Cervelo or Trek

I'm in the process of buying a bike and need help making a decision. I tested out a couple of bikes today, a Cervelo Team Soloist (aluminum) that sells for 2500 (with dura ace shifters and derailleurs) that was solid...very fast and very stiff...i liked it.

then i tested an 07 trek madone 5.9SL carbon loaded with dura-ace...also solid, listed at 3500 (down from 5400)...

now, my price range was 3k, and the cervelo is a great bike and i could get pedels, a computer, etc...at 3500, that's over my budget and i'm not sure i want to spend that much money...however, is that 1k in upgrades (carbon frame, all dura-ace) worth it? again, i don't want to spend that much...

any advice is appreciated.

 

Both bikes are excellent choices, but in my opinion Trek pricing has increased disproportionately higher than the value of their bikes has over the past recent years. It's what steered me away from a Madone two years ago in favor of my Kestrel, and also what's currently steering me away from a 7.7 FX to a Kona PhD.

No, to me the 1K upgrade cost does not seem worth it. If you already know you like the Cervelo and it's in your budget then it appears the Cervelo is the obvious choice.

 

thanks for your input, i really liked the cervelo and i liked the trek, but i just wanted to make sure that the 2k price reduction wasn't like finding gold in your backyard....

 

I think the main reason for the steep price reduction is due to the 2008 Madone being an all-new design.

 

In my opinion, the upgrade to Dura Ace is not worth the cost. There is very little difference between 105, Ultegra and Dura Ace. A more important issue is fit. Given a choice between a $1,500 bike that fits and a $6,000 bike that doesn't, I would choose the $1,500 bike. And by fit, I mean size and geometry. If you are doing centuries, you want a long wheelbase and a low bottom bracket. If you are doing crits, go with the short wheelbase and high bottom bracket. The bike has to fit your size and your style.

I suspect that the drop in price for the Trek is that it was overpriced to start and it is being replaced by a totally new 2008 model.

If all things are equal, go with the cheaper bike and spend the savings on a really nice wheelset.

Good luck. Let us know what you choose.

 

Without a doubt, I'd go with the Cervelo. I had a difficult time deciding on my BMC SL01 and the Cervelo earlier this year. Both are great frames without having to dump 3k on the counter.

IMO, even a $10,000 Trek, is still a Trek.

 

I don't know what size frame you ride, but for what it's worth, in my very humble opinion, you'll be wanting to take a close look at the geometry for each bike. In the smaller frame sizes, the Treks will tend toward a steep seat-tube angle, getting shallower as the frames get bigger, whereas the Cervelo will very likely have a shallow seat-tube angle even in their smallest frames. The "rule of thumb", in my experience: shallower seat-tube angles give slightly better climbing performance, while steeper angles give slightly better fast spinning on the flats. I recently went from a straight-bar Bianchi cross bike, with a 73 degree seat-tube, to a Raleigh road bike with a 75.5 degree seat-tube, and found that I need to slide the seat back on the rails as far as it will go for riding in my hilly New England terrain. Cervelo is one of the only manufacturers who maintains a 73 degree seat-tube throughout their entire frame-size lineup. If my budget could handle a Cervelo right now, I'd have one.