I am waiting for wireless, disk brakes. Using a proprietary unsecured wireless protocol, and separate batteries on both ends of the system.  What could go wrong?

13 months, 1 Conti 4Season 25mm, 0 punctures. I love these tires!

Marc Bertucco said:

This may only make sense to me and my wife, but, if I can't get a cheap very high quality used rig (not looking to upgrade my current bike, "a little") then I've got my eye on the baddest-ass brand new rig from Giant. This is a move that was set up a few years ago when I bought a lower-end road bike than I really wanted.

Are you more interested in a deal or performance?  It's unclear from your comments. Regardless of your interest, I think you ought to do more homework than crowdsourcing here.  

Start with your current bike.  What's wrong with it? Where is it lacking?  

Find the geometry chart of your current bike (it might take reaching out to the manufacturer), figure out stack and reach if you can (stack and reach are now commonly found on geometry charts, but it's a relatively recent development).  Then start looking at bikes that have caught your fancy, and see how  your current bike's dimensions compare.  things like head angle, fork rake, bb-drop all really matter.  So, too, does the corresponding stem length you'll run (this is why you want to know the reach).  And you'll want to know crotch clearance and stem clearance (this is why you want to know stack).  Knowing whether or not there will be "toe clip overlap" is good to know but hard to determine easily.  

You know how your bike rides.  Try to figure first how you'll fit on the new bike and then how whatever bike will ride.  Will this prospective bike be more or less stable? Is it bb-height or head angle/fork rake?  Higher bb's mean you can pedal through more turns, a steeper head angle can give the sensation of faster steering--but these things are preferences.   most people like the look and feel of stems 110-120mm in length, but shorter and longer work fine, too.  They'll change steering sensations and weight balance.  Longer stems feel faster.  Generally smaller bikes often "look right" and feel "faster," even though the size up might be stiffer and more stable (and lighter if you cut down the extra seatpost length)

In terms of stiffness and flex, I find the claim that a rider can tell small differences in vertical compliance or lack thereof on a bike when the tires are set at 20-35psi, a bit hard to believe.  when you're running low tire pressure like that, I tend to think the tires will bottom out before you notice vertical flex.  If carbon can save big weight, great, but in terms of carbon majorly tuning a ride other than vibration reduction (even then), I have doubts.  

And even all this, know that fit is paramount. Know that wheels, tires, and air pressure will make a far more meaningful difference in how your bike performs than the frame materials and weight (within a fairly wide range).  Cantilever brake straddle cable geometry could matter more than the frame. And I'm told that fitness and riding skill matter a bit. 

The above is true for just about all bikes.  With road bikes, gaining a little weight for more aero is often a measurable benefit.  The problem is the "price" is not really that you're carrying extra weight on climbs, but that the bike seems to ride more harshly, is harder to fit in 25mm tires, and is a pain for things like pumps and fenders. (and if you get that under the bb brake, service is a pain).  

With cx bikes, if you make the switch to rotor disc braking, you'll probably need a second set of wheels: clinchers at low pressure don't do so great.

So, for whatever bike you go for, make sure it fits first off.  And keep in mind that the fanciest bike with ok wheels and tires almost certainly won't be as fast as the ok bike with awesome wheels and tires.   (and wear a skin suit as much as possible when racing).

JohnMalcolmson said:

13 months, 1 Conti 4Season 25mm, 0 punctures. I love these tires!

You've got lots of life left on those.  Hope you haven't thrown them out yet.

@JP
What tires do you use ?

mugwump said:

You've got lots of life left on those.  Hope you haven't thrown them out yet.

JP I did biff it, I know I could probably get another couple hundred miles on the two belts left, but don't feel comfortable experimenting with how far they'll go.

Mark Taylor said:

@JP
What tires do you use ?

depends on the time of year and the event.  From December through March, I typically ride something heavy and sturdy, Conti's Gatorshell most recently.  April brings out lighter tires for training, It's been Ritchey's Race Slick  Comp--They were like $10 or something through our club deal last year--and at 230g and folding they are between race tires and winter tires. Think I'll be on them next year as well, because I bought three pair last year and am only now switching to the second pair.  Racing, i've been on Michelin's and Zipps this year.  

mugwump said:

JohnMalcolmson said:

13 months, 1 Conti 4Season 25mm, 0 punctures. I love these tires!

You've got lots of life left on those.  Hope you haven't thrown them out yet.

I would have expected that tire to have all the wear on the right side...

#FBF

Jeff Condon said:

I test rode the TCR Advanced today. A nice ride and very responsive. Thanks @Redbeard

Put myself on the list for the advanced Pro 1.  

I thought this test was superb!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUdC3mrHcc8
Want them to do it with skinsuits, helmets, shoe covers, Speedplay aero pedals....

Adam said:

I thought this test was superb!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUdC3mrHcc8
Want them to do it with skinsuits, helmets, shoe covers, Speedplay aero pedals....

Agree. definitely interesting --- makes me think of aero wheels even for cross: 51 minutes! 

There are two things I wish they had either mentioned or checked.  Tire selection and tire pressure.  Hopefully, he kept the same position the whole test as well.  

I don't think they'd find much improvement if they did helmets, shoe covers, speedplay aero pedals, but it would be fun to see.  Skinsuits would depend on what jersey they started off with.  

I think if you go to the watts in the bank thread, I think someone posted a test from Red Kite Prayer, where he went into the specialized wind tunnel and compared standard clothes and steel bike with standard wheels, to aero jersey and helmet and shaved legs and steel bike, to that get-up and the Venge with aero wheels.  

JP, I suggest you ask, because as we all know YouTube comments are one of the most civil and welcoming parts of the internet. 

I tried the Caragona tape in my road tubular this year. I am impressed and would use it again. The first advantage is that it is a much quicker and less messy approach to tubulars. For some of us who have been used to Belgian tape and whatnot, it stops away some of the romance of gluing tubulars in the loving fashion of an Italian craftsman from so distant era, but on the other hand, it's easy. You pick. 

The Caragona tape is a strange gelatin glue that apparently was initially developed for undersea applications. On my road bike it seems to hold plenty strong. I haven't tried it with cross tubulars but it certainly seems like it would be sturdy enough. By the way clean up is also infinitely easier than scrubbing the chunks of mastic and Belgian tape off your rims with as stone for hours. This stuff comes right off. 

One more thing. When I bought it in the late spring early summer there was a narrow tape and a wide tape. I have wide tubular rims so I went with the wide tape. That was a mistake. The width of the tape was 1mm wider than the rim and I had to cut it down. Measure carefully because I It's sort of a pain to cut down. After emailing the distributor they recommended that the rim always be wider than the tape. This makes sense to me but the website suggested otherwise. 

so would you say this is the tubular solution for garage-less New Yorkers? I love the idea of taping tubulars instead of glue, brushes, gloves, acetone and lots of time for a 15 minute process would be awesome. 

perhaps, I would be so crazy hesitant to actually do it for cross like Zinn above.

Tubeless!

Didn't (doesn't) Zinn's daughter work for Challenge?
Who is going to be first to try this crazy caca at an A race?

Brendan Rigby said:

Tubeless!

Why? Because it gets you this.......(and sub 25psi easy..no burping)

Park Tool upping their game

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/

PatrickG said:

I tried the Caragona tape in my road tubular this year. I am impressed and would use it again....
One more thing. When I bought it in the late spring early summer there was a narrow tape and a wide tape. I have wide tubular rims so I went with the wide tape. That was a mistake. The width of the tape was 1mm wider than the rim and I had to cut it down. Measure carefully because I It's sort of a pain to cut down. After emailing the distributor they recommended that the rim always be wider than the tape. This makes sense to me but the website suggested otherwise. 

There are actually three widths made by Effeto Mariposa.  And the instructions are pretty important to read.
http://www.effettomariposa.eu/en/products/carogna-family/carogna/

Seems like most everyone is impressed. 
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/effetto-mariposa-carogna-tape-the-end-of-tubular-glue-43879/

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/11/bikes-and-tech/argonaut-and-chris-king-to-slay-pf30-with-new-threaded-bb_388673

I think I speak for us all when I say

Except, if the standard does what it purports to do and stops the creak, but gives us the size/strength that is so preferred...then yay.

A cheaper, simpler solution is already out there.



http://wheelsmfg.com/pf30-threaded-abec-3-bb-black.html

I'm starting to feel like my Chris King BB lately...old, dirty, violated & in need of a purge

twoyacks said:

I'm starting to feel like my Chris King BB lately...old, dirty, violated & in need of a purge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOnEGlhdbm0