New 2016 Blue Triad SL or used 2013 Scott Plasma Premium.
Both bikes will fit my reach requirements easily. Stack can be met with areo stem risers on the Blue and risers on the areo bar extensions on the Scott. This will be a Di2 build. The Scott will end up being about $600 cheaper and have a carbon profile design base bar with carbon extensions. The price difference, by the way, is not a deal breaker.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
I have a Scott Plasma 3 TT and can’t fault it. Frame is as fast as most anything out there and the handling is really solid and predictable. Only thing is that there isn’t a massive amount of clearance at the rear brake so if you plan on running Reynolds Aeros or other wheels that are wide at the brake track, you’ll need to shave your brakes or get the low height ones.
I thought about a 2015 Blue Triad, stuck with my plasma 3, made some part tweaks vs OEM to make it a bit faster.
EDIT: The reason I didn’t buy the Blue was bc I could not get the front end low enough. I ride with close to 22cm drop from seat to pads. The blue was going to be 1.5cm too high in the front end.
I had a 2009 Triad for five years and recently moved on to a 2015 Triad SL. The bike is about two pounds lighter and also feels a bit stiffer. Set up with a TriRig brake and well placed bottles, it’s a pretty aero bike. I have yet to race the new bike, but laid down some pretty speedy times on the older Blue. Looking forward to some fast times this season.
I’m a bit biased, as I have zero experience with the Plasma line of bikes.
Boom! Love my Triad.Only been on the trainer though:(
I have a 2014 Triad SL. Switched over from a Felt Da last year and love the Blue. It’s light, aero, and stiff. I think the newer versions have increased stiffness. It’s a nice bike. Plus, Blue has been awesome in terms of service Lost an aerobar pad, emailed them about purchasing a new set and they just sent some out free of charge.
From an aesthetic standpoint the Scott is better by a mile: http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Tri_Bike_by_brand/Scott/Sebastian_Kienle_s_Plasma_3_2005.html. If the Scott is pre-2013 generation Da-Di2 you could be buying into some expensive future mechanics bills though. Shimano has switched the electronic wiring standard and if you have the first generation cables finding replacements may become an expensive task. Hopefully the current generation of electronic will be compatible with future tech for a few more years and this is will help should anything go wrong with the group-set.
I have a Blue Triad, 2012 and absolutely love it and it seems quite fast compared to the previous number I’ve owned. Tri-Rig front and a very close fitting Torhans bottle, and it is a great setup. A buddy had a Scott…if it’s an older one I’ll just say be sure and check the stem bolts. He’s not on that one anymore…
I was recently in the market for a new road bike, I looked at quite a few including the Scott Foil and the Blue equivalent roadie. I was not impressed at all with the Blue. The design was rough and the fit/finish/quality of the frame was very subpar IMO. It was set up for both mech and Di2, their solution for Di2 was ugly and poorly planned, they had the wires going straight into the top of the top tube, and if you didn’t use it there were goofy rubber plugs to close the hole. It just overall looked very cheap, not well made. Scott on the other hand was very high quality and well thought out.
Needless to say I am on the Scott.