Aero rim-brake bike - cheap build
Moderator: robbosmans
I want to build or buy a decent aero road bike on the cheap, because I'm always broke! I thought a rim brake aero frame from 2018ish and before might be a good option and lighter than disc. Does anyone have any advice on which bikes from that era still stand up as decent aero machines? I'm thinking Giant Propel SL and the like ...
Cervelo S3 or S5. Felt AR.
Time Skylon... Factor One (these are probably much harder to find, though).
Put on some TriRig Omega brakes (probably better than Propel's brakes anyway) and I doubt it would be slower than any of the new generation of disk brake bikes. Electronic shifting would also help in cleaning up the front end of the bike. You will be or course limited to 25mm in most of these bikes.
Other options (new): Chapter2 just brought back the Rere. You could probably get an aero rim brake bike from Winspace, or other Chinese brands.
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Time Skylon... Factor One (these are probably much harder to find, though).
Put on some TriRig Omega brakes (probably better than Propel's brakes anyway) and I doubt it would be slower than any of the new generation of disk brake bikes. Electronic shifting would also help in cleaning up the front end of the bike. You will be or course limited to 25mm in most of these bikes.
Other options (new): Chapter2 just brought back the Rere. You could probably get an aero rim brake bike from Winspace, or other Chinese brands.
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Thanks heaps. I've heard good things about the Felt AR, and I have a 2019 Felt FR2 which I got just as I got back into racing after about 35yrs. It's a nice bike, especially on the climbs, but most of the vet cat. races I around my area are pretty flat. I'm hoping a few of these bikes/frames start popping up on the cheap as their owners go to disc/ full internal routing etc.
Felt AR, because it can fit 28mm tyres and is crazy fast, even more so because it has the rear brake on the chainstays (which is a stupid place), but it allows for super clean routing up front and also allows running Tririg Omega front with minimal cabling exposed. And, since the rear brake is almost hidden, you can run, say, EE direct mount there, and the fashion police won't notice. Not the bike to descend from mountains in the wet, but on the flats it's unbeatable.
I still remember the first day some (+/-) 7 years back when I fitted Turbo Cottons on Enve 6.7 and Felt AR, it was like "wtf, is there now 100% tailwind and am I now flying or what"
I still remember the first day some (+/-) 7 years back when I fitted Turbo Cottons on Enve 6.7 and Felt AR, it was like "wtf, is there now 100% tailwind and am I now flying or what"
Minimum bike categories required in the stable:
Aero bike | GC bike | GC rim bike | Climbing bike | Climbing rim bike | Classics bike | Gravel bike | TT bike | Indoors bike
Aero bike | GC bike | GC rim bike | Climbing bike | Climbing rim bike | Classics bike | Gravel bike | TT bike | Indoors bike
You say that, but the price of most of those bikes is relatively "affordable" next to today's SL7, F, or S5.
I think the current crop of DB bikes are heavily promoted, but in reality apart from the perceived advantages DB bestows to some riders in some areas, the current bikes are very bad value for money compared to bikes from about 2017-19 with rim brakes.
Giant Propel Advanced SL Red Etap 11s Easton EC90 wheels CeramicSpeed BB Zipp SL70 bars 6.5kg
Vitus ZX1 CRS Campy Chorus 12s Bora WTO 45 disk brake wheels Zipp SL70 bars 7.5kg
Vitus ZX1 CRS Campy Chorus 12s Bora WTO 45 disk brake wheels Zipp SL70 bars 7.5kg
SL8 build with Craft CS5060 Wheels in progress
Ended up with a 2014 Wilier Cento1Air ... pretty happy with it so far. The frame looks pretty similar, if a bit chunkier than a lot of the recent aero bikes. Utegra mechanical, which feels great and it came with some heavy Fulcrums - maybe 5s, but with my Prime Primavera 50s it weighs 7.6kg. And it only cost $1500 aud. Here's to rim brakes I say!
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The Propel seems to be the one that goes for the least money. I've seen Advanced SL's at sub £1000 here in the UK.
I LOVED my Gen1 Foil. Not sure why somebody said slow AF. They did very well at world tour level and I loved mine.
Cervelo are cool but they hold their money. Same with Canyon, crazy money for old tech.
Personally I'd go with the Propel as it seems to be incredible value second hand.
Doh! Just seen the Wilier.
I LOVED my Gen1 Foil. Not sure why somebody said slow AF. They did very well at world tour level and I loved mine.
Cervelo are cool but they hold their money. Same with Canyon, crazy money for old tech.
Personally I'd go with the Propel as it seems to be incredible value second hand.
Doh! Just seen the Wilier.