I’ve been riding the same tri bike since spring of 2007, when I bought a 2006 Cervelo P3C.
Zipp 404sDura Ace 9 speed Profile Design aluminum aerobars from 2011Fizik Arione seat from 2015Garmin Vector 1st gen power meter pedals
This has been a great bike for me, taking me through 10 IMs, 12 HIMs, etc. I’ve never exceeded the capabilities of the bike (avg speed mostly 18-19 mph in my races). A couple years ago I upgraded my road bike to a Specialized Roubaix with Ultegra DI2, and that spoiled me. Compact gearing, electronic shifting, smooth riding.
It’s the DI2 I really want. I’ve looked online at a few P3C DI2 conversions and they involve drilling this and that. I asked one LBS about it, they said “cheaper to buy a new bike from us than pay us for the parts and labor to convert it”.
So this is my dilemma. Upgrade my P3C to DI2 or buy a new bike, and if so what bike?
Have been thinking the same thing with my 2011 P2. I decided that if I did upgrade it would be to sram etap as then there would need to be no holes drilled so it would just be the $1,000 or so for the upgrade kit… have you considered this?
New bike for sure. 2006 is an old bike, not that it’s not a good bike, but because it is going to be more and more difficult to get components that work. Wider wheels, wider tires, discs brakes, tubeless tires?, bottom bracket standards, drivetrains, etc etc have changed a lot in 12 years.
I’d you’re set on DI2 get a new bike. That said the P3 is still at the pointy end in terms of aeroness. The geometry is perfect for an aggressive position. Have you checked to see which new bikes can accommodate your position?
I forgot about disc brakes. I do like those on the Roubaix.
I’m not that aggressive with my aero position. So probably most bikes would be fine. I just haven’t much looked at new bikes, so I don’t know what is a good midrange type of bike. I don’t have much interest in spending $15k on a super bike that I can’t come close to needing.
I have adequate resources to buy any tri/tt bike I’d like. I have a P5 frame sitting in the corner of my exercise room. Yet I ride a 2007 P3C with ETAP. Why? Because it’s the fastest setup I’ve been able to assemble. So keep the P3. Skip the DI2.
I have adequate resources to buy any tri/tt bike I’d like. I have a P5 frame sitting in the corner of my exercise room. Yet I ride a 2007 P3C with ETAP. Why? Because it’s the fastest setup I’ve been able to assemble. So keep the P3. Skip the DI2.
Tough decision. I ride a P4 for the same reason (despite the braking) the future proofing is an issue… Is the OP prepared to spend a few grand to potentially go slower?
If I bought my bike again I’d go for a p3c just because its easier to work on and suits my position.
A friend did a di2 conversion on an older P3C. Not only is there the frame drilling, but fishing wires around the bottom bracket was a nightmare. I did eTap on a bike in probably 20 minutes. It is a better option for bikes that weren’t designed for di2
What is your goal? To go faster or just enjoy cycling/triathlon? The fact that you LBS didn’t even mention etap as an option—indeed, a better option—tells you all you need to know about them.
I struggled with the same decision…go get a new bike (I went with a new bike). Most are designed with Di2/Etap in mind. Trying to upgrade makes for problems a 2006 frame wasn’t built to handle.
I struggled with the same decision…go get a new bike (I went with a new bike). Most are designed with Di2/Etap in mind. Trying to upgrade makes for problems a 2006 frame wasn’t built to handle.
I disagree completely. I have no idea what you mean about designing a bike with Etap in mind. Etap needs nothing in terms of internal cabling or fixtures. I’ve installed Etap on a couple of P3s now. It is an absolute piece of cake. No more cables in the downtube. The only cable that goes inside the bike is the rear brake, which is the easiest one to route. Now, when I travel with the bike it’s 100 times simpler. I can just detach the derailleurs in 2 minutes (remember no cables) and pop them in my carry-on.
I have adequate resources to buy any tri/tt bike I’d like. I have a P5 frame sitting in the corner of my exercise room. Yet I ride a 2007 P3C with ETAP. Why? Because it’s the fastest setup I’ve been able to assemble. So keep the P3. Skip the DI2.
Jens… I’m also on a P3C and have no intention of leaving her (long and low baby).
In your testing do you find the ETAP Front Derailleur to be much of a penalty? Are you running 1x or double? Been thinking about going this route but I was leaning towards 1x.
I’ve installed Etap on a couple of P3s now. It is an absolute piece of cake.
What do you need to buy and how many $$$ to put 1x Etap on a TT bike?
You can get by with just:
Rear Der. Important: If you’re running 1X or expect to go large cog (bigger than 26) in the back, you must get the “WIFLI” version ($650). The regular one is $590
Blipbox -$300
Blips (or clicks). $100 The buttons that go on your handlebars. These are actually optional. You can just put the blipbox on your aerobars and shift from it directly.
In your testing do you find the ETAP Front Derailleur to be much of a penalty? Are you running 1x or double? Been thinking about going this route but I was leaning towards 1x.
Cheers,
R
I am running 1X (most of the time). I only tested once, but found no significant difference between running with the ETAP front and the bare hanger (the hangers are damn near impossible to remove from the P3).
I struggled with the same decision…go get a new bike (I went with a new bike). Most are designed with Di2/Etap in mind. Trying to upgrade makes for problems a 2006 frame wasn’t built to handle.
I disagree completely. I have no idea what you mean about designing a bike with Etap in mind. Etap needs nothing in terms of internal cabling or fixtures. I’ve installed Etap on a couple of P3s now. It is an absolute piece of cake. No more cables in the downtube. The only cable that goes inside the bike is the rear brake, which is the easiest one to route. Now, when I travel with the bike it’s 100 times simpler. I can just detach the derailleurs in 2 minutes (remember no cables) and pop them in my carry-on.
I have a 2008 P3C and looked into putting Etap on it but it is listed as incompatible because of chain stay length. How has it worked for you?
I have a 2008 P3C and looked into putting Etap on it but it is listed as incompatible because of chain stay length. How has it worked for you?
I guess I heard that somewhere. It seems to work fine. I’m running 1X with 11-32 in the back. The 32 is a little bit more cross-chained than I’d like, but I only use it in training.
Thanks Jens! Curious where you put your blip box and battery?
With Etap, there is no separate battery. The blip box has a CS2032 (hearing aid) battery inside it and the derailleur has a very small rechargeable battery that is integral with the derailleur itself.
I’ve mostly had the blipbox on top of the stem. But, if you wanted to run with out the bar-end clickers, you could mount it near the end of the aerobars where your hands are. It is compatible with any garmin mount and it is roughly the size of a very small Garmin unit (much smaller than the 500).