not another which bike thread! (roubaix SL2 v Pinarello FP2 v Trek 3.1)

[justinb]

Howdy all,

Just wondering what peoples feed back in on the following models
2011 Trek Madone 3.1
2011 Specialized Robaix SL2
2010 Pinarello FP2

They are all 2500-3000 dollar range and I'm about to saddle up to test ride each bike.

I'm looking for a comfortable, compliant bike to do some road miles on. Not a racer, would describe myself as fat and slow to medium-slow.

So - anyone come down to a similar list? What did you go with
Anyone had to make a warranty claim with the above companies? easy? hard? refused?
If you have one of the above - what are your thoughts about them?

thanks
Justin

 

[C Dunlop]

all are good bikes.

trek and speshy are better than the pina

trek are great on warranty, no idea on speshy, pina's importer, degrandi, are excellent, but pinarello the company are not great though.

for the type of riding you've described, the cannondale synapse carbon 5 is the best bike there is. wheels are junkers, stick a set of something better on it down the line and you'll be laughing

 

[Sumgy]

trek are great on warranty,

Having a friend who has had to try and deal with Trek Australia on 2 seperate occasions I have not seen this to be the case.
Perhaps Trek USA will handle things better now that they have taken over distribution in Australia??

 

[justinb]

Can I throw up another question.

The Pinarello has a wheelbase of around 900mm size 51. The Specialized is 1000mm size 54.

What difference is that going to make to comfort and handling?

thanks for input

 

[Rick_B]

Longer wheelbase will generally equate to more stability, particularly at higher speeds.

I think for the riding you will be doing, either of those bikes will serve you well. I think it will ultimately come down to which one you prefer the feel of, make sure you get demo rides on each of the bikes before making your choice.

Effective Top Tube (ETT) is the critical measurement for a roadbike. For example, not all 54cm sized frames are the same ETT. Download the geometry specs for each of these bikes and compare.

There are other bikes which you can add to your list, for example the Giant "Defy" range is purposely designed for more comfort, as is the Synapse from Cannondale. These bikes typically have taller head tubes and more relaxed steering angles, which promote a more upright and relaxed riding position.

Good luck.

 

[Sumgy]

Effective Top Tube (ETT) is the critical measurement for a roadbike. For example, not all 54cm sized frames are the same ETT. Download the geometry specs for each of these bikes and compare.

Also Reach and Stack.
2 road bikes with the same ETT can have very different reaches and stacks due to the fork length, ST and HT angles.
As a result you can end up with the front end of the bike being substantially higher or lower.

This calculator is good to compare the differences.