Valdora Cycles PHX Carbon

Price Paid:  $3345.00 at Tribe

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Usery Pass/Saguaro

Bike Setup:
Aero'd out! Dura Ace mix, American Classic 420's.

Summary:
It's actually the '08 Pearl White PHX. It's SWEEEEET!!! I've been riding and competing in Triathlons for a little over a year now and this year I have decided to take the plunge and do a half Ironman. After riding with some pretty difficult and doing many spin classes, I wasn't seeing any improvement. Plus after riding sixty miles or so, my legs were shot for the run. So I picked up the Valdora and have loved every ride. The frame is super stiff, yet rides like silk. I couldn't be happier, plus I feel I got a smoking deal with the components and the end result. Kevin you the man. Thanks Tribe!!

Strengths:
Stiff, light, silky smooth, "head turner", supa fast, reasonably priced for such a great bike. It's, it's. . .AWESOME!

Weaknesses:
I don't have enough time to ride.

Similar Products Used:
Aluminum/Carbon frames.

Price Paid:  $2150.00 at valdoracycles.com

Model Year:
2006

Favorite Ride:
PHX Carbon

Bike Setup:
A classic TT setup - not too aggressive, but leaves the legs ready for the run.
My setup features Ultegra 10-speed derailleur, FSA cranks and BB, Profile aerobars/base bar, Selle Italia SLR saddle, FSA training wheels, Bontrager front and Renn disk race wheels

Summary:
With its ultralight weight, stiffness, and aero design, the PHX is a high quality ride at a bargain price. When most carbon bikes are overhyped and overpriced, the PHX is done right in all the right places with nothing extra to further lighten your wallet. The uniquely shaped head tube, the full internal cable routing, the horizontal rear dropouts, and the sleek, clean frame design all combine to give the competitive triathlete the feel and performance of a high end ride. It has everything you need to shave precious seconds off that TT split. Plus, the big carbon weave of the frame garners looks and comments wherever it goes!

Strengths:
Stiff BB, sexy look

Weaknesses:
Seat tube doesn't accept all seat posts

Price Paid:  $4500.00 at Valdora on-line

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
West Maui loop from Wailea

Bike Setup:
My Bike:
TT/Tri specific Carbon Valdora Frame
Valdora Blade 27.2mm x 300mm
V-1 Valdora all carbon fork
FSA Orbit IS/, ACB integrated headset
SLK carbon crankset 172.5
Profile Design carbon levers
Alloy Dual Pivot Caliper Brakeset
Profile Design CBX Aerobar
FSA Stem 100mm
Components = Dura Ace
Wheels = training Fulcrum Racing 7
Wheels = racing Valdora Carbon Deep Rim tubulars
Speedplay Zeros
WTB Diva Titanium race

Summary:
My Valdora PHX Carbon is an AWESOME ride! I live in Maui, Hawaii where the wind blows like Kona mumukus and this bike slices through the wind like no other I have rode. It is super light and very responsive. The carbon takes up so much of the road shock that my legs feel really fresh coming off the bike for a run. I recently raced in Kona and had a chance to try out the new Valdora carbon deep dish wheels. What an incredibly fast ride!! I have been competitively riding for 17 years and have never been so impressed with a bike before.

Strengths:
Fast, light, responsive, comfortable, big bang for your buck, and very very cool looking (I have the black carbon weave frame). Outstanding customer service!! Pete at Valdora has been extremely responsive to all my questions and needs and helped me get a perfect fit out the gate.

Weaknesses:
I haven't found any :-)

Similar Products Used:
I have raced and trained on a carbon Trek, carbon Kestrel, Aluminum Softride, and TitanFlex before changing to the Valdora PHX. I have previously used Zipp wheels and was relunctant to change. Zipp does not have anything on Valdora. My new Valdora wheels are fast, light, and look really cool. I think they spin all by themselves. Great hub design!!

Price Paid:  $3395.00 at Valdora on-line

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Crested Butte to Pwderhorn and back, Colorado

Summary:
The Valdora is the third bike I have used for long course and ironman distance triathlons and my favorite so far. I started out on a Softride power wing, and while it was comfortable, I always felt like the lack of stiffness hurt my performance. I then slapped some aerobars on my Trek road bike and realized an immediate improvement, but my aero positioning was wrong. I now ride the Valdora and I got the stiffness I desired with the more aggressive and aerodynamic positioning. There is quite a difference between the round tubes of my road bike and the sleek, thin aerodynamic structure of the Valdora. Aerodynamics were obviously an important design criterion. I have already seen an improvement in bike splits for those races I repeat each year. I live in the mountains, and the light weight of the Valdora has been a pleasant bonus for my training rides, and the stability on the downhills is a real plus.

I hate to admit that it matters, but the bike looks really cool. I recently raced it at a local duathlon and for the first time, I had people walking up to me telling my how slick my bike looked. Plus, it makes my husband jealous when I have my Zipp 404’s on the bike and he compares the weight to his Kestrel. I would recommend two improvements in the as-built components on the bike. The first is that the stock saddle is not a female friendly seat. I will say, though, that I have not yet found a stock seat that is female friendly and it is one of the first things I have changed on each bike. Also, I have had a bit of trouble adjusting the brake calipers. But these are the only two components in the standard build that I would have changed. The rest of the components (a mix of dura ace, ultegra, fsa, and profile designs) were a great value for the price. I was also very pleased by the customer service I received from Valdora as I was trying to fine-tune the fit. They sent me a range of stem sizes and let me tweak the fit till it was just right. I am not a techno geek who researches everything to death, but I do know when I get on a quality ride. I have put about a 1000 miles on the bike since I have gotten it, and have had no problems or complaints, after I put my new saddle on. I love it.

Price Paid:  $2150.00 at Valdoracycles.com

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Ashland Loop

Bike Setup:
Profile Designs CBX pro handlebar, Shimano Ultegra/Dura Ace drivetrain, Cycle Ops pro 2.4 powertap, DT Swiss wheels, Easton carbon stem, Profile Designs Tri Stryke saddle

Summary:
The first time I rode my Valdora, I rode 201 miles. Before that, my longest ride of the season had been 130. It’s obviously a comfortable frame. I’d never ridden that long before and was surprisingly free from fatigue for most of the ride. I was impressed with it then, and now after 1000 miles am still impressed. It’s light and stiff and climbs well. That first day of riding I couldn’t help but push into the 700 watt range powering over short steep hills because I felt so powerful on the new bike. What I like most though is how it handles on descents and fast corners. I feel so much more stable than I used to on my Aegis. Where I used to go into a tight turn with a death grip on the handlebars preceded by panicked braking, now I just tap the brakes, lean and carve. The Valdora takes care of the rest. The frame is beautiful and I love the designs on the top tube. The only problem I have with it is that the horizontal drop-outs need set screws so that the rear wheel can be aligned hassle free. Even with this minor flaw, I would recommend this frame. It's also a great value for the price.

Strengths:
Light, stiff, strong, value priced, stylish, comfortable, stable, fully aero

Weaknesses:
No set screw for horizontal drop-outs

Similar Products Used:
1999 Aegis Trident