Thoughts? Pros and cons. I’m thinking Saber vs. Guru Crono 2.0 at this point.
I own a '08 Saber. I really like the bike overall. I am a big fan of the aesthetics and durability of Ti. Obviously, it isn’t the most aero thing on the market.
The seatpost creaks occasionally, but it isn’t a big deal to me. The headtube is also slightly taller than I ended up needing, but a negative rise stem fixed that. Other than that, no complaints.
'07 Saber owner here. Love it - super comfortable. I also had a creaky seatpost - turned out that the collar wasn’t properly bonded to the frame. LS sent me a new frame w/ a 2-bolt collar instead - problem solved. No, it’s not the lightest or most aero frame out there but it’s beautiful (at least to me), and built to last.
I have an old one, and it’s the most gorgeous bike. I loved the feel of TI, and it was so well made it survived a 25 MPH crash into a guardrail in France, and 2 cars hitting it and it’s still beautiful, with no marks on it. Ti is a very nice blend of shock absorption and road feel, as I always equated it to using racing flats…great road feel, but it takes the edge off of the bumps. Also very quick and solid response. I rode mine for years and it always felt very fast. It may not be in vogue right now, but TI bikes are always things of beauty.
I’ve been riding a Saber for the last ten years. Nothing but great things to say. Still rides as well as the day I bought it.
I haven’t ridden a Guru, but I know many folks like them…I have a 2002 Litespeed Saber and have over 10K miles on it including a couple of crashes…maybe not the lightest or most aero bike, but it is a super contender especially for long course races as it is stiff and also provides shock absorption…buddy
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Two of my rides: Guru Crono, 2009 Litespeed Saber -
My Crono is a 2006, but, has been pulled apart and repaired twice with a new bottom bracket shell, new seat tube, and new paint job. The Crono is a great bike and was custom built, so, it fits me perfectly. No spacers, no goofy set up, etc. However, I was surprised how easy it was to get set up on my Saber w/o anything crazy. A few spacers, but, not bad.
The ride on the Crono is great. Very comfortable. Two knocks - I have cracked the frame twice (thus, the repairs). Guru is top notch on repairs and customer service. But, it is very frustrating. Also, it seemed like there was a little flex in the frame. Not that I have enough power to flex that frame, but, if felt like it. On the Saber, it feels like every watt is going to the road.
The Saber is a “harsher” ride IMO, but, not in a bad way. More road feel, which I enjoy. I love the feel of Ti and it just feels like I can hammer like crazy. I love the bike.
I wish I could be a baller like you.
I have a 2006 Guru Maestro - the road version of the Crono. Both chainstays had to be repaired due to faulty carbon fiber. In spite of it being a warranty item, Guru did not replace my custom paint job. I had paid extra for it when I originally bough the bike. I know of 7 other people who had their Guru frames crack due to the very same warranty issue.
No, I am not still bitter about the paint job (anyone from Guru read these posts?) My customer service experience was apparently not as good as JSA’s. I also find it interesting that with the number of cracked frames from 2006, that Guru did not issue any form of recall. The story I got was that they had received a bad batch of carbon fiber from a supplier.
I have a Lynskey tri bike (family that used to own Litespeed). I love it.
Wow! Great responses. I was stuck in an airport all night and wasn’t able to see these comments until now. I already have a great ti hardtail going on ten years old as well as a 2003 Guru Velociti. I am not opposed to carbon and I’m sure it can be shaped to be more aero, but aero isn’t all that to me. I know a couple of folks with the current Guru Cronos that speak very highly of them. As far as I know, neither person has had a frame issue.
Jim