Saturday, December 22, 2012

Chinese Frame Chinarello (Fake Pinarello) Build and Review Part 4 - Hilly Ride

INTRODUCTION

This is a series:

- Part 1 - Unboxing - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/chinarello-build-part-1-unboxing.html
- Part 2 - Build Experience - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/chinarello-build-part-2-build.html
- Part 3 - First Ride 60km Commute - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/chinarello-fake-pinarello-build-and.html

OK so finally on day 2 I decided not to do the 100km ride because it would have taken me ~5 hours which I couldn't afford due to Xmas BBQ that I have planned with friends.

So instead, I took it to a hilly ride rather. It's about 40km in total with total elevation of 539m. Most of the hills were 7-11%. I know for some of you it's nothing but for me, it almost killed me. Anyway, check out my Strava if you're using it, too:
http://app.strava.com/activities/33401119

HILLY RIDE REVIEW

One thing that I found was, for hills that were not that steep ~4-5% max, the frame was great, however as it went steeper, I could feel the "heaviness" of the frame compared to my Roubaix S-Works SL3.

As mentioned in my Part 3 article, standing up felt a bit dull therefore it made it even more challenging. The bike barely moved on a 10-11% gradient. I don't know what it would be like to take it to an even steeper gradient.

Nonetheless, I still love it. It just means that I have to train my legs more. For flat rides my Chinese frame is definitely a winner compared to my Roubaix S-Works SL3. It's more alive and fast.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Chinese Frame Chinarello (Fake Pinarello) Build and Review Part 3 - First Ride 60km Commute

INTRODUCTION

This is a series:
- Part 1 - Unboxing - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/chinarello-build-part-1-unboxing.html
- Part 2 - Build Experience - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/chinarello-build-part-2-build.html

So finally I get my legs pedaling my Chinarello! YEAH! The ride today was commuting from home to work ~60km. The road condition was 30% smooth and 70% rough. There were few climbs along the way and some were as high as 8-11% but very short. Elevation gain is about 272m. Check my Strava and Garmin Connect profile:
http://app.strava.com/activities/33303447
http://connect.garmin.com/profile/tommysegoro

Basically I'm not a strong rider. I have improved though since I wrote my other blog articles and I was able to do about 30-35kmh flats today.

Before I go into the actual review, below are some pictures of the weight of my Chinarello vs S-Works Roubaix SL3 2011:

Chinarello without pedals

Chinarello with pedals Shimano MTB XTR M980

Roubaix S-Works with pedal, cheapo MTB pedals


REVIEW
So here it is. I'm a technical IT guy so I may not be good in writing long articles but rather straight to the point.

Before I even write anything let me just summarize my initial impression for today: IT'S AMAZING! I'm not sure if I will ever buy the real thing from this moment on. Seriously guys comparing to my Roubaix S-Works, I will choose my Chinarello at any day. But anyway, let me explain.

Rolling
Let me tell you, this bike just rolls a lot better than my Roubaix! It's a lot more stable and what's crazy about it, it cuts through yaw and headwind a lot better. At lower speed surely it feels probably the same but by the time I pushed my pedal...man.....this bike truly flies. It may be due to the wheels? Mind you my Roubaix S-Works is using Mavic R-SYS SL which has really bad wind drag.

Anyway, I rode a lot quicker today. In Perth, WA after 12PM the wind is just a lot more crazy than in the morning. In the morning wind speed is about 10-20kmh while in the afternoon it goes up to 30-35kmh. In both occasion (to and from work), I rode quicker than usual and the bike just felt so awesome.

Accelerating
Accelerating is definitely a lot better than my Roubaix. My Roubaix - in car turbo-diesel engine term - has this "turbo-lag". But not my Chinarello! If you have the legs, you push it and the bike just accelerates.

Cornering
A lot more confident, a lot more stable compared to my Roubaix S-Works. The bike just went to whichever direction you point it to. My Roubaix feels a bit more twitchy and less stable.

Climbing
Climbing also felt better on my Chinarello. Yes my Roubaix feels a little bit lighter but like I said, I can accelerate a lot better on my Chinarello. I would probably say for a really long climb your body may benefit a bit more from the Roubaix but for short few-hundred-meter climb, I will go with my Chinarello at any day. Again, it's the acceleration strength of the Chinarello that helps me climbing faster.

Going Down Hill
Again, my Chinarello felt a lot more stable than my Roubaix. My Roubaix is very twitchy. With my Roubaix I always have to hit the brakes because I'm afraid that it will skid or lose balance (although I know it won't happen - it's just that feeling of being unstable, you know).

Standing
Now, when standing I will choose my Roubaix. My Chinarello felt a bit dull when I stood and tried to push the bike. I felt that somehow my power was "consumed" and "dampened". Sitting down however, was different. Therefore, if I want to push, I will sit down instead. I'm not sure how this will work upon sprinting though?

Comfort and Geometry
The geometry is a racing geometry. I was a bit nervous that I would have neck or back pain after I arrived at home today since I carry ~10kg backpack (containing laptop, charger, clothes, etc). But surprisingly enough I didn't! I arrived at home as healthy as can be. Tomorrow I will be doing a 100km ride and I will find out the true comfort level of the bike. But if I speak purely from my experience today, I had no problem with my Chinarello.

On transferring road buzz, my Chinarello was only transferring a little bit more (and I literally mean: a little bit) of the road buzz compared to my Roubaix. But like I said, it was not to the point which I felt uncomfortable at any stage of the ride.

Maybe my Chinarello Carbon Wheels helped?

Groupset
My Roubaix S-Works runs Dura-Ace 7900 and my Chinarello runs SRAM Red Black 2012. It was my first time using a SRAM double-shift mechanism so I still need to get myself used to? At this stage I still prefer my Dura-Ace.

I need to re-adjust the rear deraileurs I think because it missed shifts quiet many times today. The SRAM Red felt smooth but it's still brand new, so surely it's smooth. I'll report further when I'm one month into it.

Wheels
My Chinarello Carbon Wheels just piss over my Mavic R-SYS SL. It cuts wind better, it's more stable, it's stiffer, it's more alive. What else do you need?

CONCLUSION
So like I mentioned earlier, I would choose my Chinarello at any day compared to my Roubaix. Again this is only an initial impression but it was a good one. I still remembered when I first rode my Roubaix, other than the geometry, none of it was impressive. But my Chinarello was different. My Strava result for today speaks for itself.

Man, I can't keep talking about it....I will keep raving about it because it's that good!

Will I ever buy a real thing? Well if I have the money I would ....but otherwise, I won't! It's THAT GOOD! OMG...I love my new bike!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Chinese Frame Chinarello (Fake Pinarello) Build and Review Part 2 - The Build

INTRODUCTION

This article is a series:
- Part 1 - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/chinarello-build-part-1-unboxing.html
- Part 3 - First Ride - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/chinarello-fake-pinarello-build-and.html

As mentioned to some people already, I get an LBS to build my bike as I'm not a bike mechanic. So finally the bike is fully built! I've been waiting for almost 2 weeks and there was a bit of drama happening.

Anyway, before I go to the actual build process let me tell you the parts I was buying for the build:

FRAME:
Chinarello - http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Wholesale-2012-Pinarello-new-aero-Dogma2-white-black-red-full-carbon-Road-bike-Bicycle-Frame-fork/486623660.html
USD$615 (~AUD$600)

WHEELS:
Chinarello Carbon (Pair) - http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/204989547.html
USD$528 (~$AUD$500)

COMPONENTS: SRAM Red 2012 Black bought off Ebay - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181017863599?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
AUD$1530

HANDLEBAR: ChainReactionCycles.com
1 Pro-Lite Abductor Carbon Handlebars - 31.8mm - 42cm - Carbon/Black
66.66 AUD

STEM: ChainReactionCycles.com
1 Controltech Estro Scandium Road Stem - 100mm +/-5 Deg 1.1/8" 31.8mm
77.31 AUD

SADDLE: ChainReactionCycles.com
1 Selle Italia X1 Flow Saddle - Black/Yellow - Alloy Rails
19.98 AUD

BRAKE PADS: ChainReactionCycles.com
1 Fast Forward Carbon Specific BrakePads - 2 Pairs - Shimano
Unit Price: 47.98 AUD

BAR TAPE: ChainReactionCycles.com 
1 Lizard Skins DSP Bar Tape - Yellow
33.31 AUD

TYRES: ChainReactionCycles.com
2 Michelin Pro 4 Endurance Tyre - 700 x 23C Folding Yellow
87.96 AUD

BUILD SERVICE: AUD$150

TOTAL: AUD$3113.2


HURDLES and OBSTACLES
My LBS mentioned to me initially that the BB was Italian and not English although the website mentioned English. I even emailed Jerry Wang and he also said English. It ended up being the LBS overlooked it and not paying attention to detail. I forgave them as it's the end of the year and they get very-very busy plus the owner of the LBS (who built my bike) has been quiet well known in Perth for his excellent reputation. So a bit of delay is not a problem for me. Therefore everyone, BB IS ENGLISH

Someone asked me about the number of rivets for the front derailleurs, the frame had 2 holes.

The frame didn't come with any steerer spacers so LBS put some original Pinarello spacers.

Other than that everything else worked seamlessly and LBS didn't find any other problem building it. 

HOW IT LOOKS

I have not been able to take the bike home on the day I wrote this article because LBS still needs to cut the fork residual (see pics) but tomorrow it will all be ready and I'm going to take my baby home.

My plan for testing is to:
- Commute ~60km on Friday the 15th (reasonably flat)
- 100km ride on Saturday the 16th (reasonably flat)
- 40km hilly 7-11% gradient on Sunday the 17th

And I will then report to you how it performs. Other than that, please enjoy the pics below. 






Tommy

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Chinese Frame Chinarello (Fake Pinarello) Build and Review Part 1 - Unboxing

INTRODUCTION

This is a series:
- Part 2 - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/chinarello-build-part-2-build.html
- Part 3 - First Ride - http://mycyclingjournal.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/chinarello-fake-pinarello-build-and.html

Since Bradley Wiggins won Tour de France 2012 I've been a big fan of Team Sky. And not just Brad but the Team Sky line ups such as Mark Cavendish and  Chris Froome have inspired me so much. I'm also that sort of a person who falls in love with a bike brand that is ridden by the winning team. Hence, I also fall in love with their bike: Pinarello Dogma.

The only thing that prohibits me from loving it more is THE PRICE! Man.....when I asked my LBS how much it cost, the frameset itself was AUD$6500! That's when I started to look out for other alternatives. Searching for Pinarello Dogma in Google somehow returned me a lot of results of Dogma replica frameset that is built in China. Initially I wasn't interested until I find out that the price is less than 1/10th of the real thing! The frameset was only USD$615 with free shipping to Australia.

To build a complete bike out of the real thing would have cost me at least $8000 and that's with "crappy" components while with the Chinese replica would cost me around $2-3K. In fact, with $3K would get me Sram Red!

CHINARELLO INITIAL UNBOXING REVIEW

So there I was taking the plunge. I ordered one from this vendor. The frame arrived few hours before I wrote this article. First impression of the transaction was: I was so happy! It took less than a week for the frame to arrive from China to Australia and the vendor replied to my email and requests promptly. His name was Jerry Wang.

When the box arrived I was also thrilled by how good and secure the packaging was. Please check the pictures below for more details.

Frame is full carbon and just simply looked like the real thing! YEAH! I am smiling a lot as I write this article as I am so happy about it and can't wait to start building it.

Unless you really-really look at it closely (what I mean by close is literally close ie. 1-2cm from the frame), you wouldn't be able to tell that this is a replica frame. Paint was a job well done! In fact, there is even a writing saying "Made in Italy" :)

Frame is also very light. I haven't been able to put it to a proper scale but by lifting it, it is only slightly heavier than my Roubaix S-Works frameset. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual weight is not far away from the one mentioned in their website. But let me put it on a proper scale and I'll update you all.

What I get with this is frame, headset, fork and aero seatpost. I'm so looking forward to build and ride it. I think it will just be awesome but until then please stay tuned. I should be able to write some reviews by the end of next week (it is 27th of November 2012 as I write this article). See you soon!







Monday, November 26, 2012

Mavic R-SYS SL 2012



Before I go to the actual review please see my rider profile below:


Rider Profile

  • Start riding: 2010
  • Type of riding: Commuting from/to home/work around ~60km a day, endurance and century riding on the weekend.
  • Speed: Slow-moderate 24-28kmh flats, 32-35kmh sprint and peloton riding, 14-16kmh climbing.
  • Road condition: Bike path, rough surface and rarely smooth with a lot of tree drops and branches especially during winter and wet season.
  • Climb condition: Short climb less than a kilometer with 2-14% gradient.
  • Age: 29
  • Height: 170cm
  • Weight: 74kg
  • Bikes ridden: Giant CRX-3, Giant TCR Advanced 1 & 2 2010, Merida Reacto 909 2011, Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011.
  • Riding goal: Fitness, endurance riding.
  • Profession: Website and SharePoint developer and consultant. I carry my laptop everywhere.
  • Location: Perth, Western Australia.
  • Sex: Male

Mavic R-SYS SL 2012 Review

I bought this wheelset as a replacement for my Shimano Dura-Ace C35 wheelset and yes, to be honest with you, the main reasons why I bought this wheelset were:
1. I thought I can go faster especially on climbs.
2. Want VS need.

A lot of people (including fellow riders in forums) have said to me that for the speed that I ride on, I won't see much advantage in changing the wheels. You know what? They're right!

Speed-wise I actually go slower on this wheelset! This wheelset is definitely a lot less aero on flats compared to my Dura-Ace C35. How do I know? I can feel it. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but my very first impression on riding on this, the wind drag is so huge. Even at slow speed I can tell the difference. The difference is that much which an amateur, slow rider like me can even tell.

Climbing is also the same. I don't feel any easier than my DA C35. Maybe it's the aero disadvantage that causes it? This wheelset is around 300gr less than the DA C35 in weight but somehow I don't feel any advantage out of it.

The only advantage that I get from this wheelset is: IT'S SUPER COMFORTABLE. Let me re-iterate, IT'S SUPER COMFORTABLE. Man.....at slow speed especially, this wheelset truly soaks up bumps and road vibrations. At the exact same route that I take everyday to work, on my DA C35, I have to stand whenever I see bumps on the road but with this, I can just sit all day long and I still feel fine.

Braking surface is also very good. It's alloy and even in rain, it still brakes perfectly.

Under head, side and yaw wind this wheelset is also very stable. It's as stable as my DA C35.

Conclusion

Do I love this wheelset? Absolutely! Since I now go slower on this, it motivates me to even train harder to reach the same speed I used to reach with my C35.

Is this an all-rounder wheelset? I would say yes. The comfort is what I wouldn't trade it for anything with. As I love doing centuries, I think this wheelset suits me better.

If you're looking for comfort for long riding, this is for you.

If you're looking for speed and you mostly ride on flats with smooth surface, this may not be for you.

Mavic Ksyrium Elite 2010


Before I go to the actual review please see my rider profile below:


Rider Profile

  • Start riding: 2010
  • Type of riding: Commuting from/to home/work around ~60km a day, endurance and century riding on the weekend.
  • Speed: Slow-moderate 24-28kmh flats, 32-35kmh sprint and peloton riding, 14-16kmh climbing.
  • Road condition: Bike path, rough surface and rarely smooth with a lot of tree drops and branches especially during winter and wet season.
  • Climb condition: Short climb less than a kilometer with 2-14% gradient.
  • Age: 29
  • Height: 170cm
  • Weight: 74kg
  • Bikes ridden: Giant CRX-3, Giant TCR Advanced 1 & 2 2010, Merida Reacto 909 2011, Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011.
  • Riding goal: Fitness, endurance riding.
  • Profession: Website and SharePoint developer and consultant. I carry my laptop everywhere.
  • Location: Perth, Western Australia.
  • Sex: Male

Mavic Ksyrium Elite 2010 Review

This wheelset came with my Giant TCR Advanced 1 2010 Ultegra bike. When I first bought this bike I was so green in cycling. Some people argued with me saying that with my cycling experience and knowledge and skills at the time, the bike was too good for me. I agreed with them however I had this principal that I may as well buy a bike that is good and capable enough so that I don't have to buy another one when my skill increases. I have proven myself wrong by the way. I have now changed my bike twice since.

Anyway, the Ksyrium Elite wheelset was an awesome wheelset. It is so light and after I read more about it, the price isn't that expensive either.

Braking surface is good even in the rain. It is also stiff.

What I don't like from it is how uncomfortable it can become. It transfers road vibrations and bumps quiet much. Maybe it's caused by the alloy rims and spokes?

Under a huge head, side and yaw wind, this wheelset isn't as stable as my other two wheelsets, Mavic R-SYS SL and Shimano Dura-Ace C35, especially when ridden on slow-moderate speed, it wobbles a little bit.

Climbing however feels a lot easier. Comparing to my Dura-Ace C35, this wheelset feels easier to climb with. It doesn't mean that I go faster with the Ksyrium though, it's just I can climb easier hence less stress on my legs.

Conclusion

As I mention in the rider profile, I don't race nor ride fast. I only commute to work and this wheelset is appropriate for that. It's strong, durable and light.

UPDATES: Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011


Hi guys,

Just an update on this bike, I personally feel that this bike can be boring at times :( I'm not sure why but the relaxed geometry and the "muted" ride can make me bored at times. I did a century last week and I just realized how "fun" the Merida was compared to this.

I totally agree that this bike is for century rides and at the end of the ride I did NOT feel beaten at all. Let me re-iterate, no sore neck, no sore back, nothing....it's just so comfortable, in fact it's TOO comfortable LOL. Because of this - I think - the ride can be a bit boring.


Tommy

REVIEW: Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011


Hi everyone,

I would like to give my review on the Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011 road bike. I have to say that this is one of the best bikes I've ever ridden to date (I have to say though that I have not ridden that many bikes anyway).

But before we go further into the review let me first of all introduce myself and my riding profile.

Rider Profile


  • Start riding: 2010
  • Type of riding: Commuting from/to home/work around ~60km a day, endurance and century riding on the weekend.
  • Speed: Slow-moderate 24-28kmh flats, 32-35kmh sprint and peloton riding, 14-16kmh climbing.
  • Road condition: Bike path, rough surface and rarely smooth with a lot of tree drops and branches especially during winter and wet season.
  • Climb condition: Short climb less than a kilometer with 2-14% gradient.
  • Age: 29
  • Height: 170cm
  • Weight: 74kg
  • Bikes ridden: Giant CRX-3, Giant TCR Advanced 1 & 2 2010, Merida Reacto 909 2011, Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011.
  • Riding goal: Fitness, endurance riding.
  • Profession: Website and SharePoint developer and consultant. I carry my laptop everywhere.
  • Location: Perth, Western Australia.
  • Sex: Male

I will not call myself a fast-paced rider. I'm however quiet competitive when it comes to group riding. I like to push myself although I'm very limited with time - which has now become one of my excuses of not putting a lot more effort into increasing my leg strength.

Bike Details





Prior to riding my Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3, I rode the Merida Reacto 909. I loved that bike so dearly. Compared this to my Giant TCR Advanced 1, man I would choose the Reacto any day. This bike is just a beast. Fast, very stiff, stable and comfortable.

The only thing that forced me to sell was its aggressive geometry. As I'm commuting to work daily, I have to carry 5-7kg weight on my shoulder every time I commute. The race geometry simply didn't work well with my back. After few months riding I started to feel sore on my back. 

Initially I didn't notice that it was the result of my riding with the Reacto. I only noticed it when I stopped riding. There was a moment when the weather was rainy and I had to stop riding for a week. My back pain was just gone. As soon as I started riding again, the pain came back.

I have attempted to turn the stem upside-down so I get ~8-degree increase there and it helped a little bit but still my back pain has not gone away. That's when I then made the decision to sell the bike.

Initially I was thinking of selling the complete bike however I noticed that the Merida bike came with Shimano Dura-Ace C35 wheelset and Dura-Ace 7900 out-of-the-box. I realized that for me to get a new bike (any brand) with the same spec would have cost me $5-8K at least. In the end I sold the Merida frame on its own and I kept the components and the wheels.

So this is where the story begins. Dura-Ace C35 wheelset and Dura-Ace 7900 components on my hands with no frameset to put them on. I have realized by now that I need an endurance frame. I'm also that type of guys that simply wants to buy the best and expensive stuff although my skill is not there yet (yeah I know it sounds silly). Anyway, after looking around, the only brands/models that I like were Trek Madone 6.9SSL H2 and Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL3. I'm not sure why I didn't consider other brands/models. Maybe I'm too blinded with their popularity and marketing gimmicks? 

In the end I chose the Roubaix S-Works SL3 although I have always wanted to ride the Trek. It's just they are too expensive (I still want to save for it and hopefully in the near future I can ride one of them though). During that time Specialized also did a great deal on the Roubaix S-Works SL3 2011 frameset. I think back then the 2011 models have not been sold due to a delayed delivery and the 2012 models have already come out. So Specialized are left with so many unsold 2011 stocks. 

Anyway, the frame was $4K RRP but they sold to me for $2600 which I think was an excellent value. I ended up getting the Team HTC color which I love so dearly. I like yellow by the way. So that's how everything came together. I then get the guys to put on the components and wheels for me. 

So, my new completely built bike profile is as follows:
  • Specialized Roubaix S-Works 2011 Team HTC frameset
  • Shimano Dura-Ace C35 wheels
  • Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 components
  • Selle SMP Extra Yellow saddle
  • Garmin Edge 500 bike computer and cadence
  • Shimano XTR MTB pedal
  • Mavic Fury Yellow shoes
  • Size: Extra Small 50cm

The Ride

This is it....the moment that I've been waiting for.It was one particular sunny day and I was ready to go to work with my bag containing my laptop, clothes for change, etc on my back. I clipped in my legs and here I went commuting.

My first impression on this bike was..........this bike was just so comfortable geometrically. My position was a lot right up. I knew for sure that I wouldn't get any sore back although I wouldn't be able to tell until I arrived back at home later on the night. But so far the geometry was a lot better for me.

Specialized - on their marketing campaign - specifies that this bike is supposed to be comfortable and soaking up a lot of road bumps and buzz. Well, that's what other people say so, too anyway. For me this wasn't the case. I still felt the bump as much as my Merida Reacto 909 and as much as my Giant TCR Advanced 1. It absorbed as much (and as little) road buzz as my Merida and Giant. Maybe this is due to my speed which is slow-moderate? But who cares...what matters is not what other people feel or say about it, it's what I say and feel about it.

The handling of the bike unfortunately wasn't as precise and stable as my Merida. When I went down hill I felt the bike was a bit twitchy. On flats my Merida also felt more solid. Cornering also my Merida still felt better and easier to control. 

Attacking and accelerating are also better on my Merida but I think this is due to the geometry. I think the lower your position is on the bike, the better and easier it is to generate power for acceleration.

Look, it's not to say that the Roubaix wasn't solid nor stable, I'm just saying that comparing this to my Merida, my Merida is still a winner on these criteria.

Climbing however felt faster and easier than my Merida. I think it's safe to say that my Merida is more suitable for sprinting and on-flats riding but for climbing and endurance ride I will still choose my Specialized.

Arriving back at home later on the night I felt absolutely NO BACK PAIN whatsoever. Let me repeat it again, MY BACK PAIN IS FULL GONE which what I've always dreamed of.

Can you still ride fast with the Roubaix? Definitely! Otherwise Tom Boonen and Cancellara wouldn't have won Paris-Roubaix, would they? However, the geometry is very-very right up. Therefore, to get aerodynamics advantage you have to ride on the drop-bar (which what Tom Boonen did when he soloed for the last 50km of the last Paris Roubaix).

Conclusion

Is this the right bike for me? I would say YES! Any day I would choose this bike for commuting and century-riding. It's so comfortable and most importantly, the geometry is very-very friendly to my body, hip and back.

Is this the right bike to ride fast and flat-racing? I'm not sure. To be quiet fair I never race so I wouldn't know what it's like but judging from my day-to-day ride only, this bike needs a bit more effort to be ridden fast compared to the other race-geometry bikes.

What it's better at compared to others:

  • Climbing
  • Long and century rides
  • Commuting

What others better at compared to this:

  • Cornering
  • Flats
  • Sprinting and accelerating