to be clear, Stages are awesome, and it is likely to be my next power meter purchase.

but if accuracy at the top end was a priority (like if I could sprint) I would be looking into SRM or Pioneer.

Yacks- we all know that the main argument as to why we should not be amazed by Froome putting out 437 watts for 72 minutes at the end of a 7 hour Tour stage is because Stages powermeters are +/- 17%.  Brailsford told us so.

Propel Advanced Pro 0 owners... 

How are you liking her so far?  And for those that switched from a non-aero frame, do you perceive any negative differences when climbing (except for the lb or so of weight you're maybe giving up)?

I'm in the market for something shiny and (maybe) aero and ooooh this is very nice....

Clifford, it is a ridiculously really really really good looking bike (that can turn from both the left and the right), and considering your climbing skills, the extra pound weight probably won't matter much, especially in the local races.

The good news is that if you want a GC bike, the TCR is always another option...

This is how I feel about the new Giant models, just replace "cats" with bikes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP4NMoJcFd4

But also cats.

You cannot replace cats, ever.

I tossed out the suggestion of new bike(s) to my wife and I got the expected (and the honest) reaction. I do have a double-top secret plan to get my cross bike to "raceable" though. Still... #adultingsux

I heard that the Propel has shit brakes. 

I love the Propel. Just about everything about it is great. The one thing I'd change is the brakes. I really didn't love them on the steep and fast big mountain descents. I was talking to JP or Stokes about it on Sat morning after the race and they were suggesting different pads. But I still think it is the brakes themselves that are the issue. That said, they stop the bike, its just you can't modulate the brakes as well as a standard caliper. Also not as easy to adjust.

Aside from that, I totally dig the bike.

I want to give a shout out to the company that made my garmin mount. The company is called Raceware and they make stock and custom made mounts for Garmins, GoPros, lights and other things by 3D printing the mount. I needed one because the bars for the Propel are teardrop shaped and a standard mount won't work. As I mentioned it broke in the L&C race yesterday. I purchased the mount through their U.S. distributor Trend Sports. Yesterday I took a picture of it and emailed it to the company, which is U.K. based and asked if they warranty their products. Within 5 mins I got an email response saying if I sent them my mailing address they'd ship a new one. I was pretty amazed at the quick response. Here is a link to their website: http://www.racewaredirect.co

Hopefully, I'll have the new mount in hand in a week or two.

Well I broke my mount and Tate Labs (labs??? really??? is there some sort of biology going on there?  Is the bicycle mount simply a front to develop a new recipe for blue meth?)...told me they would go ahead and ship me a new mount...just that RED is the only color in stock...and oh yeah shipping is $7.  So now I wait at the mailbox for my cheesy red mount.

http://www.barflybike.com/shop/mtb-mounts/cateye/

Adam Fabian said:

Anyone with Di2 -- how do you like it? What pros/cons have you encountered while using it? Comparing groupos and really curious about electronic shifting. 

Adam I've had mine for almost three years now and I'm never going back.

- setup on new wheels/cassettes is easy and super precise.
- awesome for travel - take off the rear mech and put it in your carry on
- it's a joy to ride; shifting is like pushing a mouse button

as for durability - Garrigan rides Di2 on his CX bikes and he breaks *everything* (wheels, frames, cassettes, spokes, pedals, chainrings...) never heard him say a word about his shifters though.

the only downsides I can think of are 1) weight and 2) when you want to build a bike you've got to thread the junction box inside the frame so get comfy with pulling your bottom brackets!

eloy said:

Chris, I'm sorry, but is not them, is you. #cursed.

Have to agree man. 

ian ellis said:

You cannot replace cats, ever.

"Now and forever... Cats!"

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n8ubsypUGfQ/TCQr-3OaW6I/AAAAAAAABBA/Rql-9ioODKE/s1600/CATS+main_banner.png

Just to flog the Di2 thing to death — the sprinter switches are good. Keep forgetting to get them when I overhaul. You can add climber switches on the tops too. 

Sprinting on a titanium frame is an oxymoron...there I said it

twoyacks said:

Well I broke my mount and Tate Labs (labs??? really??? is there some sort of biology going on there?  Is the bicycle mount simply a front to develop a new recipe for blue meth?)...told me they would go ahead and ship me a new mount...just that RED is the only color in stock...and oh yeah shipping is $7.  So now I wait at the mailbox for my cheesy red mount.

http://www.barflybike.com/shop/mtb-mounts/cateye/

Red is faster. Obvs.--Eloy

Craig Zolan said:

I love the Propel. Just about everything about it is great. The one thing I'd change is the brakes. I really didn't love them on the steep and fast big mountain descents. I was talking to JP or Stokes about it on Sat morning after the race and they were suggesting different pads. But I still think it is the brakes themselves that are the issue. That said, they stop the bike, its just you can't modulate the brakes as well as a standard caliper. Also not as easy to adjust.

Aside from that, I totally dig the bike.

Must have been Stokes.

That written, the modulation issue is a funny one.  About the only thing I can figure is that there's less flex in the system (aka the brake arms) and that results in the on/off feel.  If I'm correct, softer pads as well as stretchier cables and housing that compresses more could help.  So, too, I guess, less-stiff arms.  All the same, I've seen little validation of sponginess of pads, cables, and housing.  Never for the arms, though I've  heard that the "Fouriers" brand, which at least initially, wasn't stock on Giants, might work better.  

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/fouriers-dx005-brakes-for-giant-propel-first-look-41044/

The fact that pros aren't using the stock brakes should be enough proof.

Similarly, Cav chose to ride his old Venge on the hilly stages over in France.

My experience has been that integrated brakes are a fucking nightmare. It seems I'm not alone.

integrated brakes allow manufacturers to have more autonomy over their products = more $$$ for them and less for the brake companies...unless these brakes are being farmed from SRAM shimano etc? 

I'm having issues when swapping between a Zipp rear wheel and a Neuvation rear wheel , the shifting is off , so much so that the chain got stuck between the 11t cog and the frame during Saturdays race , is there a fix for this ,
both wheel run campy 11 speed , one is 12-25 on the other is 11-27
I'm trying to avoid adjusting the derailleur each time i use the different 

^ Mark I've heard this is fixable with spacers to make the cassettes equal but I've never been able to make this work myself...

I suppose the most permanent solution is to re-dish one of the wheels?

Wait, y'all are telling Adam F to upgrade to electronic shifting, and how it magically fixes all your shifting problems, and Mark comes with a similar issue and it is all "redish the wheel" and "fixable with spacers"!

I though you were e-vangelists (see what I did there)! What happened to throw a pile of money and electricity at the problem?

@David Re-dishing the wheel is not a solution for this problem. The dish of the wheel determines where the rim is in relation to the center of the hub.

@Mark In addition to falling off the 11T does it also fail to climb onto the largest sprocket at the rear ?
Since they are both Campy cassettes they will have exactly the same spacing and so I am going to assume that it you have this problem also.

In which case the problem is either:
a) The freehub on one hub sits closer to the spokes. So teh cassette on one wheel fits further to the center of the hub than the other (the one closer to the center is the one where it falls off the 11T)
b) The amout of axle protruding NDS & DS on the two hubs is different. Again this is will make the  DS side of the wheel and hence the cassette on one hub sit closer to the dropout on one  wheel.

If a) you can try a spacer behind the cassette. You probably only need 1mm. That should still leave plenty of thread for the lockring to grip. That would be all you need to do.
if b) it is more of a PITA. In the good old days the axles on hubs had multiple different size spacers and you could just shuffle them around to solve the problem. You may still be able to do something similar but I don't know. If you do this then you have changed the position of the center of the hub between the two dropouts. Hence your rim may now rub against the brake or chainstay and you will need to also re-dish the wheel.

ian ellis said:

@David Re-dishing the wheel is not a solution for this problem. The dish of the wheel determines where the rim is in relation to the center of the hub.

Duh, this yang needs more coffee.

Mark, don't go with a $2 spacer. Spend $2,000 to upgrade to Record EPS! Get those electrons working for you!

Dan Reiners said:

 What happened to throw a pile of money and electricity at the problem?

Yeah, the "throw a pile of money" at the problem "solution" is my favorite on this thread. So helpful. Got a problem? Get a more expensive one and quit your whining.