I have an option to buy one of these for my brother in law who is new to the sport. It is full Dura ace equipped but does not come with wheels. In great shape. I can get for $750 but might be able to negotiate a bit. I can come up with a spare wheelset no problem. Are there any negatives about this bike? I cannot find much online but I keep hearing how more comfortable the carbon fiber version is and that the aluminum were notoriously harsh riding. Thoughts or opinions? Thanks.
i ride basically the same frame. Off-hand, $750 might be a bit high for a 2006 bike, I’d try to work that down a bit.
i’ve never found it to be “too rough” my response to someone saying that would be to htfu.
otherwise, the bike has been fine for me. it will never illicit lusty sidelong glances in transition. it’s not a super bike by any means, but i keep it clean enough aero-wise that it would pass a jackmott “cheap-ass aero” inspection. it certainly isnt the thing holding back my bike time.
My first tri bike was a 2007 Transition Expert, which is the same frame and fork as the 2006 S-Works. The biggest issue for me was that I could not achieve an aggressive aero position because of the very short+tall geometry. The other major issue is that the seat tube angle was not as steep as most current tri bikes. I think it’s around 76 degrees. Even with the saddle slammed forward, I was not as steep as I wanted to be. Also, the sloping top tube meant that I had to show a ridiculous amount of seat post (more of an aesthetic issue). The Zertz inserts in the seat post and fork are also gimmickry, IMO. Finally, and most importantly, you can be pretty sure that it gives up major aero performance to even low end current bikes.
Other than those issues, the bike held up well and I admired smooth welds and sophisticated tube shapes. It’s about as advanced an aluminum frame as you’ll find.
At that price, I’d look for a Cervelo P1/P2k (assuming the geometry works). If you can find a couple hundred more $, a used P2C would be a great choice.
At that price, I’d look for a Cervelo P1/P2k (assuming the geometry works). If you can find a couple hundred more $, a used P2C would be a great choice.
This is what I have (2004 P2K). The ride is affected more by wheels and tire pressure than frame material. Get some 36h 3x training wheels and run them at 95-100 psi and the AL frame will be comfortable. I’ve ridden centuries on it and felt plenty fresh afterwards. But then, all my bikes are alloy, and I somewhat prefer the buzz of them over a dead-feeling cf one.
Not sure on the aero of the transition, but for a guy just starting in the sport there’s no real need to drop major coin on something he may or may not want to stick with. All in with the wheels you’ll need to buy, 900-1k is a bit steep for that bike. 800 would probably be a good buy, and he should be able to sell it off for 600-700 in a couple years if he wants to get out of the sport or continue on and get a new ride.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=1812364
and
http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2006&Brand=Specialized&Model=S-Works Transition&Type=bike
Price is on the high side of about right.
That frame was used on the 2005 through 2010 bikes. In 2011 they went to the carbon fiber frame that most people are familiar with (and that you see most often at races). I believe it is the first year with a 10 speed drive train, but maybe not.
I ride a 2012 Transition S-Works. Personally you can do better for the same money if you look around. I would pass.
As far as ride quality goes, the frame is just one factor. That bike has a carbon fork, which helps a lot.
You can get a new, but last years model, Felt S32 for $1000 and it only costs another $300 to get the new 11 spd model. Considering you will have to buy wheels I don’t see what the Spec offers above the Felt. 8 year old DA won’t perform significantly better than new 105 and there are always fewer risks buying new from a LBS than used. Plus when/if it comes to resell the bike I am will to bet you will recoup most if not all the price differences.