Road Frame

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Splashing the cash - Bond matures, collect £££££

Anyone help me search out a decent road frame at 1kg or less - I quite like the De Rosa Avant. Scott CR1 are lighter but look drab. Ridley?

Naturally equipped with Record Groupset - what else?

Wheels? Now there's a problem - tubs or HPs? 303's look nice (need to be around a kilo a pair to be worth paying for, otherwise will make do with my Ksyriums.

Paul

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Like the Idol, curvy and stuff, but it is a tad heavier.

Paul

[Graham O]

Litespeed Vortex or Ghisallo...expensive but nice...

The ghisallo is 770 gm - Medium.
The vortex is 1075 gm - Medium.

[Elliot M]

the ghisallo is ridiculous -- i'd heard you could pinch the tubes with 2 fingers and see them flex, so had a go at the last bike show and it's entirely true. (not saying this necessarily has negative connotations)

the addict effectively replaces the cr1 and is even lighter

Cervelo R3?

[Andrew G]

If carbon I love the Look 585 or 595 (if they're being handed out I'm not fussy).
Otherwise titanium, and either Merlin or Seven (custom fit if enough cash).

If purely race wheels then you may as well go tubs and the 303s, you'll still have the K-SLs for clinchers. Would another clincher be that much better than what you already have for the extra outlay? If so Fulcrum ones or zeros, or full bling with the new gold Campag Shamals.

[Jon H]

If it is collect £££££ and not just ££££, then it just has be a pair of Lightweights.

Dunno about the frame though. I've just got a CR1, so what do I know?

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Might just be able to justify lightweights, they are lovely, but concern is cost of repair in the event of a coming together, and irreplacable rims.

303's are light, but 404's more aero for not much more weight. New Boras look the bus????

P

[-Adam-]

Oh so paul mentions zipps and nobody blinks an eyelid. Where as i mention them, and get told how to 'better' spend my money. Hmmm

On the bike front, The BH frames are an absolute delight, or a Cervelo Soloist Carbon SL (mmmmmmmm) or maybe a Time VXRS?

I dont know, when money is less of an object, the choice is just so huge! If i was gonna by a bike tomorow id probly take the BH to be honest. I was in Liphook cycles yesterday, and they had one in there, and it was stunning, just stunning!

[Graham O]

Adam,

That's because were all old codgers and are old enough to be your dad. There is a parenting instinct in here somewhere...

Nest to just ignore us old farts..

There is a bright side..Don't think that many of us are old enough to be Paul's Dad...sorry paul..

Graham..

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

It's all about class and style, and anyway, how can a student afford kit like that - I've had to work for 30 years to be able to do so!!!!
Paul

[Sylv]

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[Marek]

Paul, how about a nice Carbon Pearson, I hear they are very fast and good value for the money.

Cheers

Marek...

[Andrew G]

[quote="AdamJCotterell"]Oh so paul mentions zipps and nobody blinks an eyelid. Where as i mention them, and get told how to 'better' spend my money. Hmmm...

[Steve B]

Talking of zipps Adam, did you buy yours during the week or you did baulk when it came to handing over the cash?

Paul, what a nice problem to have!
I hope you have hours and hours of fun, trawling through all the cycling websites (you will be surprised how many there are when you really look hard), deciding which frame, wheels, groupset and finishing kit to go for.
The problem is the more you look, the more anal you get about the whole damn thing, and in the end you can't choose at all because your brain is totally bike fried. Good luck!

Oh, and don't go for the Ridley, it looks aweful and cheap and you probably wouldn't like it at all. That bit's not true at all actually, it's just that I want to be the only one in the club with one, well at least for a little while anyway.

Unveiling of the hopefully finished Ridley next weekend - weather permitting. Strictly no wet weather for this baby!

Steve

[Jon H]

Paul's old enough to know better, but obviously doesn't. So we might as well help him out with his dilema.

Two suggestions:

1) Kuota KOM (920g for a medium frame, 360g fork).
2) A custom built jobbie in Reynolds 953 (not sure whether that would get under the 1kg mark though).