Sale on Javelin complete bikes (Page 8)

So, I did my first ride on my Narni (which I have named Daisy, btw).  OMG, that's going to take some serious adjustment (riding aero on a real tri bike vs quasi aero on a jacked up road bike).  My girly parts are still sore.

But, I can't believe how light Daisy is compared to my tank of a road bike (a no-name Dawes that my friends now want to set aflame and launch off a cliff into Lake Michigan).  I have an extremely aggressive position (would have been better to order a larger size, but this is just a matter of geting a different, more adjustable stem), and she sure is purdy...I love having bar end shifters.  I'm going to really like it once I can get used to being in aero more...

I got my bike tonight! It was so easy to put together. I had to attache the handle bars, the front brake and then put the seat tube in, that's it. I need to get some pedals and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to take it in for a fitting. I'm fired up! My camera isn't charged but I'll get some pictures up tomorrow or the next day.

What a deal! Bear, you're the man!

Make sure there's no grease on the seatpost; clean it off well with alcohol and let dry. Try applying a little grease to the seat bolt bider assembly, then tightenen it with a torque wrench. At least you will then know if you are actually tightening it enough, and the greased threads on the binder bolt will make it easier. Also, you want to make sure you do not over tighten it because crushing/cracking damage to the seatpost is possible by over tightening and that's just an accident you want to avoid     I have heard of several people using a light coat of hairspray on carbon seatposts with good results, but more commonly folks just take a medium grit sandpaper and scuff up the clearcoat on the seatpost up to the point of insertion (so it will stay pretty) and it often works.

Barring all of the above, you could see your LBS or contact Javelin. I wouldn't hesitate to contact Javelin - scratch that, yes, I would hesitate, only beacause I know how busy they are right now, but they are a great bunch to deal with and may be able to help.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I will be honest, I considered it for about thirty seconds on buying a second to defray the cost of the first.

Then I considered how cool of a deal this was, and I decided it wasn't worth the bad juju to put a bike up for sale that was in limited quantity to begin with, and deprive a fellow BTer or starting triathlete of a good bike at a great price.

If it was Specialized however, I would have been in for 10.  

OK - this is somewhat of a complicated question with some give and take - so I will explain the differences and you can decide.

Rear Derailer - Parma has a Xenon and Garda has a Mirage - cost wise the difference is minimal, as it is performance wise.  It is a step up to the Mirage, but a baby step, and the cost is eqaul to about $30.  Personally, I do not like the feel of the Mirage set up at all, and may spend the $400 to upgrade to Veloce - but that changes the whole concept of this deal, doesn't it?  It is an entry level bike and these are entry level components.  Will it make that big of a difference?  You would probably never notice.

Casette - Parma has a 13-25 and Garda has a 12-23.  There is no cost difference between the cassettes, the difference lies in the ability to gear where you need to gear.  The 13-25 is going to be slower in the flat out run (top speed of 24.1 mph at 80 rpm) but it is going to be easier to climb (based on the highest number of cogs on the cassette).  The 12-23 will top out at 26.2 @ 80 rpm, so you are talking about 2 MPH, or about 3 minutes over a sprint bicycle leg, assuming that you could ride all out the whole time (which is a really big and not very real assumption).  It really depends on how good of a climber you are.  You can change the cassettes fairly easily (or have your LBS do it).  A new cassette would cost you about $60 and you could even get an 11-23, which would get you a top speed of 28.5 mph.

Hubs - Parma is alloy - Garda is sealed.  Sealed are smoother, quieter, and require a little less maintenance.  Alloy, you can learn to do the maintenance by yourself, sealed has to be done by an experienced wrench.

Tires - Kenda Kontender on the Parma and Maxxis Detonator on the Garda.  Both tires are entry level, not very tough, mostly training tires.  The Maxxis are a little better.  Personally, if I was going to race on this bike, I would change the tires anyway, so it becomes a non-issue.  I wouldn't classsify either of these tires as good raccing tires.

Aerobars.  Parma has them, Garda don't.  Aerobars can be found at a discount in a lot of places on line.  It is a preference issue as far as brand goes.  I have a set of Profile Design T2 Clip Ons and I have the Aero Slam 700's that come with the Parma.  I haven't ridden the Parma enough to know which I prefer yet.  I thing I would mention, the handlebars on the bikes are made by Oval, so the Oval bars are going to match better.  Other than that, it is a preference deal.  I have seen clip on aero bars for $100 and I have seen them for $200.

Seatpost - Alloy vs. Zero Carbon.  Carbon is a bit more expensive and it is lighter.  I got a black seatpost with my Parma, but I think some folks got a chrome one.  Aesthetically, I like the black better. 

Seat - Selle Italia Onda on the Parma, Selle Italia Nitrox Gel on the Garda.  The Onda is heavier (345g) and less expensive, and has more cushion.  The Nitrox is lighter (290 g) and considered more expensive, though a quick google search found a Nitrox for $40 (regularly $70).  I am particular about my saddle, so I really didn't care what came on it, I knew I was going to change it anyway.  You can find a lot of quality saddles with the shape/weight/color you are looking for on sale right now.

So - that's about it.  Personally, I bought the Parma, because I knew I was going to make certain changes anyway (Components, seat, bar tape, tires, etc.) so I was not that worried about what one had and the other didn't except the aerobars.  It is a personal choice, however, and since I am able to do most of the wrench work on my bikes, I save a bit of money that way as well. 

Another tip - www.qbike.com is a great way to search for bike deals and parts deals.  It searches several sites and comes back with the best prices, in order, for what you searched for.  This is a good way to find upgrades and the like.

Another thing is - both the Garda and the Parma are 9 speed drive trains.  One of the major differences between Campy and Shimano is that you don't need to do a whole lot of switching of components to change that.  To change either into a 10 speed, you need an ergo lever with 10 speeds for your right hand, a 10 speed chain, and the new cassette.  Campy does not require a new derailer (front or rear) to change the cassette size on your bike.  Total cost for the parts would be about $200.  Most folks would probably need a LBS to install the levers.

kylepat07 - 2008-03-27 9:26 AM So, Garda has a small step up on the deraileur...and the different cassette, which I would benefit from the garda i believe, because not many hills here in south mississippi ....next, about the hubs having to be replaced on the garda, I am pretty sure this wouldn't be too hard of a task being I am lucky enough to have my father's car restoration shop and his help lol.....I think I will keep the tires and seat on the bike I choose, for now. I appreciate the post jd, it definitely cleared up a LOT of things in the comparison, but I'm still not sure lol....I know it's only a hundred bucks difference but that could be put toward some inprovements on the parma.So I guess I'm asking what you would choose in my shoes. I know you chose the parma, but would you recommend it for me who is going to keep the bike mainly stock? With the extra money going into a better seat or tires?  Or would the garda be the better fit completely stock? Sorry for so many questions and again I appreciate all of your help!

Without knowing how much you ride - I would say the Parma.  The fact is, usually I would say - buy what you want at first, because upgrading, especiaally components, is very expensive (usually you pay more for the upgrade kit than you paid for the bike).  Campy, however, is not that way.  You can upgrade fairly inexpensively for your components.  So - you buy the Parma - you save $100 and the components are similar, but a touch down.  The aero bars are already there.  You still need to buy a computer - no matter which bike you get - and you still need to buy bottle cages and probably a wedge to hold any spare tubes/tire levers/ etc.)  You have probably reached $100 at this point, maybe a little less. 

Now, let's say that you are riding for a while and you decide you want to change the components.  You can save up for it.  Same with the seat.  You are going to have to replace the tires at some point anyway, so you can wait until they are worn for that.  the bar tape is black, so the dirt won't show on that for a while.  Really, you are riding straight out of the box for the same amount you would pay for the Garda and you saved yourself, perhaps, a pound and what I don't think will amount to much difference in feel with the derailler for those of us that aren't pros. 

One more thing, and keep in mind that we have to trust my 14 year old daughter's ability to count to 13 for this to be accurate, but I called home and asked her to count the cogs on the cassette for the Parma.  She counted and found that the cassette was actually a 12-25 instead of a 13-25.  I think that it has been noted a couple of times already with the Parma that sometimes the parts that come on one aren't exactly the same as the parts that come on another - but in my case - I got a decent climbing bike with a decent speed bike. 

In my case - I was not fond of the all black finish, so I bought a Selle San Marco Millenium Logica seat in red that cost me $29.99 on sale (last years model) and I bought red bar tape, and Hutchinson Carbon Comp racing tires with a red stripe and red bottle cages.  Totally changed the look of the bike for an extra $80 (I would have had to buy the bottle cages anyway, so I did not count them).  That was a "look" choice that I could have done without, but I still didn't unload a fortune on it. 

If I was making the decision for you, I would say the Parma - based on the fact that you seem to be trying to stay within a restricted budget and you are fairly new to the sport (assumptions) and to road biking in general..