Strengths: Comfort, acceleration, handling, you name it.
Weaknesses: Not the lightest, but weight is not everything.
Price-Holy crap, did I really just pay that?
Bottom Line:
To sum in one word: Magic. With respect to overall ride quality, the best I have ever ridden. The bike is smooth and comfortable. Definitely less post ride fatique. However, it boasts snappy acceleration and can climb like a goat. How does a frame that looks so plain ride so well? I am baffled but ecstatic. The only other frame I will ever replace the Z3 is with another Parlee. The best out there today. Period.
Strengths: All day ride with crit quickness. have raced it in everything from 5 mile ITT to 200 milers. A frame you do not have to account for a weakness or fault. Very stable descender. Many training miles in the Eastern Washington desert.
Weaknesses: To expensive for casual use.
Bottom Line:
Best frame I have ever owned and I have owned many, many frames. Have approx 16,000 miles and figure it is good for another 10K at least.
Weaknesses: Customer service to the general population of riders; can't help but think some sponsored pro would have gotten a new frame.
Bottom Line:
THIS IS 100% TRUE AND FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN BUILDING, RIDING, AND RACING BIKES FOR OVER 25 YEARS!
After riding the bike for several months I went to do some winter maintenance. I noticed a strange sound in the down tube, it sounded like water was swishing around in it, and not a little water more like two cups of water! I took the bottom bracket off to see if I could drain it out and to my surprise the water was in the down tube and WOULD NOT DRAIN OUT. I contacted Parlee and they told me to send it in to them. After a few WEEKS I get the frame back and someone has drilled a hole from the bottom bracket into the down tube to drain the water. Who ever did the job had the technical skill of a 6th grader, it looked like crap! I contacted Parlee and they told me that drilling this hole was something they were doing on ALL new Parlees; after going into a shop and looking at new Parlees hanging on the wall I saw that this was a LIE. They told me that this happens sometimes because there is a void in the carbon lay-up and it can't be avoided. I called 20+ Parlee dealers in the USA and NOT ONE said they had EVER heard of such a thing happening; so that is lie number 2. They said that they did NOTHING to prevent water from getting in the down tube but now it could drain into my bottom bracket area......GREAT! I told them I was not satisfied with this "fix" and wanted a new frame. They REFUSED to help me out and blew me off.
Strengths: climbing, smoothing out rough roads, sprints, decending...basically it'll do anything you want it to.
Weaknesses: uhhh...price?
Bottom Line:
What an incredible ride! This bike offers the best combination of stiffness and comfort of any that I have ridden. The bottom bracket looks smallish compared with some of the more "modern rides" out there, but I will tell you that it is VERY reponsive and simply goes when I step on the gas. I'm coming off a specialized S-Works Tarmac, and there is simply no comparison...I could not believe the difference. The ride is simply etheral!
Similar Products Used: In my mind there are no similar products (other than Z1 and Z2). I just rode Dogma last week and it does not compare in my mind as the ride is much more muted (think dead)
Bike Setup: Parlee Z3, uni tubing
DA 7900 throughout
Mavic Ksyrium SL
ENVE composites bar, stem, post
Strengths: The best finish I have seen on a bike- stiff -fast- comfy- looks- direct -just amazing
Weaknesses: None- you get what you pay for.
Bottom Line:
A smile on my face every ride. Gee its good. I have had all the top bikes over the years-c50 595- Extreme power- but nothing rides like this bike- comfy -direct -solid -light and stiff all in one- its unreal. I have the z3 sl custom in high gloss with white details.
Has anyone tried to pair a Duotrap speed & cadence sensor with a VDO Z3 computer?
I've been using the Z3 with its VDO-supplied speed sensor while waiting for my Duotrap to arriv Read More »
I'm 6'-3", 195 lb, currently riding a Specialized Tarmac SL Pro, which I like on high-speed descents, due to the extreme front end stiffness, but don't like quite as much other tim Read More »
I'm not a big runner but do a few triathlons and biathlons every year and I notice that my running heart rate is darn near my max heart rate whenever I run. If I want to run in a Read More »
How much would a used Parlee Z3 w/ all sl tubing except DT(UD tubing) w/ an Edge 1.0 fork go for ? Would anyone have a rough estimate ?
Would 2250 sound good ? Overpriced ? Too Read More »
I live in the Washington DC area and my training time is usually before 9am. In the winter, there will be periods where it is quite cold (20s) at this hour.
I can do workouts o Read More »
