trail wrote:
Jim@EROsports wrote:
For $11K, what are getting for your investment over a Speed Concept or Premier? That's like doubling the price of a bike to get it from 17lbs down to 15lbs. What's the gain? What's the ROI?I don't quite get it. There are some people for whom $20K is no different than $10K. Why value shop? Get the 15lb. bike. The Felt TK-FRD might only very very slightly more aero than Cervelo T-4 (or T-5). But if you don't care about $30K, get the TK-FRD. (assuming it's faster, which I don't know).
Quote:
Cervelo will need to be around for 5 years for us to know. These days that's not a given! Phil White is gone.My prediction stands regardless of whether Cervelo itself is still around or not.
Because many of those people got to that position by making smart money decisions, so the first question they'll ask is, "What am I getting for double the price?" It's not the amount, it's just logic. One of the things I tell virtually every client is, if it's not making you faster or more comfortable, why are you buying it? If the answer is, "Because I want it." That's a great reason! Nothing wrong with that at all. But there just isn't an argument to be made that this bike performs twice as good as any other bike. Financially, the P5-X is a bad choice, as is pretty much any top-of-the-line bike from any other brand vs their less expensive bretheren. It makes no sense. Same could be said of Zipp and Enve. Great products, but the better ROI, by far, is HED or Flo. Ultegra v. Dura-Ace...same thing. I could go on and on.
Ventum is about to release a cheaper version of their bike that is just above the price of the bikes Dan is currently reviewing on the front page. With a 3T aero bar and TriRig front brake, it's almost certainly faster aerodynamically and more adjustable than their current bike. So, if one of my client's wants a Ventum, and money isn't an object, which of their bikes would I recommend? No brainer. The smart money is on the new, cheaper, version. It's the better investment for not only their money, but in this case, their ability to perform.
There's a great argument to be made that bikes like the P5-X serve a higher purpose. That being it's design will trickle down to less expensive models over the next few years. I would absolutely agree with that. That's not the purpose this version serves, though, it's just meant to be a collector's item. Some poeple will buy these bikes because they appreciate them lke a work of art, and I think that's great. Others will simply use them as another way to measure their gentials. For those folks, this, like a Ferrari Colnago or any other "special edition" model, is a Trump bike.
Jim Manton /
ERO Sports
