Building a super bike

Gonna go against the grain

Gonna go against the grain here: buy whatever you want! If you’ve got the money and you want to spend it, I’m not going to tell you not to.  I’m just jealous I can’t do the same 😉

Though, if I were giving out recommendations…  people on here are correct about the very real possibility of getting a very nice bike only to find out that you hate how it rides.  I too like the Dogma frames, though not because of Froome, I just like the design.  If you’re dead-set on a Pina, but want to hedge your bets and not spend so much just in case you end up not liking it, I’d suggest going for one of their Gan models.  Look just like the Dogma F8 but with a cheaper (read slightly heavier) carbon layup.  Competitive Cyclist has the 2017 Gan S Ultegra on for $2,400 USD. 

Get a pro fit done with the Gan and ride it for awhile to see if you like it.  If you do, throw on some carbon aero bars (or even aluminum aero), deep carbon rims, and any other little flashes you want (assuming seat, stem, etc. would be worked out during bike fit), and you’ve got something that’s probably 95% of the Dogma but half (or less) of the price, and will still have a lot of bling.  But more importantly, if you don’t like it, you could offload it much easier than a Dogma without losing much money on it, and then have a better idea of what you’re looking for.

I’m with the others that there’s no need to get above Ultegra.  You have the ability to go Di2 if you want, and replacing parts will be a lot cheaper not only because the parts are cheaper, but also you won’t have to replace them as often, since from what I’ve heard/read you often end up sacrificing durability to get those marginal weight gains.  In the small group I ride with, all the bikes are pretty nice (except for my CAAD8 🙂 ).  Several Cervelo S5’s, a 13lb Trek Emonda, a couple Felt AR’s, a Storck Aernario, and a Dogma F8, most riding Enve wheels.  Aside from the F8 equipped with eTap (he got a screaming deal on it), the rest don’t use anything above Ultegra, although they can afford it.  A few had tried DA in the past, said they downgraded because the shifting felt nearly identical, barely noticed weight difference if at all, but were having to replace parts more often.

Good luck on whatever you decide!

Leviathan wrote:

Leviathan wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

And you should hide when training, world champs bands on kits and super bikes become a target. I did the Manchester 100 on a 1980s steel Peugeot converted to single speed – enjoyed nothing more than annihilating people on Pinarellos’ :)

Annihilating them at 18.4kph? If true they deserve to have their Pinarellos smashed, Al.

It depends if you believe everything you see on Strava, mine tends to follow me around the house, never auto pauses and also takes into account when I coast to let friends in a group do as they wish to…

And yep, smashed people thru Church Minshull up the climb or through Hartford…

Worth bearing in mind how the

Worth bearing in mind how the law of diminishing returns applies to bicycles too…

The difference between £500 and £1000 bikes is fairly massive (more speeds and lighter wheels), the difference between £1000 and £2000 is noticeable (11 speed – maybe Ultegra – lighter overall weight), £2000 to £4000 isn’t a huge difference in bikes (electric shifting, a slightly lighter frame and maybe aero wheels), and the difference between £4000 and £8000 bikes is even more marginal (Dura Ace Di2 with a slightly lighter frame and slightly lighter aero wheels).

The difference between a bike that costs £1500-£2; and one which costs £6-8k is surprisingly small.

Really, all you will see is Dura Ace Di2 in place of Ultegra mechanical and a set of carbon aero wheels, overall the weight difference may only be 1 kg at most, both will have carbon fibre frames, both will be damn good.

If you’re building an Italian

If you’re building an Italian superbike why settle with the Veloce level Dura Ace?

Richbeck wrote:

Move away from the crowd.

Bespoke Reynolds 953 frame, Campag Super Record, handbuilt wheels to your spec/riding style – contact points/cockpit to suit and for comfort.

 

buy a Pinarello and someone else will have one – Bespoke bike – one of a kind!

Or a Wilier Superleggera Ramato

I think it might also be

I think it might also be worth pointing out that you may not get on very well with a superbike when you are just starting out. Similarly, when you are an experienced cyclist, you won’t get on with an entry level bike. Geometry, gears, saddle, pedals – everything really.

My other half is a bike fitter and has some horror stories of (mostly middle-aged men with a bit of money to spend – not saying or assuming this is you) who decide they want to buy a really nice bike and they’ve bought a top of the range Cervelo or Pinarello, only to find it beats them up. When you’re just starting out, the power you produce will be reasonably low and you’ll find an aggressive race position uncomfy. This often leads to people finding that race bikes beat them up as they are riding along and give them all sorts of issues, lasting damage can be done from a poor bike fit. The example that stands out in my head was a Cervelo R5 that my other half had to fit a steerer tube extender and a riser stem because the gent riding it complained his new bike was too low and uncomfortable.

Either way, I think if you dead set on parting with such a large sum of cash, you really need to test ride a lot of different bikes and get a full professional bike fit. Personally, I’d go with something that isn’t a superbike but is a good bike nonetheless; you can cut your teeth on it then use it as a winter bike in the long run.

jrg91 wrote:

Also, One of the reasons I wanted to jump straight to a Pinarello was because I am also into motorcycles (on the road and track) and I got some bad advice when starting out as to which bikes to get. Cheap/expensive, new/second-hand etc. I kind of regretted my decisions. I could have what and where I wanted much faster and cheaper.

Not to say that you’re all giving me bad advice. Bicycles might be a different matter altogether. Maybe you’re right and it’s too much bike for a noob but I want(ed) to be sure.

One of my colleagues had some bad advice about motorcycles, he was advised to buy a cheap motorbike for getting to work and, basically, it broke after a just over a year! So, I understand what you’re getting at.

From my own experience, I found it a real privilege to develop my own cycling ability along with slowly upgrading my bicycle. I learnt how to fix my bike, how to adjust the bikefit and how to get the most out of myself on my bike – I found it really rewarding.

Now, I know that makes me sound like a total pretentious tw*& but what I’m trying to get across is that you might find that if you buy a good road bike, a 105 level carbon (or high-grade alu might be a better option), in the long run, you’ll find what you really want. Stick with it and you’ll develop your own cycling ability to levels you wouldn’t have thought possible – you’ll gradually find you know what you want from a bike and then you’ll find the superbike that you REALLY want, not one you want just because a pro rides it.