Price Paid:
$1300.00
at REI Favorite Ride:
up a hill, then back down Bike Setup:
Stock Supercourse EC70 frame and fork, new Ultegra 6650 crank, Ultegra 6600 BB, Easton EA90 SL wheel set, Selle Italia SLC Gel Flow saddle, Easton EA seat post and handlebar stem. Summary:
This review is for the 2009 model. At its core is an Easton EC70 carbon frame with excellent geometry and feather light to boot. The rest of the components are not worthy of the frame, but except for the wheels they are reasonable choices to keep the cost down: 105 rear, tiagra front and shifters, SRAM cluster, (heavy) FSA Omega crank and FSA Mega Exo BB, heavy seat post and handlebar stem, surprisingly light San Marco Ponza Power saddle, no-name brakes, etc. Simply replacing the crank, BB, seat post and stem saved almost 700g from the weight of the bike, but basically all this stuff works well enough, and frankly is about what you get on a low-end aluminum frame Trek or Giant, so at least a fine carbon frame comes with it.
Unfortunately, the upgrade path for the drive train is expensive: unless you buy used stuff, you will have to move up to 10 speed, and thus replace virtually everything in the drive train, including the shifters, and these are not cheap, no, not at all. If you are not going to race, or use this bike to train to race, then I don't think there is any need to upgrade these components: I put over 1000 miles on them without a hitch. From the reviews I've read, you'll probably need to move up to a better crank and BB at some point, but you can buy these used for not much at all. As regards these items, then, the intent is clearly to keep the cost down, but the stuff they chose to use works well and may need no improvement for a most riders. But...
The stock wheels are Shimano R500s with okay Vittoria Zaffiro tires and who-knows-what brand tubes. These are surprisingly tough wheels, but you'd hope so because they are quite heavy, and much of that weight appears to be the rims themselves. If you are just riding for pleasure, they will definitely do the job; indeed, mine took some abuse in the form of road cracks and potholes at high speed without going out of true, and I still use them if I'm going down a road for the first time. If you're training hard, you might even want the extra weight.
However, it is surprising just how much impact the wheels have on the apparent performance of the bike. I upgraded to Easton EA90 SLs and am pretty stunned by the change in road feel, particularly spin-up, but stability and maneuverability as well. And with this choice, it because a $1850 bike. I upgraded the saddle to a Selle Italia SLC Gel Flow to get away from numbnuts (it worked)got to about $1970. Granted, many riders might be fine with the stock saddle, but I suspect all would enjoy the improved feel of a new wheel set.
So here's the rub: you get what is to me a rather stunning frame and servicable components for a very, very excellent price point, and aside from your personal decisions regarding the saddle, you will be treated to many miles of comfortable, low-effort riding. If you plan to race, or to use this bike to train for a race, then you WILL need to spend something to the good of $500 for a new wheel set, and you may also want to spend another $200 or so for a new crank and BB. I've look on-line at many comparable models, and don't see a path to getting something this good for less money, but the sense that you're there on the cheap is, sad to say, incorrect. Strengths:
Excellent price for an all-carbon frame and fork. The drive train components get the job done. A light-weight bike for general riding and training. Weaknesses:
The wheels have no business being on this frame. Because it is a 2x9 speed, even modest upgrades to the drive train entails considerable expense. Similar Products Used:
My road racer from the Days of Yore was a Mondia double-butted chromolly frame with all Campy Super Record components. Let's be honest--the Supercourse out of the box blows that sucker away.
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