So I had the chance to ride a S5 today at the LBS. Great ride, but maybe not quite as comfortable on the short ride as I was expecting. I have been mulling in my head getting an aero road bike as that is something I have been thinking about for some time. Would be nice for some races where a tri bike isn’t the best choice and could use it for some road racing as well and fast group rides.
Despite the S5 being a great bike, I was thinking the S3 might be another option based on what I have read about it and what riders have told me. Based on the seat stays design, it could be more comfortable than the S5 which would be nice. Would also be lighter than the S5 I would get (would get the base S5 frame). However, since the S3 is no longer sold, I’m not sure how to test ride one. I also assume I could find a S3 frame for a better deal than a S5.
I know the S5 is about 9W more aero than the S3. I know it has more stiffness as well. However, I wonder if the S3 would still be good enough for what I need. Any of you current S5 riders ride a S2/S3 before and can compare them?
So I had the chance to ride a S5 today at the LBS. Great ride, but maybe not quite as comfortable on the short ride as I was expecting. I have been mulling in my head getting an aero road bike as that is something I have been thinking about for some time. Would be nice for some races where a tri bike isn’t the best choice and could use it for some road racing as well and fast group rides.
Despite the S5 being a great bike, I was thinking the S3 might be another option based on what I have read about it and what riders have told me. Based on the seat stays design, it could be more comfortable than the S5 which would be nice. Would also be lighter than the S5 I would get (would get the base S5 frame). However, since the S3 is no longer sold, I’m not sure how to test ride one. I also assume I could find a S3 frame for a better deal than a S5.
I know the S5 is about 9W more aero than the S3. I know it has more stiffness as well. However, I wonder if the S3 would still be good enough for what I need. Any of you current S5 riders ride a S2/S3 before and can compare them?
What wheel/tire/pressure did you have on the rear? Oh, and was it a saddle you normally use?
Seriously, tire/tube/pressure will have more of an effect on your “comfort” than any frame design.
A friend is borrowing my road bike for a race he had yesterday so unfortunately I didn’t have my pedals/saddle/wheels to bring to the LBS this afternoon. So the S5 had whatever comes stock on it. I think a Fizik saddle and I think some not so great Fulcrum wheels which I would sell as I have better training/racing wheels.
Thanks for the link to Damon Rinard regarding the vertical compliance as I must have missed that during my research.
A friend is borrowing my road bike for a race he had yesterday so unfortunately I didn’t have my pedals/saddle/wheels to bring to the LBS this afternoon. So the S5 had whatever comes stock on it. I think a Fizik saddle and I think some not so great Fulcrum wheels which I would sell as I have better training/racing wheels.
Thanks for the link to Damon Rinard regarding the vertical compliance as I must have missed that during my research.
No problem.
Again though, it’s not so much the wheel, but the tire/tube/pressure. Keep those consistent when making “seat of the pants” comparisons. They’re the most compliant members of the “spring in series” train and therefore dominate the overall compliance.
Would be nice for some races where a tri bike isn’t the best choice and could use it for some road racing as well and fast group rides.
Regarding the latter, it’s always good to have a road bike in the stable. Many triathletes have an “ahaa” moment the first time they ride a really nice road bike, and a whole new world of riding opens up.
Regarding the first point above, there are few triathlon bike courses that I know where you’ll be faster on the road bike. Assuming good fit, and you can ride in the aero position for most of the bike course, you’ll always be faster on a tri bike than a road bike.
Buying an S3 (used) - no warranty
Buying an S5 new - lifetime warranty
Yes, that is definitely something that I need to consider. As well as the price of a used S3 frame vs. new/used S5 frame.
Regarding the first point above, there are few triathlon bike courses that I know where you’ll be faster on the road bike. Assuming good fit, and you can ride in the aero position for most of the bike course, you’ll always be faster on a tri bike than a road bike.
There are a few races I am considering where I think I would be better off on an aero road bike. Norseman and Quassy Rev3 are just two of them.
Tom and Jack will rip me for this, but the gains are minimal.
I think the “better” bike for a triathlete as a second bike ( beyond the TT/Tri bike) is an R-series bike. Here I assume, it’s for training, group rides, maybe the odd road race or gran fondo.
Now, if it’s full bore and hard-core road racing, and high speed crit racing, as in, you are making a huge commitment to that, and you fancy yourself as one of these super break-away kind of guys, then the micro-advantages of a fully aero road frame might come in handy.
I’ve been riding an S3 for about 15 months - 15k miles. Test rode the S5 when I bought the S3 but full price vs end of line mark down was the deciding factor.
Head tube on S3 is much lower (2-3 cm depending on frame size) which leads to a cleaner look if you like a more aero position on the bike. Kinda like the difference
between the Cervelo P2 and P3. Weight is about the same unless you buy the lower end S5. Stiffness? Both bikes are very stiff. Andre Greipel might notice a difference but
not the other 99.99% of us.
Personally, if you buy the S5 and want a 9+ cm drop you will be throwing away the stock stem and buying a -17 deg. It’s also funky/ugly depending on your point of view.
used vs new is a valid point.
For a more aggressive position, look at the Scott Foil…
It’s never all about the engine. You can go read the post your watts/speed thread to see some of us who get that. If it is all about the engine I could go 24+mph on a road bike on 210-220 watts that’s not the case though.