I currently ride a 2008 Spec’ Transition (size L) with Vision semi-integrated bars and HED Jet 9’s. It is a nice bike and I love it, but it is slightly to short for me (I run a 100 mm stem and 30 mm of spacer currently).
I have been offered a deal on a year old Felt DA1 frame, which would be rebuilt using the components (SRAM Red with R2C) off of my current bike. The size 56 would allow me to run an 80 mm stem and one or no spacers and achieve the same stack/reach).
Would I be better off on the new frame that’s slightly more aero and fits me better, or should I look into new aerobars and possibly a power meter for my current ride at approximately the same price?
Any time a powermeter is on the table I say take it, it’s a piece of equipment that can actually make a difference in how you train and race. I personally run a 140 stem, so I don’t see the problem with a 100 if you are comfortable on the bike with it. I seriously don’t know how people can cycle without gauging their improvements with a PM.
Coming from a guy who rides an 03’ KM40, and uses a PT, I say buy the PT and maybe upgrades that will transfer to any new bike you might purchase later on. The PT will make you faster if you use it as a tool and not just a fancy bike computer. New bikes are great and may give you a few seconds or minutes, but racing with power will make you faster on the bike and the run…go with the PT…just my $.02
An 80mm stem tells me suboptimal fit. Especially for a tall rider.
Keep in mind that the DA1 is integrated in the front end. What I was really concerned about was the number of spacers I was running, and this new frame will allow me to eliminate most, if not all of them. Besides, when I realized it was actually a new 2012 frame, it became too good of a deal to pass up.
Could you sell the old frame and do both?
This is what I’m hoping to do, depending on how much I can get out of the old frame (pending spousal approval, LOL).
Coming from a guy who rides an 03’ KM40, and uses a PT, I say buy the PT and maybe upgrades that will transfer to any new bike you might purchase later on. The PT will make you faster if you use it as a tool and not just a fancy bike computer. New bikes are great and may give you a few seconds or minutes, but racing with power will make you faster on the bike and the run…go with the PT…just my $.02
I appreciate your input, and plan to implement it soon. I realize the value of a Power Meter (though I’ll probably go with a quarq, not a PT). Being an engineer by trade, I look forward to the additional input of data.
I seriously don’t know how people can cycle without gauging their improvements with a PM.
While a PM can certainly be a useful tool (and I say that having owned 2 SRMs and 2 Quarqs) it’s not all that hard to guage effort and improvement without one. People have been doing it for years. You can do it with running, right? You can do it on the bike too without a PM. Most people can get 90% of the way there in their training without having to shell out $$$ for a PM.
Yes you obviously can, you can ride a triathlon with a mountain bike and with no wetsuit but given the choice there is no point in not getting a power meter. Running gps and track work allow you to gauge improvement very specifically, the improvement of 5% in cycling is very hard to quantify without a powermeter but it is a large improvement. I just got an srm for 300 bucks, this is not expensive relative to the other costs of the sport. A half ironman costs about this much. People rip on all the newfangled aerodynamic stuff stating the old school riders did time trials in the drops but the fact is that the new technology makes athletes appreciably faster regardless of if you think of the technology.
Yes you obviously can, you can ride a triathlon with a mountain bike and with no wetsuit but given the choice there is no point in not getting a power meter. Running gps and track work allow you to gauge improvement very specifically, the improvement of 5% in cycling is very hard to quantify without a powermeter but it is a large improvement. I just got an srm for 300 bucks, this is not expensive relative to the other costs of the sport. A half ironman costs about this much. People rip on all the newfangled aerodynamic stuff stating the old school riders did time trials in the drops but the fact is that the new technology makes athletes appreciably faster regardless of if you think of the technology.
well aero wheels, helmet, bars, etc. will make you faster. A PM won’t make you faster directly. You don’t need it to get faster. You can structure the exact same workouts whether you use a PM or not. What it can do is help you to more easily quantify training load and progress. Want to track progress without a PM? Do the same TT course every week, same set of hill climb intervals every week, etc. You can pretty easily see whether you’re getting faster. A PM gives you a more precise way to do this but I would argue that precision is for the most part not necessary. Unless you have trained to the high end of what you’re capable of and are trying to squeeze out that last bit.
But having said all that … can’t argue with you that a used PM for $300 is a very good bang for your equipment buck. I’d spend it on the aero goodies first, but that would be next.