I'm very happy with my Ocotillo. Per Ves' recommendation I went with the carbon seat stays. With the DA package I feel it's a heck of a lot of bike for the money, and the fit......well "like it was built for me" pretty much sums it up. To top it off, Ves was just a real pleasure to work with.

scott

Ves makes really good bikes. I would just go with Ves. He's the man. He will be building my next road bike.

You can't possibly go wrong with either one of these bikes. The Yaquis have certainly earned their share of praise on this site, and though I haven't ridden one, I thought Dan's was quite nice when I checked it out.

The Cyfac bikes are definately among the finest in the world. He is unquestionably the most popular builder of "bikes with someone elses name on them" in the pro peloton of the moment. An excellent example of his work is the TT bike ridden by David Millar in the tour. Quite beautiful. Cyfac is one of the top bike builders on the planet, and is also probably the first person to see new product from Columbus, a measure of the respect accorded by the industry.

Other names you might consider in this rarefied air of bike building are Teschner (Australia - he is for Easton what Cyfac is for Columbus in terms of Beta testing new product,) and Elite - Dave is an awesome guy, and builds very, very top notch bikes.

MH

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

What the heck, I'll chime in on the Yaqui...not only for the quality of the ride and really great fit, but for the Ves Mandaric experience that comes with it. I've seen a Cyfac, but never ridden one.

It's worth half of the price of the bike to be able to talk to Ves about your riding history and how he translates that information, combined with a handful of measurements, into a bike that is almost a living thing. What I don't understand is how he became very certain about major aspects of the bike geometry and how my body would best be served based upon this info. He began to leap ahead of me in my answers to his questions, e.g.,concerning cadence: I told him I had always been a spinner in my earlier years (rpms averaging about 108), but I found I was faster at lower rpms as I began doing TT's...then he finished my sentence for me..."As you got on a steep geometry bike, your speed was best at a cadence in the mid 80's...but, you feel like you can't climb worth a damn on the thing." It was as if he was reading my mind. (If that were true, it would be a very short story, not a novel :))

Anyway, he built a Carbo for me, and I no longer have to choose between a road bike and a steep tri bike depending upon the terrain. I use this Carbo for pancake flats as well as the steepest grades around...and I never feel that I am in a bad position. I just mostly sit right on the middle of the saddle and zip along at a surprisingly (at least it's surprising to me) good speed. Another really nice thing about it is that on my first race (the day after I received the bike) I was able to stay in the aerobars while weaving through the race-course at over 35 mph downhill...and felt entirely in control. The last couple of years on this race course had me up on the bullhorns feathering the brakes just a bit as I came down this section. The bike handles great. I also find I stay in the aerobars around rather sharp and fast corners...even if they are bumpy...I never felt that planted in a corner on my other TT bikes.

Anyway, don't mean to carry on too much...I sure do like my Carbo that Ves put together for me.

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

YC, how is the weld quality on your Yaqui? The photos on the website probably don't do the craftsmanship justice. Some of the welds look uneven. But pictures rarely do a really good product justice unless you pay a lot of money for a pro photo guy. Just curious. I'm down to choosing between a Talon SL and a Carbo DL for my next bike. I really like the idea of having one built just for me. And, as soon as I get this insurance thing cleared up with the other guy's ins. co., I'll have plenty of $$ for either.

I have a Yaqui Carbo and it rocks. I needed custom geometry and Ves nailed it. The bike is extremely comfortable on long rides with a very aggressive position. The bike helped me nail down a Hawaii qualifying slot at LP last weekend. 2 of my training partners were so impressed with my Yaqui that they both bought Ocotillo's from Ves. They are larger riders so Ves recommended the Ocotillo over the Carbo. They both love their bikes. When you get a Yaqui you are getting a custon fit by a master craftsman. Plus they are somewhat unique, at most races I have the only one (until my buddies bought theirs). I also really like the graphics with the native american theme.

Got it lt year and it is a great race bike. The fit is perfect, the paint is of the highest quality and the welds are pretty much non-existent. You'll swear its a carbon fibre frame until you touch it. However I just about hit the roof when you mentioned the $2300 price!!! Thats unbelievable! WTF is up with that?! I paid just under $1100 for mine last year (frame only). I got it for less than retail but even at full retail i think it was only about $1400 for frame only. If you pay $2300 for 8 pieces of aluminum and a Columbus Muscle fork (which is really nothing special) then you're pretty much taking it in the ass. You've already mentioned Yacqui and I'm sure there are a few others (Strong comes to mind) who could build you something similar - although it just might not look as pretty.

I thought the same thing about the welds from looking at the website. In person, they are much smoother.

BTW, I just rode it to the second fastest bike split in a duathlon this AM...I went the wrong direction once and had to turn around, or I would have had the fastest bike split. I had the fastest AG bike split last weekend. The bike really performs excellently, and I always generate a lot of interest in the transition area with people wanting to see "whatever the heck that bike is".

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. Kevin, I could be wrong about the price of the Cyfac, but that is what I have found. Did you have a specific dealer you worked with? If that bike really is $2300, then it really is a no-brainer and I'll go with the Yaqui for sure.

I went thru Tri-Tech Multisport in Columbus, OH (www.tritechmultisport.com). Cyfac has a very lengthy and detailed process of fitting a frame. You'll want to make sure that the bike shop you decide to go thru will follow the Cyfac fitting process.

not sure of the price...
I saw their new one back in france. it is a custom whole carbon frame, with really big tubes but shaped a bit like the colnago (like curved inside...hard to describe). it is an AMAZING frame, come with the new muscle fork and retails for 2100 euros.

so either the $2300 for aluminium is the wrong price, or there is a shitload of taxes because it crosses the atlantic (could be both)

Pooks-

Custom is king. While you're considering, you might also look at something like the Cramerotti Altecator or Bladerunner, no custom up-charge, your color choice, and a "60 days or it's free" policy. Quite a bit cheaper for the same tubing and workmanship.

http://www.cramerotti.com/...altecator_Triathalon

Cheers,

-bobo

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"What's good for me ain't necessarily good for the weak-minded."

Perhaps the rules have changed this year but last year the only thing I had to pay was 3.9% duty.

not sure. I have seen many bike stuff far cheaper in Europe than in the US (like tubes, tires for example, 2 michelin tires in france cost what one costs here!)

though I wonder if cyfac has not part of the process of design and manuf. in the US which could lower the cost. not sure about that though

Hi there, I can't comment on the ride of either of the bikes, but one thing struck me in your post. You mention that with both bikes, you can get the geometry you want. What is that geometry and how do you determine it?

Craig