit on a tri bike is so precise and important. I might not be comfortable buying a bike sight unseen and not having that fit as part of the buying process. But I have done exactly this. Some help I am...  |
| 2011-07-01 7:16 AM in reply to: #3574448 |
Veteran 281 Charlestown | Subject: RE: Frame Technology vs. Components Hi Pitt, Thanks for your input! As you have confirmed, I've heard good things about the PX bikes. I'm a little concerned about buying it without test riding, but I guess theres always tradeoffs! Do you know how the Exocet fits? Does it have aggressive geometry that requires some flexibility to get into properly (like a cervelo)?Thanks again!Jon |
| 2011-07-01 9:16 AM in reply to: #3574448 |
Pro 5892 , New Hampshire | Subject: RE: Frame Technology vs. Components Never buy a bike that you don't know fits... it can be a very costly mistake. |
| 2011-07-01 9:55 AM in reply to: #3574448 |
Veteran 572 Hudson Valley | Subject: RE: Frame Technology vs. Components The Planet-X frame looks stiffer. While both frames have the seat stay mating with the seat tube about 1/4 of the way down from the top tube, the Planet-X frame has more material in the side view. The motivation for mating the seat stay part way down the seat tube is to reduce the weight the extra length of stay tubing to reach the top tube/seat tube joint. The tradeoff is if you hit a big enough bump, or roll off a large enough drop of uneven pavement, with the rear wheel, the chain stays will bend UP, and the seat stays will compress. This places a huge bending force on the seat tube, potentially causing a catastrophic failure. This isn't a problem with the double triangle frames since the seat stay, seat tube, and top tube meet at a single joint, transferring shocks from the rear triangle to compressive forces in the toptube. Frame tubes will handle greater compression than bending forces. Cannondale has even more material to distribute shocks from the rear triangle and reduce the bending forces on the seat tube. Cervelo P2,3,4 have all 3 tubes at a single joint. |
| 2011-07-01 11:14 AM in reply to: #3576301 |
Champion 16151 Checkin' out the podium girls | Subject: RE: Frame Technology vs. Components whynot-tri - 2011-07-01 8:16 AM Hi Pitt, Thanks for your input! As you have confirmed, I've heard good things about the PX bikes. I'm a little concerned about buying it without test riding, but I guess theres always tradeoffs! Do you know how the Exocet fits? Does it have aggressive geometry that requires some flexibility to get into properly (like a cervelo)?Thanks again!Jon The best way to answer this is to compare everything. You can get your body measurements by doing the bike fit at www.competitivecyclist.com Then get the gemoetry for the PlanetX and the Trek from their websites. spreadsheet all of these and see which is closer to YOUR measurements and if that PX will work or not. |
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