Specialized Bikes

[Keith Oates]

I've just watched an interview with Levi Leipheimer on the Bicycling.com magazine site in which he gave his reasons for joining Quick Step for next year and one of the reasons is the fact that he will be riding Specialized bikes. He suggested that for him they are one of, if not the, best bikes around and this reminded me of the reports that Cav also wanted to continue using them after leaving HTC. I know a lot of people on this forum use them and that they are good bikes but thought that Colnago, Trek and others were superior to Specialized. So, what do you consider would be your choice of road/racing bike, without taking cost into the consideration.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gds58]

Your question is way too vague! It's a bit like saying "Is a Mercedes better than a BMW or an Audi?" you have to be more specific on a like for like model or type of bike. For example some Specialized bikes/frames may well be better than the other makes you mention for a particular price range but then the other brands may be better in a higher or lower price band. You will also find that when buying 'off the peg' bikes or frames that one particular make will suit you better than another due to its own particular frame geometry which will vary slightly across the makes.

I have my own personal preferences and I happen to think that Cannondale make the best Aluminium frames possibly because they've been making them longer than most others and have pioneered certain construction methods. Carbon however is another matter and there are a huge number of manufacturers that are making outstanding quality carbon frames but the technology is still evolving on these and they are getting better all the time (and more affordable).

Mark Cavendish is in a rather enviable position in that he has a very close relationship with McLaren (the F1 people) who are building frames in collaboration with Specialized and they are using their expertise in the production of high quality carbon products to build a frame specific to Cav's needs as the world's best sprinter. Clearly he would want to hang on to this liaison if at all possible.

What I'm saying is basically that it is pretty much impossible to say which make is 'best' without being very specific.

Graham

 

[Norm]

I have two Spesh road bikes but, as much as anything, that's because the bestest LBS for miles does Specialized.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Aluminium - Cannondale CAAD (no surprise there then)

Steel - Brian Rourke (saw Sean Kelly's Rourke framed bike recently)

Carbon - Wouldn't bother (I'd put the money towards the Rourke instead as I already have a CAAD)


[EDIT] I have no experience of Ti, Bamboo or any other frame material so could not comment on them.

 

[Willo]

You will also find that when buying 'off the peg' bikes or frames that one particular make will suit you better than another due to its own particular frame geometry which will vary slightly across the makes.

Yeah, I have an Allez and the choice was purely that it just felt right and comfy compared to sitting on others but the next person will find the opposite to be true for them. In fact, 2 shops were telling me that a Trek would offer me a slightly more relaxed frame which is what I was after but the Allez was just more comfy for me when I took it out.

Steel - Brian Rourke (saw Sean Kelly's Rourke framed bike recently)

Carbon - Wouldn't bother (I'd put the money towards the Rourke instead as I already have a CAAD)

I have decided that rather than buy a higher spec'd aluminium or a carbon bike, that I would like my next bike to have a steel frame. And of course, once you have a look at a Rourke.........................think even with a relatively low spec'd components it would be beyond what I want to pay for a bike but you never know. Fancy just a polished silver steel frame (it's all designed in my head; just not the corresponding cash in my wallet!)

 

[smokeysmoo]

Here you go Willo, this was the bike Sean Kelly rode the Cat & Fiddle challenge on a couple of weeks ago

 

[Willo]

Cheers for that, plenty more to perv at here........

http://picasaweb.google.com/brianrourkecycles/CustomMadeRourkeBikes#

 

[brockers]

Is that a compact spider on Kelly's bike?

 

[Keith Oates]

Your question is way too vague! It's a bit like saying "Is a Mercedes better than a BMW or an Audi?" you have to be more specific on a like for like model or type of bike. For example some Specialized bikes/frames may well be better than the other makes you mention for a particular price range but then the other brands may be better in a higher or lower price band. You will also find that when buying 'off the peg' bikes or frames that one particular make will suit you better than another due to its own particular frame geometry which will vary slightly across the makes.

I have my own personal preferences and I happen to think that Cannondale make the best Aluminium frames possibly because they've been making them longer than most others and have pioneered certain construction methods. Carbon however is another matter and there are a huge number of manufacturers that are making outstanding quality carbon frames but the technology is still evolving on these and they are getting better all the time (and more affordable).

Mark Cavendish is in a rather enviable position in that he has a very close relationship with McLaren (the F1 people) who are building frames in collaboration with Specialized and they are using their expertise in the production of high quality carbon products to build a frame specific to Cav's needs as the world's best sprinter. Clearly he would want to hang on to this liaison if at all possible.

What I'm saying is basically that it is pretty much impossible to say which make is 'best' without being very specific.

Graham

Graham, the points you have raised in your above post are perfectly valid and correct but you have not read my initial post very carefully.
I did not ask which bike was the best but said "So, what do you consider would be your choice of road/racing bike, without taking cost into the consideration".!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

 

[brockers]

...and wot flavour of Mavic wheels are they ?

 

[dellzeqq]

I've just watched an interview with Levi Leipheimer on the Bicycling.com magazine site in which he gave his reasons for joining Quick Step for next year and one of the reasons is the fact that he will be riding Specialized bikes. He suggested that for him they are one of, if not the, best bikes around and this reminded me of the reports that Cav also wanted to continue using them after leaving HTC. I know a lot of people on this forum use them and that they are good bikes but thought that Colnago, Trek and others were superior to Specialized. So, what do you consider would be your choice of road/racing bike, without taking cost into the consideration.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Specialized beats Colnago. Simples.

With the following observations.

- Specialized are not necessarily the nicest people for an LBS to deal with, and, as Norm has it, the LBS is the key with smart bikes.
- Colnago bikes do make middle-aged male cyclists irresistible to women. Or so I am told
- Specialized own brand tyres? Take them off and throw them away unless you crave reincarnation as a skid mark.
- Colnago's distribution in the UK is such that I'd never, ever order a bike, but settle for what I could get off the shelf with a reputable LBS. If you're reading this Ernesto........... go back to Madison!
- Specialized are a secretive bunch. How come we haven't heard about the fork recall?

 

[smokeysmoo]

...and wot flavour of Mavic wheels are they ?

They are either KSYRIUM SLR or KSYRIUM R-SYS SLR. Same rim on both, (I think), and cost about a grand

 

[Erratic]

Remember reading about the new Specialized frames like the venge that were being developed with Mclaren F1, it suggested something along the lines of the bikes being faster over the type of distances these pro riders ride due to the quality of the carbon fibre frame. May be the reason why some pros want to use them.

 

[buggi]

i've only ever sat on a Specialized but immediately it felt like it would be a very comfortable ride. Way out my price range tho. to get a decent groupset you're looking at £2k

 

[zizou]

I dont think there is really that much between bikes above a certain point so better to focus on whether the fit / geometry suits and whether you like the colour scheme or not. Some companies will spend more on R+D than others so potentially there could be an noticeable advantage of one manufacturer over the other - but the UCI rules nullify this slightly. Apparently when developing one of their bikes (the R3 maybe?) Cervelo didnt need to have seat stays on the frame because the chain stay was so strong, but not having seat stays is against the regulations so they put them into the design late on.

Anyway if money was no object i'd probably go with something custom made with a custom paint job like a Parlee. For an off the shelf frame then i've liked a few Time or Look bikes and they are pretty rare on the roads so would be something a bit different. Or maybe a pimped out Orbea, good bikes and i like that they are part of a works cooperative.

Back in reality unfortunately value for money is more imporrant for me and i'm happy with Specialized in this regard. Decent bikes for an ok price and if something was to go wrong with it then i have confidence in the company not being too arsey about sorting it (same reason i like Oakley and Hope). So if i had a slightly bigger budget then i'd probably just go for an S-Works version of the Tarmac or Venge rather than something more 'exciting'.