Anyone have any experience doing this? I bought a new frame last week with some pretty disimilar geometry. I’m on a 54cm cervelo and going to a 51cm orbea. I do think the 54 is just a tad too big, but it makes me nervous as I’ve been on this frame for 2 years and I am getting faster. I know someone out there is going to tell me that the cervelo is more aero anyway, but without taking that into account, is 5 weeks long enough to get used to a new frame? I’ll probably ride about 600-700 miles in that amount of time.
Switching frames wouldn’t concern; switching positions would. If your position the same, I’d expect a very quick adaptation to the new frame. If you are considering changing your position, you can first figure out how to replicate your old position on your new frame. Then if you don’t like the feel of a new position, just use your old position and new frame.
why would you switch from a nice bike like a cervelo to a brick like an orbea? Even with the size diff…
you should see if you can get properly fit to the Cervelo.
You have four points in space to pinpoint … The first is the center of the bottom bracket. The next is the saddle. The other two are the arm rests and the spot on your aerobars where you grip them (for me it’s the shifters themselves). If you take any differences in bottom bracket height between the two frames into account, then match everything else relative to the bottom bracket location, there shouldn’t be any issue at all.
Will echo the other people on here…sort of. I actually just did this recently. I replaced my QR with a Scott Plasma LTD 7 weeks before IM SG. Then the front derailleur broke and Scott sent me a new frame and I had all my components switched over. Ultimately I gambled and only rode this bike for 1 1/2 weeks before St. George and it was fine. I think it boils down to your confidence in the bike…put as many miles on it as you can before hand b/c it took 500 miles on my original Scott frame to break it. Then pray like crazy on race day. The flip side of the story is that my fit was almost identical on both bikes. I actually am a little lower up front by a few millimeters, but the bike has actually made me faster (stiffer, etc.). So…if fit is very similar, just put some miles on it to build some confidence in its ability and structural integrity. If fit not similar…bigger gamble. How much are you willing to sacrifice.