Pinarello Prince SL vs Cervelo Soloist Team



peterwww

New Member
Aug 6, 2006
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Hi,

I have the option of purchasing, for roughly the same amount either:

1) Pinarello Prince SL with full carbon record, ksyrium SSC-SL wheels, deda spectrum bars. It is about 18 months only but in very good condition - never raced etc.

or

2) Brand new Cervelo Soloist Team, comes with Ultegra and Easton vista wheels etc. etc.

Which would you recommend I go for if both feel good (albeit different) and the fit is right for both? I love the look and bling factor of the pinarello, but I have read very good things about the cervelo frame, would it actually be better for road cycling use?

Thanks,
Peter.
 
Cervelo will be faster.

peterwww said:
Hi,

I have the option of purchasing, for roughly the same amount either:

1) Pinarello Prince SL with full carbon record, ksyrium SSC-SL wheels, deda spectrum bars. It is about 18 months only but in very good condition - never raced etc.

or

2) Brand new Cervelo Soloist Team, comes with Ultegra and Easton vista wheels etc. etc.

Which would you recommend I go for if both feel good (albeit different) and the fit is right for both? I love the look and bling factor of the pinarello, but I have read very good things about the cervelo frame, would it actually be better for road cycling use?

Thanks,
Peter.
 
11ring said:
Cervelo will be faster.
11ring, can you explain how the Cervelo will be faster when looking at the groupset/wheel comparison?

Peterwww, my first impression is to get the Pinarello.

Let's compare what you get
Frame: Soloist is about 300g heavier. Soloist is alloy w carbon fork, Prince is alloy w carbon rear and fork
Verdict: I would give the Pinarello a slight edge here

Groupset: Big $ difference between full carbon record and Ultegra. Ohhh, C-Record...:p
Verdict: Pinarello wins.

Wheels: Vista's are 1800g bottom of the range with less than impressive hub. SSC's are peleton-proven top of the range.
Verdict: Pinarello wins.

You could take the Pinarello for a ride, sneak into an LBS and get them to give it the once over. If they give it the green light, I wouldn't hesitate. The other thing to consider is comparing frame warranties.
 
Thanks for the input Walrus. That is the way I'm leaning at the moment. The only thing holding me back is the Cervelo's adaptability to tri racing.. I go in two or three tri's a year, nothing too serious but it is always competitive with the guys I do it with (/against). I like the idea of having a bike that I can adapt for these races without spending too much. If anyone has a Carbon Soloist kitted out with c-record for near the same price let me know any all problems will be solved!!!

Anyway, I will have to take each for a proper test ride and decide.
Thanks again,
Pete.

Walrus said:
11ring, can you explain how the Cervelo will be faster when looking at the groupset/wheel comparison?

Peterwww, my first impression is to get the Pinarello.

Let's compare what you get
Frame: Soloist is about 300g heavier. Soloist is alloy w carbon fork, Prince is alloy w carbon rear and fork
Verdict: I would give the Pinarello a slight edge here

Groupset: Big $ difference between full carbon record and Ultegra. Ohhh, C-Record...:p
Verdict: Pinarello wins.

Wheels: Vista's are 1800g bottom of the range with less than impressive hub. SSC's are peleton-proven top of the range.
Verdict: Pinarello wins.

You could take the Pinarello for a ride, sneak into an LBS and get them to give it the once over. If they give it the green light, I wouldn't hesitate. The other thing to consider is comparing frame warranties.
 
That changes things a little, but if you ride 50-60 times a year (might be more) and only 5 or 6 of those are in tri's...then is leaning toward the Cervelo solely for those rides the way to go? Maybe if you plan to do more tri's then the Cervelo could be a better option.

A friend of mine recently bought some cycling shoes. He rides maybe 3 or 4 tri's a year, versus about 50 regular road rides including long distance climbs. He decided to get tri specific shoes (single strap) for his triathlons. That makes no sense to me. The 3 strap shoes or ratchet shoes offer more support and fit (questionable) and he will maybe save 10-20 seconds in transition with the single strap. For the rest of the year, the single strap offers him no advantage. Anyone reading, please don't hit me with a barage of technical tri-specific data about transitions etc...just offering my humble opinion.

In my experience, listen to your heart. What the bike that you really want, deep down. Cause if you don't buy that one, then you'll regret it.
 
That is certainly good advice. I ride pretty much every day, usually about 30kms a morning, longer on weekends, so I think you're right, it is not a good idea to give too much weight to consideration of those 5-6 rides a year when I'd like a bit of extra aerodynamics.


Walrus said:
That changes things a little, but if you ride 50-60 times a year (might be more) and only 5 or 6 of those are in tri's...then is leaning toward the Cervelo solely for those rides the way to go? Maybe if you plan to do more tri's then the Cervelo could be a better option.

A friend of mine recently bought some cycling shoes. He rides maybe 3 or 4 tri's a year, versus about 50 regular road rides including long distance climbs. He decided to get tri specific shoes (single strap) for his triathlons. That makes no sense to me. The 3 strap shoes or ratchet shoes offer more support and fit (questionable) and he will maybe save 10-20 seconds in transition with the single strap. For the rest of the year, the single strap offers him no advantage. Anyone reading, please don't hit me with a barage of technical tri-specific data about transitions etc...just offering my humble opinion.

In my experience, listen to your heart. What the bike that you really want, deep down. Cause if you don't buy that one, then you'll regret it.
 
peterwww said:
That is certainly good advice. I ride pretty much every day, usually about 30kms a morning, longer on weekends, so I think you're right, it is not a good idea to give too much weight to consideration of those 5-6 rides a year when I'd like a bit of extra aerodynamics.
Glad to help, but maybe all of this will be thrown out the window if you ride the Cervelo and love it...have fun.:D