Curious if you bought whole bike, or just frameset. If you could pm me what you paid I would love it. I am thinking about jumping to the 7 series. I would love the 9, but can’t afford it.
And, would you mind posting a pic of your bike head on-I am curious about the head tube…
Thanks.
Also, how does the bike compare in relationship with other top “aero” bikes.
thanks.
My personal opinion is that to get more aero than the Speed Concept 7 you have to spend a whole lot more money. I got the SC 7.0 and a set of used Hed3 wheels and I don’t think that I could beat it aerodynamically for less than $5000. I got a great deal because I used to work for a Trek dealer, but even without that, it would have come at around $3200 for the bike and the race wheels together. Sure, Apex isn’t my first choice for components, but really, I don’t think it will slow me down at all and I can replace bits here and there in the coming years.
I’m having a SC 7.2 built right now
I’m upgrading everything from Rival to Force and I’m replacing the stock cockpit with a 3T Mistral cockpit. I haven’t gotten the final price breakdown but the owner of my LBS said that he’d do the Force upgrade for what it would cost to get the 7.5 which comes with Ultegra. Combine that with the cockpit upgrade and I’ll be right around $3,800.
I was quoted $2,800 for the stock SC 7.2
I just purchased a Speed Concept 7. I paid $2399 for the bike. Including tax, a fitting, and some accessories I came in just under $3000.
I purchased the 7.2 full bike. It’s so sweet although it’s only been on the trainer thus far. 
I upgraded the base bar and the bar end shifters with the R2C. With new pedals, the speed box, a new cassette for the race wheels, another Adamo saddle and $6 at Lowe’s to make my aero bar water bottle holder, I’ll be in around $3,800 after taxes and with a 10% discount. With the race wheels I picked up used in the ST classifieds the total will be around $4,500.
I’ve been meaning to get pictures taken and posted, but it’s cold and snowy so just really don’t feel like it quite yet. Once I get the tubes and tires for the wheels I’ll get some race setup pics taken, including the head on shot for you.
Lastly, in relation to the other top bikes I’d refer you to the search function and the Trek white papers. I’m just not that much of an expert to get into that topic on this site.
I bought an SC 7.0. I wanted the frame. Swapped the shifters, derailleurs, chain, cassette, saddle for components off my former bike. Mostly Dura Ace transmission. I had both training wheels and race wheels, so also took off the Bontrager wheelset. The only things I retained are on the front end,and I intend to replace at least the base bars, but haven’t made a decision yet. As I had all these items on another bike, I have had practically no additional outlay, and will have advantage of the new aero frame. For me it was a much better deal to buy the complete bike than just the frame, at least as priced by my LBS. It is hard to give an accurate estimate of my cost as so many of my onhand parts are on the bike. I believe that the SC 7 offers a very good value for the technology. Due to weather I have not ridden outside and am not ready to draw conclusions about comparisons; however, I also considered Cervelo, QR, and Felt bikes. I am coming from an older P3, aluminum, which has been a very good bike, but is now on eBay. Of course, all these wonderful savings will go out the window when I put on an SRM. I’ll try to post a picture later.
You noted that you upgraded the base bar to an R2C; what is that? What company? Thanks.
Sorry, I re-read my post and can see how it looks like the base bar IS the R2C. However, it’s not. R2C is the Sram Return to Center bar end shifters. I added those to the extensions. The base bar was it’s own separate upgrade.
Thank you. What base bar did you use?
They are the Race X Lite Bullhorn. The Race X Lite come standard on the 7.5, I just couldn’t do the base bar that was standard on the 7.2 and below.
Thank you. I agree that the base bar on my 7.0 is not up to the quality of the frame. I’ll look at the Race X Lite.
Curious if you bought whole bike, or just frameset. If you could pm me what you paid I would love it. I am thinking about jumping to the 7 series. I would love the 9, but can’t afford it.
And, would you mind posting a pic of your bike head on-I am curious about the head tube…
Thanks.
Also, how does the bike compare in relationship with other top “aero” bikes.
thanks.
I’m in a similar boat as you. I think the thing that is the most frustrating is how Trek makes it so difficult to get the options you want with the 7 series. (I know, they want you to spend the extra $$$ and get the 9 series). For the 9 series, you have Project 1 and can customize the crap out of the bike (frame color, components, sizes, you name it.) But with the 7 series, you have 2 of the 3 options you have come with some really low end parts that you essentially have to upgrade. Why would you spend all that money on a high end bike, and not get a decent base bar? Same goes for SRAM Apex components. BTW…a Small or Medium 7.0 with stock parts (no pedals or draft box) weighs 20.5 lbs.
So essentially everyone on here and others I know that have bought the bike, have shelled out a lot more to immediately upgrade to the components and parts that will make it a great bike. What I don’t understand from Treks Strategy is that the 7 series Speed Concept appears to be the bike that will appeal to the bike that could position Trek to take a run at Cervelo as the top Tri bike manufacture. the 7 series appeals to a huge market of Triathletes who cannot afford a top of the line bike, but still want a solid bike in the $2000-$3000 range…the bike to take on the Cervelo P2. If you now have to spend a lot more to get what you want, suddenly the $2500 bike is now $4000+ and not nearly the value you were getting. The 7.5 is the only one that comes stock that you really don’t need any upgrades for…assuming you are a Shimano fan (I’m partial to SRAM, so doesn’t help me)
okay…end rant
Curious if you bought whole bike, or just frameset. If you could pm me what you paid I would love it. I am thinking about jumping to the 7 series. I would love the 9, but can’t afford it.
And, would you mind posting a pic of your bike head on-I am curious about the head tube…
Thanks.
Also, how does the bike compare in relationship with other top “aero” bikes.
thanks.
I’m in a similar boat as you. I think the thing that is the most frustrating is how Trek makes it so difficult to get the options you want with the 7 series. (I know, they want you to spend the extra $$$ and get the 9 series). For the 9 series, you have Project 1 and can customize the crap out of the bike (frame color, components, sizes, you name it.) But with the 7 series, you have 2 of the 3 options you have come with some really low end parts that you essentially have to upgrade. Why would you spend all that money on a high end bike, and not get a decent base bar? Same goes for SRAM Apex components. BTW…a Small or Medium 7.0 with stock parts (no pedals or draft box) weighs 20.5 lbs.
So essentially everyone on here and others I know that have bought the bike, have shelled out a lot more to immediately upgrade to the components and parts that will make it a great bike. What I don’t understand from Treks Strategy is that the 7 series Speed Concept appears to be the bike that will appeal to the bike that could position Trek to take a run at Cervelo as the top Tri bike manufacture. the 7 series appeals to a huge market of Triathletes who cannot afford a top of the line bike, but still want a solid bike in the $2000-$3000 range…the bike to take on the Cervelo P2. If you now have to spend a lot more to get what you want, suddenly the $2500 bike is now $4000+ and not nearly the value you were getting. The 7.5 is the only one that comes stock that you really don’t need any upgrades for…assuming you are a Shimano fan (I’m partial to SRAM, so doesn’t help me)
okay…end rant
Why didn’t you just buy the frame and build it up?
I haven’t bought one yet, but it is the bike I am 75% sure I will get sooner or later.
The frame option is a possibility, but for basically the same price, you might as well get the 7.0 or 7.2 and sell the components if you were going that route.
Are you kidding? Sram Rival is a “really low end spec” on a tri bike? Really?
I agree the basebar is a mis spec. Not putting an aero basebar on a tri bike these days is just silly.
However, to say that the 7.0 and 7.2 need auto upgrade because they have such “low end parts” is ridiculous. First, tri bikes all shift fairly similarly because of the nature of bar end shifters. Second, components make a terribly small difference as to overall speed. Third, Rival is a good components group; I don’t have experience with Apex to judge it’s race worthiness but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is equally race worthy seeing as it has the tt500 shifters and a rear derailleur that shares all the same essential features as Rival.
You don’t need to spend hundreds to make the 7.0 race worthy, you need to spend maybe $75 on an aero basebar.
Whenever people talk about components on a tri bike it reminds me of when after I had won a race a guy came up to me and noted my 9 speed 105 components and said, “I guess it’s really not about the bike”. Completely ignoring the fact that I had the best equipment where I believed it counted(aero wheels, basebar, etc.).
I ended up buying the whole bike. It was cheaper to do so than starting with the frameset (no shop deals, etc, just straight up retail).
That said, I swapped out the Apex for Force (no reason, just for bling) and the crankset for a Quarq S975. I also changed the front end to a 3T Aura setup with the Ventus armpads and Cobb Wrist reliefs. I have my own race wheels and pretty much just use the ridiculously heavy Bontrager SSRs for the trainer. I tried the base saddle but decided it wasn’t for me and put in a Cobb. In retrospect though I would have done what someone else above did and just go to the Bontrager carbon base bar. That would have let me use the existing aerobars and brake levers instead of swapping out everything completely. But hey, it does look cool and Euro-blingy now.
Thamks all. I was quoted 2 prices from shop I worked at, amd it seems as if my deal is pretty much yhe same as yours. If I do go with the bike, I will buy full bike and upgrsde parts from current bike and selloff other parts and frame. Would yi rather buy new ttx or new 7.0 for about same $? Just curious. I would be a small in ttx or med in 7./ sc.
Sorry, done by phone, I can actually spell, but trying to be descrete while I watch a ,ovie with wife !
Buy new transfer your parts.Which I am going to guess you upgrade to new parts anyway:0) except for yourwheelset .
Anyone else have any input + or - for your 7.0 concept bike. I saw one in person today and like it, but in order for me to jump ship I need to sell my P2 and maybe my kuota kalibur. Not sure I want to do that. I love the ride of my kalibur, but love the aero advantage the p2 gives. I have the kalibur set up as a road bike (only road for 10 miles) and not sure what to do about it. I paid top $ for it, but don’t know what to sell it for if I can…
Bike envy is only cured by 1) buying a new bike or 2) a wife that says “hell no”. Sounds like you have a bad case of bike envy. I hope #1 is your cure. I love my SC 7. Beautiful machine, especially for the price.