aero vs climbing bike

flatface

For those of you who have tried/own both, if you were to have one all rounder bike would it be aero or not? It wont be just a summer bike.

I cant afford all of my wishlist: aggressive geometry, climbs well, nice wheels to add on nice days, disc brakes, aero, ultegra. So im having to make some compromises.

Looking at Aeroroad with 105 and getting some cheap runaround wheels
or Ultimate CF with an extra €600 to spend on nice day wheels.

Lumen

Perversely, I would only get an aero frame with disc brakes.

Reason being, aero bikes look crap without aero wheels. And aero wheels are either heavy or have crap braking or both. Now obvs disc brakes (and the high spoke wheels they require) have crap aerodynamics, so functionally that seems worse, but it looks better than a fat frame with skinny wheels.

So: rim brakes, skinny frame, skinny wheels, or disc brakes, fat frame, fat wheels.

terrydel

Looking at a new bike myself right now, and this is something I've thought about.
For me its about getting whats best for what you like to do.
That for me is climbing. Also, I think that generally speaking, aero bikes are a bit ugly. They are also a little heavier, but not so much that it would make a difference to us mere mortals.
As for your wishlist, its really you that climbs well, not the bike. The rest I think you can get, as you can quite easily get nice wheels that are for the whole year, I use Zondas and quite frankly unless I was racing, I dont know why I or anyone else would need more than those.
Best of luck in your search.

flatface

Lumen wrote: »

Perversely, I would only get an aero frame with disc brakes.

Reason being, aero bikes look crap without aero wheels. And aero wheels are either heavy or have crap braking or both. Now obvs disc brakes (and the high spoke wheels they require) have crap aerodynamics, so functionally that seems worse, but it looks better than a fat frame with skinny wheels.

So: rim brakes, skinny frame, skinny wheels, or disc brakes, fat frame, fat wheels.

Fair enough, I get the aesthetics of that. I kinda like the idea of disc brakes, I would like to have a set of wheels with 28s for winter and a nice set with 25s for sunny days out. Like the idea of carbon without swapping pads.

but if you have both aero and light, which do you prefer riding, which do you reach for?

flatface

terrydel wrote: »

That for me is climbing. Also, I think that generally speaking, aero bikes are a bit ugly. They are also a little heavier, but not so much that it would make a difference to us mere mortals.

Im light and love climbing, not that im great at it. I am considering aero this time as I usually avoid/hate the flat bits, would like to try and enjoy it more. I think aero has pretty strong gains for all gradients.

Looks wise I love the looks on both of the Canyons linked.

Lumen

flatface wrote: »

but if you have both aero and light, which do you prefer riding, which do you reach for?

Neither, I reach for comfortable and ugly. My titanium bike and race bike haven't been used since I bought my pig-ugly disc-braked Synapse. It's soooo comfortable.

Chips Lovell

I'd only buy an aero bike if I was planning on racing it. It would be pointless to have one otherwise.

flatface

Lumen wrote: »

Neither, I reach for comfortable and ugly. My titanium bike and race bike haven't been used since I bought my pig-ugly disc-braked Synapse. It's soooo comfortable.

I tested a Scott Foil 20 disc with 28mm tyres. It was ridiculously comfortable, not sure at all about it.

flatface

Baron de Charlus wrote: »

I'd only buy an aero bike if I was planning on racing it. It would be pointless to have one otherwise.

I won't be racing but just enjoying the hell out of it. I was wondering which people enjoy more.

Chips Lovell

My next bike (when I get around to buying it) is likely to be a Foil. But I wouldn't go near one if I wasn't racing it, because there's no benefit from an aero frame if you aren't. I'd buy something nicer to ride like a Planet X Pro Carbon instead (or Lumen's Synapse).

dahat

Giant TCR Advanced for me, not aero but light and looks well with both rim & disc brake options.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Lumen wrote: »

Neither, I reach for comfortable and ugly. My titanium bike and race bike haven't been used since I bought my pig-ugly disc-braked Synapse. It's soooo comfortable.

I’m the same, have a Felt F5 with full 6800 groupset, carbon seat post, bars and wheels weighing in at 7.25kg inc pedals cages etc etc but since buying my Felt VR30 disc bike which weighs 9.75kg with cages guards and lights, I have only rode my F5 3 times in the last 18 months. The VR30 is so comfortable and the disc brakes are so effective and powerful.

terrydel

flatface wrote: »

Im light and love climbing, not that im great at it. I am considering aero this time as I usually avoid/hate the flat bits, would like to try and enjoy it more. I think aero has pretty strong gains for all gradients.

Looks wise I love the looks on both of the Canyons linked.

Yeah, whatever you get, the biggest factor on it is you, no bike will cover up for not training or putting the work in.
Aero bike will generally feeling stiffer and less compliant, so if you are regularly riding in the Wicklow mountains like myself and many others, with its poor road surfaces, you might want to consider that.

ford2600

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I’m the same, have a Felt F5 with full 6800 groupset, carbon seat post, bars and wheels weighing in at 7.25kg inc pedals cages etc etc but since buying my Felt VR30 disc bike which weighs 9.75kg with cages guards and lights, I have only rode my F5 3 times in the last 18 months. The VR30 is so comfortable and the disc brakes are so effective and powerful.

Internet shocker; two old farts find bikes designed for old farts with wide tyres and relaxed frame more comfortable than bike designed for flexible athletes.


Shock number 2; light and expensive does not necessarily corelate with enjoyment of cycling


That's all for this week; more coming next week

sullzz

I have both an Aeroad and a TCR .
I love both equally, if planning a hilly route i wouldnt necessarily choose the TCR over the Aeroad, and likewise, if i was racing a flat course I would automatically bring the Aeroad over the TCR.

flatface

ford2600 wrote: »

Internet shocker; two old farts find bikes designed for old farts with wide tyres and relaxed frame more comfortable than bike designed for flexible athletes.


Shock number 2; light and expensive does not necessarily corelate with enjoyment of cycling


That's all for this week; more coming next week

So what is your go to enjoyable bike? Are you in the comfortable camp too?

flatface

sullzz wrote: »

I have both an Aeroad and a TCR .
I love both equally, if planning a hilly route i wouldnt necessarily choose the TCR over the Aeroad, and likewise, if i was racing a flat course I would automatically bring the Aeroad over the TCR.

If you had to keep just one, which would walk the plank?

terrydel

Lumen wrote: »

Neither, I reach for comfortable and ugly. My titanium bike and race bike haven't been used since I bought my pig-ugly disc-braked Synapse. It's soooo comfortable.

Synapse is a great bike. I dont think its ugly either.

nordicb

Have both, aero older shape Felt AR and not - Alu Giant. Both are set to be a close match fitting and gearing wise quite aggressively for racing. They have different personalities and I like both. AR frame is like a noodle, especially front-end and seatpost areas, while non-aero Giant is stiffer there, but somewhat softer in the bottom bracket area. I feel a non-aero frame just hits the wall around 45kph, while aero has a lot more to give at higher speeds, but front-end softness makes it a little less stanble. Shallow rims appear to climb better than deep sections for me (both are Compags), but only marginally. I ride and race both. Being taller and heavier, I use aero in most races as speed gains favour me more than climbing, where my weight drags me down. On flatter sections it is all about sustainable power and speed.

I'd like to find a bike that does it all, perhaps it doesn't exist. Aero would be my choice as it suits my physique better.

sullzz

flatface wrote: »

If you had to keep just one, which would walk the plank?

Hard call, but if i had to choose id keep the Aeroad.
But the TCR is a fantastic bike.