Folks are highly likely to call me a heretic, but there is probably very little difference between frames in the top tier brands. So, bike (frame) decision largely distills down to availability and cosmetic preference. Then after that, components are a function of budget.

Race vs. aero vs. endurance is also largely personal preference. I prefer the feel and handling of a race frame, but others might prefer the comfort and position of an endurance frame. Also, I prefer the lower weight and looks of a race vs. aero frame. (The big caveat here is that aero frames are generally the same geometry as their race counterparts, but just have thicker and heavier aero tubes.)

So, decide if you will buy new, used, locally, or mail order. If locally, then your decision is largely driven by what the nearby shops sell. If mail order, then brands like Canyon, Ventum, etc. bubble up.

Do you have a road bike currently? I ask because that will help shape your preferences and sizing.

As mentioned above, the lines between aero, climbing, endurance and race bikes have blurred significantly, and the top end frames of each major bike manufacturer blend all of these characteristics. If you want a few popular models to investigate, I would check out the Specialized Tarmac SL7, Trek Madone, Trek Emonda, and Cervelo C, R, and S bikes. There are plenty of other great bikes out there as well.

The SL7 is a really nice all around race bike. If you wanted something that would fit larger tires and a little more relaxed geometry, the Cervelo Caledonia is one to consider.

Whatever you look at, consider whether it has a proprietary stem / handlebar. If you haven’t ridden road bikes much, you’ll likely need to adjust the height and reach of the handlebars. That isn’t an easy or cheap proposition on bikes that have one piece stems.

Thanks for the replies.

I've been looking at this BMC Roadmachine and this S-Works Tarmac. You guys both mentioned the Tarmac, is the Roadmachine a good option as well? and what would you be willing to pay for these as listed? and is the standard Tarmac fine or do you really want the S-Works frame?

BMC Roadmachine
https://www.facebook.com/...tem/356559108688898/

S-Works Tarmac
https://www.facebook.com/...ink/3335349793247079

I'm not familiar with BMC's range. The Tarmac is a very well known, long established model. If it fits, you cannot go wrong with it. The S Works is fancy branding, from my viewpoint, and you can get basically the same bike at a lower trim / less $. But it won't say S Works, if that matters to you.

If I were getting an Tarmac SL7, I'd be looking at the $7K model, which I believe has a power meter built into the cranks (you should confirm).

And of course a big question is whether you can even buy the bike you want now. Supplies are so limited.

Not sure what you mean by "complement a tri bike"? You should buy a roadie that fits your needs, whether you have an existing tri bike has nothing to do with it.

What are your riding conditions? weather, pavement quality, etc... Are you riding in groups? sticking to roads, or venturing off tarmac? Are you planning on racing? Bikepacking?

Figure out what you are most likely to want to do with it, and then the decision becomes much easier.

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I added "complement to a TT bike" because I thought responses would tell me not to consider an aero road bike since the TT bike already covers that. I have no intention of racing. This will be to do 40 to 100 mile rides around Atlanta which is very hilly and has shitty road surfaces.

I have a Trek Speed Concept, a Tarmac and a Salsa Warbird. I think I have the perfect bike stable.........until something else comes along.

BMC is excellent. Tarmac is easy to reference, because those are the most popular road bikes in a lot of areas. Huge brand. Trek is probably second most popular in most areas. Both are easy to find in local shops.

When I made my road bike purchase, I was shopping exclusively for the top-end carbon. I was looking across all the major brands for the best value, but only at the S-Works equivalents. I wanted the lighter build, stiffness, and prestige of those options.

Both of those bikes are beautiful and amazing. I have not been following used prices, and they vary a lot by location, but either one would be a great value in my books. I think they were both well north of $12K when new.

Probably a typo. I’m sure he meant “compliment.” Like “Hey P5-6, you sure look sexy today.”

Besides that, I agree with Jason’s comments/questions.

Unless you’ve figured out a way to ride 2 bikes at the same time (which would be a cool trick, get it on video!!) then the road bike doesn’t cover the same territory as the TT bike.

Given what you say though, I would put aero as a lower priority to compliance, so tire clearance and frame compliance will be key features to look for.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

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I demoed a BMC RM01 last year (hmm, maybe 2 years ago) and the handling left me wanting. I was riding my CAAD12 at the time and I much prefer the geo of the CAAD over the RM. The RM felt sluggish and slack, like what I would want to do 200 miles of gravel.

In the group I ride with even the old guys (50+) migrate towards the race geo, they just handle better in a fast group. Lots of new guys get a entry level endurance frame and are buying new carbon race frames within a couple years.

Lastly, if you have the budget, you want fully integrated hydraulic disks with Di2. Blah Blah blah, it looks slick and I can confidently bomb descents knowing I have no shortage of braking power at the end, and dragging a disk brake around fast curves gives a lot of confidence descending.

I would strongly recommend the Cervelo S series (not the S5). I had an older S3 and the bike was a dream.

I love my Parlee, that thing is next level.

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I did the same thing a few years back and ended up with a Cervelo S3. I have been very pleased.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

Same city, same end goal and I ended up on a roubaix comp di2. Granted I have long legs/arms, super short torso so I basically had to go endurance. A few other reasons I chose the comp, it does light gravel duty which is nice around the city. The gearing allows me to get up any of the random 12-15% gradients around Atlanta. The disk brakes are great coming down the other side of the aforementioned gradients. The 28c tires make the awful roads with pot holes everywhere seem not so terrible. The future shock also helps keep road buzz at a minimum which is nice.

I just bought a 2021 S Series and it indeed is a pretty sweet bike. It's really just the new name for the S3, similar to how the R3 is now the R Series. For 2021, the S Series is basically the same as the 2020 S3 from what I can tell except that they got rid of the RAT axles and new paint schemes.

Cervelo is offering some pretty striking colors for 2021, IMO. The one I got is called purple chameleon, which is a metallic blue to purple, depending on the angle you view it.

What bike did you end up getting?