Quote by Volnix:
"Doesn't it feel like riding a power breaker when you go over cobbles?
It's not bad. The rear triangle is plenty stiff, but the saddle fits me well and the bars are well padded with some thick factory faux cork stuff. Overall, I like the way it rides and climbs. It's not a 'comfort bike' or something built out for Paris-Roubaix and at the same time I find it plenty easy on my almost 62-year old body. I think doing a 100-miler on it wouldn't be any worse than any of my other bike.
"Do you use 25mm tires? What kind?"
It came with some very stiff 23 MM Bontrasher R1's. They are heavy and lack response and there is very little road feel to them. They appear durable (I only have around a thousand miles on the WREK), but they sure aren't as nice as Vredestein Fortezza TriComps or Michelin Pro 4 Service Course tires. All of my clincher-tires are 23 MM. Only sissy's, Nancy boys and them thar metrosexuals ride 25 MM tires...and people that buy the latest 'trendy' stuff or believe those bizarre rolling resistance charts make them believe they'll be faster in real life.
"I don't know how long you used it but, are the wheels keeping true? Did you have to re-true them so far???"
So far, so good. I have not touched them. They are 24H 'J' head front and rear...pretty conservative and stout by today's standards. The cassette freehub is quiet, the bearings feel good. Like I said in another thread, they are stiff. Way stiffer than my 20-spoke count Mavic Aksiums. The Aksiums are way lighter and spin up much quicker. I haven't weighed the Bontrasher wheel/tire setup, but I guarantee you they are tanks. Wheels are made in Malaysia FWIW.
I bought another set of spare wheels for it (I didn't have any other wheels that take shitmaNO cassette splines...duh!) that will be lighter, but the Bontrashers are on until they finish repairing the Winter road damage...which should be completed by next November 30th.
"If you have pads issues check the Swissstop BXP (or blue) pads..."
Anything will be better than this shitmaNO **** pads. Sandpaper would be better. As would stale marshmallows. And compressed oatmeal.
"If your brakes are as good as last years Ultegra (which I found really f@ckin scary good on a test ride) these pads will be more then enough... Like alot more. Might it also be a cable issue?"
The calipers, themselves, are really solid. The front is not staying centered all that well, but the calipers seat the pads with a nice, solid 'thud'. Cables are Jagwire. The brakes move easily when the lever is pulled.
"I also had some problems with Shimano pads, and I had a pair of Dura-Ace ones for f' sake..."
shitmaNO is just so MEH! Overall there's no getting around it. I rode my Wilier/Campagnolo this afternoon for a fast, hard 32 miles of climbing and after being off it for months I was amazed by just how good Campagnolo stuff is. It was solid, smooth, quiet, positive and no fuss at all.
I did try to break the brake levers...Note to self: Campy brake levers do NOT move sideways like shitmaNO levers. And the inside shift lever works opposite of shitmaNO's...duh. Campy blades get you a bigger size gear and shitmaNO blades get you a smaller size gear. Gah! A few of the hills I hit had me shifting like a rookie or a moron that bought shitmaNO ****.
One thing I despise about shitmaNO shifting is the swinging brake lever. What dumbass thought that one up? And SRAM copied them?!?! Moronic design.
"19 pounds sounds about normal... I was checking these bikes when they came out and they were advertising some models which weighted something like 6 kg... Are these another build?"
There's the 'S' Frame, a lighter 'SL' frame and a frame with no weight at all...the 'SLR'. Depending on components the SLR build with SCRAM goes right around 10-11 pounds. That's freakin' scary light!
And thanks to TREK build specs there's plenty of heavy **** components bolted on from the factory that make zero sense at all and you can throw them in the trash after you buy a nice light carbon component that actually works for you like...oh...say...that sweet DEDA SuperZero carbon seatpost in the picture that actually has some real setback to it! Or the Bontrasher Paradigm seat I sub'd that weighs about 150 grams less than the OEM one.
"Do they have different types of frames in the range of that bike? Like 10r or 9r or something?"
TREK builds a shitload of EMONDA models. Mine is just an 'S' frame with 5800 105 stuff slapped on it. 'SLR' level carbon with SCRAM Red Black & Blue, a carbon saddle with zero padding and wheels that will fold up with the first unseen pothole is the ten point something pound version.
"Are the pedals carbon? Did you... "Scratch them" on any pavement so far???"
I haven't beat the carbon pedals up so far. They are Ultegra models. Other than the cheap sounding 'click' when I unclip they are comfortable, smooth, easy to enter and did I mention they were comfortable? To me, the pedals are the best part of shitmaNO and it gives me great pleasure to stomp on them over and over and over.
"Sorry for the many questions but I am also kinda inclined on getting a carbon bike in the future, (although I am neither in a club, or compete, or train, or have any friends to go rides with, or the money to buy it,
but I am still interested in them and search around.
The current "favorite" is a GURU climb-bike of some sort, not aero, not endurance... Or maybe one of these "a touch of aero" LOOK ones... )"
I think the Ultegra 'SL' Emonda might be the sweet spot in the Emonda line. I just wanted to try the Emonda and I needed a winter beater bike and again, my dealer friend was very accommodating. I could ride this Emonda all summer and not lose any sleep over it, but I sure would turn red if my friends saw me on shitmaNO stuff. I have a reputation of class, quality, good breeding and great taste to uphold!
Seriously though, check out the Wilier Izoard XP with 105 or Ultegra if you want a great ride quality for reasonable money. I think Competitive Cyclist is still stocking the Izoard XP and I know a couple of the English web dealers stock them. VAT might be insane though.
"Oh and I would take my chances with the Banjos instead with the sheep dogs around here anytime...
At least them you can invite for a beer or something.
(Scary, woolly, dirty, big f'in ugly dogs running in packs, naaasty.)"
Wild dogs get lead poisoning around here. Beer and hillbillies go together though.