Pinarello Surprise

Price Paid:  $450.00 at ebay

Favorite Ride:
long hilly and fast

Bike Setup:
spinergy 4 spoke wheels, easton carbon bars, fizik white sattle,a profile design carbon cage,pinarello headset shimano ultegra shifters, look pedals, zipp crank set the bike is one wonderfull peace of art for a thireen year old child

Summary:
i am a thirteen year old kid i just bought my pinarello surprise for a birthday ive built it up with carbon spinergy wheels, it came with carbon pinarello head set and carbon fork i got a bargan for the beautiful bike. i do crits and ride whenever i can i live in hilly ohio. this bike is responsive,fast and fun! i highly recomend it for the younger racers. its aluminum, very stiff, and i dont recomend it if your a person who wants to just ride but for a young bodied racer or just the fast average joe.its just a blast!best for crits and sprinters

Strengths:
quick, responsive and stiff,... for a sprinter

Weaknesses:
not the most comfortable ride especially for any older riders, but im very young and can endure the ride

Similar Products Used:
my first road bike was a tricked out bridge stone RB1 this is my second bike now that im participating in races and ive had no other experiences with any other frames

Price Paid:  $775.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere

Bike Setup:
Campy Veloce, Campy Daytona hubs laced to Mavic rims, Look Keo Sprint pedals and Pinarello compact cranks (36,49).

Summary:
I bought this bike on ebay a few months ago and have not been disappointed it's beautiful on the descents good on the climbs (but i'm only 135ib) and a nice and smooth ride on the flat.

Strengths:
Good bike for everything.

Weaknesses:
None that i have noticed yet but is a little heavy.

Price Paid:  $500.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Favorite Ride:
Pinarello Surprise

Bike Setup:
Campy Centaur, Record carbon seatpost, Selle Italia Ldy saddle, Look Keo Sprint pedals, FSA gossamer compact crank, Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels, Bontrager handlebars

Summary:
Excellent 'entry level' road bike. Affordable, stiff, great ride, and it's a handmade Italian frame. Not something you see on the road every day, definitely worth the money. Got the frame on closeout, and got a deal with the component group (Campy Centaur.)

Strengths:
Wicked descent, corners well, smooth, excellent value for the money.

Weaknesses:
A little heavy on the climbs, but then again, it could just be my inexperience.

Price Paid:  $700.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Favorite Ride:
4-6 Gap Georgia

Bike Setup:
Campy Record, Campy Record and Campy Record. I think it might bad luck to put Shimano on an Italian frame.

Summary:
Finding it next to impossible to get an Italian frame bigger than 58cm that is aluminum and does not cost $3000, I got a Pinnarello Surprise. It was a brand new frame that had been at Gita for a while in the closet I suppose. Being 60cm I guess it was a hard sell. I decided to get it and ride it a couple of years and save my money for a carbon frame.

I have to admit it is a smooth ride. All my buddies weigh 40 lbs less and fly up the climbs anyway. I don't know if it because of my 200+ lb frame or my slightly heavy Suprise frame. It has been a long time since I was a 175 pound cat 3.

Strengths:
Smooth ride. Smooth as the old steel frames in the 80s.

Weaknesses:
A little heavy. Small headset. The headset is not as strong as the bigger ones on sharp/fast turns.

Similar Products Used:
Masi 3V

Price Paid:  $1800.00 at GVH Bikes

Favorite Ride:
Ocean Loop Cohasset MA

Bike Setup:
Shimano Ultegra, Mavic Ksyrium Elite, Thompson seatpost, Selle San Marco Aspide saddle, 3TTT Forgie stem and bars, Speedplay pedals$

Summary:
I have put this bike through 7,500 pretty tough miles (I'm over 200 lbs) and it is a pleasure to ride. It sprints and corners well in my weekly crits and is comfortable n century rides. Noticed a big jump in performance when I swapped out the Shimano R540 wheels for Ksyriums. Give Gary Hobbs at GVHBikes.com a call and he'll set you just right.

Strengths:
Responsiveness, Stiffness, cornering, and descending.

Weaknesses:
At 18.5 lbs, not a true featherweight.

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale, Pinarello Veneto (steel)