Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Greeting folks

I bought the TREK 1.2 (S/H older SORA shifters) as my starting will I like riding again trial bike and I'm riding almost every day even in Perth's ridiculous heat ATM. So with my new found enthusiasm I'm looking to upgrade as I'm certain i'll keep riding for many years to come. I'm just unsure whether I should buy the Giant DEFY 1/2 or Cannondale Synapse Alloy 5/6 (these were chosen due to comfort factor over longer rides) or wait and go Carbon. My ride will be recreational coastal run most mornings and the occasional charity run.


So the questions are:

Is the jump from the 1.2 to the defy or Synapse worth while or do I wait a few more months and go the carbon route even due to my recreational intentions?

Thanks in Advance
Craig

Having recently purchased my new road bike, and being on a similar budget I test rode all 3 of the bikes mentioned (trek, giant and cannondale), I would have to say wait. There really wasn't enough difference to call it an "upgrade". I ended up buying a Avanti Cadent 1.0 and it is a world apart from the other 3, full carbon, tiagra groupset, and sexy colour scheme

Just my 2 cents.

Mitch

P.S - How brutal is this weather?

G'Day Craig, welcome outside

You want carbon and the dollars work for you? Do it!
Of course, you may prefer the feel of something different. Only you can tell and that will take time and test rides.

Hey Kaffine

I have the same frame as you and the only real upgrade you are looking at is running gear.

Those Trek 1000/1.2 frames make great commuters as they have quite a few mounting points for racks and guards and the ride really well. I've got 10sp Dura Ace TT shifters on mine now with the original 9sp Tiagra derailuer (and 10sp chain and cog of course) and it works a treat.

Keep what you have and upgrade the parts as they wear out until you can afford a real upgrade that is worth it eg full carbon with Di2 etc.

PS if you want to spend a few dollars buy some decent wheels, that is the biggest difference I have found with my slow but constant upgrades of the years with the Trek frame. You can always transfer the good wheels to the new frame.

+1 for bosvit's post

the first thing I will be buying when I go back to work and start riding the new bike will be a new wheelset.

Thanks all for the great advise.

I'll heed your sage advise and go the carbon, even the owner at cyclemania recommended to wait and go the carbon later. Similar to my photography experience spend all the money on the lens and upgrade the body when needed, spend the money on the frame then upgrade the components around it. a lot of the stores will have there new year sales in a few days so I'll see what happens then.

Another awesome hot morning in Perth, kept the ride short heading up to Burns Beach(20kms), after a few tweaks on the bike and getting some km's in the legs I'm really starting to enjoy my rides even if it is 30deg at 7AM.


Again thanks for all the help
Craig

Hi Craig,

Yes, killer weather we are having over here atm, good heat training for you I rode up that way early Friday morning, wasnt pleasant thats for sure! .

I changed over to carbon a few weeks ago from my 2009 Avanti Giro (carbon fork/post/seat stays)to a 2012 Avanti quantum 1 I built up. I wasn't looking to 'upgrade' to a carbon frame, was actually going to stick to aluminium. I wanted different geometry. Anyhow, i found a new quantum frame for a good price so went with it and even though in the avanti range the giro is their alumininium endurance/comfort oriented frame to me the carbon quantum does soak the bumps that bit better. Both bikes ran the same wheel/ tyre combo. A carbon frame wont make you any faster, but in my experience it has taken some of the edge of sharp bumps. Since your N.O.R go see del at wanneroo cycles. His prices are good if you decide to go with a new steed.

Mike

The 1.2 will be fine for a while. Why not stick with Trek for the upgrade? Madone or Domane carbon is going to be a nice move up. I would even suggest waiting a LOT longer and going with UDi2 down the track. The difference between Sora and Ultegra isn't so huge that you'd be busting your hump to do the upgrade, in all honesty. Learn to stop changing gears and HTFU You'll benefit from the better frame that comes with a top groupset.

Well I did the rounds of the local bike shops and ended up back at cyclemania, took a few bikes for a test and due to ride, price (20% sale) and customer service, I'm getting the DEFY 2 COMPOSITE from them. Luke (AT) CM was great, listened to what I wanted and didn't try to sell me a $4K+ bike as in other stores. One of the sealers to the deal was he said that when I come to pick up the bike call before, try to make it during the week so they can spend a couple of hours getting the bike fit setup correct.

As for the ride, well the carbon was certainly smoother than Aluminium, riding over coarse road felt similar to the red bike paths in Perth, the geometry was definitely longer as I felt stretched but not uncomfortably so and small climbs were a breeze the weight or gearing or wheels certainly made the assent effortless.

Thanks again for all your help

Craig

Are you going to keep the Trek as a commuter/pub bike etc?

They have all the mounting points for both mudguards and rear pannier racks. They are not worth much but sure are handy alrounders and they have enough clearance for 28mm tyres too.

Kaffine wrote:Well I did the rounds of the local bike shops and ended up back at cyclemania, took a few bikes for a test and due to ride, price (20% sale) and customer service, I'm getting the DEFY 2 COMPOSITE from them. Luke (AT) CM was great, listened to what I wanted and didn't try to sell me a $4K+ bike as in other stores. One of the sealers to the deal was he said that when I come to pick up the bike call before, try to make it during the week so they can spend a couple of hours getting the bike fit setup correct.

As for the ride, well the carbon was certainly smoother than Aluminium, riding over coarse road felt similar to the red bike paths in Perth, the geometry was definitely longer as I felt stretched but not uncomfortably so and small climbs were a breeze the weight or gearing or wheels certainly made the assent effortless.

Thanks again for all your help

Craig

Thats where I bought mine from. Great service and honest sales people. Was not even happy to sell me a bike on the floor as it was the wrong size, it was fraction big even though on Giants charts I would fit.

bosvit wrote:Are you going to keep the Trek as a commuter/pub bike etc?

They have all the mounting points for both mudguards and rear pannier racks. They are not worth much but sure are handy alrounders and they have enough clearance for 28mm tyres too.

No *sniff* already gone got what I paid for it, I was going to swap the Gators over but.. Ah well that was the past looking towards the carbon future

So to become carbon neutral how many kms must I do on a Carbon bike to pay back the carbon frame

No ride tomorrow morning though, maybe in the arvo

Enjoy your new ride. Top blokes there at cyclemania. One of my cousins bought the advanced 2 version a few weeks ago, v nice ride. One tip though, obvious to some but maybe not to all ---> when adjusting your seat dont let the post slide too far down. Look at the wheel recess in the seat tube and imagine what can and did happen when the post went a little low.....

Did the post crack or did the frame?

frame