best looking bike in the tour?

[bicycletricycle]

I don't ride normal road racing style bikes anymore but I am tempted to buy one sometimes, just to see what they are like. It has been 15 years since I had a state of the art race bike.

The change to aggressive aero profiles and strange integrated parts has mostly turned me off. Not because I am anti this kind of approach to bicycles, I guess I just haven't liked the look of most of them or they have used goofy looking aero brakes or strange headset spacers that the cables pass through, etc....

This year I have been looking at the Cervelo S5 under Marc Hirschi a lot and I have really taken a liking to it. The way the frame elements wrap around the wheels and the smooth integration of the frame/fork/stem/bars. I am sure it is a bear to cable this bike up and I have no idea how well it is built/rides but I admire the design work put into it. Hopefully luescher teknik and Hambini will get their hands on one soon.

cervelo S5 by bicycletricycle666, on Flickr
Marc by bicycletricycle666, on Flickr

What do you think is the best looking tour bike?

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

Hopefully luescher teknik and Hambini will get their hands on one soon.

https://weightweenies.starbike.com/f...365a8b275ccb78

They already have.


Of all of the Tour bikes, I think the Factor Ostro and C'Dale SuperSix are the best looking - with the C'Dale getting the nod from me since I like their team and ethos, plus integration with Rapha kit, much much more..

[ColonelJLloyd]

Agree with the Cannondale/EF for sure. And that the Cervelo is really good looking.

I did think to myself how pleasing the kit + bike looked with the Bahrain team and the whole red/orange ombre thing they have going. I know nothing of the Merida bikes.

[bicycletricycle]

those cannondales do look nice. sort of vintage looking for a carbon bike these days.

I forgot about the luescher video. Would like to see the whole frame cut up. I don't see the fork issue he highlighted as a particularly big deal. All integrated forks like this will have some version of the same problem and no one will do what needs to be done to prevent it because it will add too much weight.

[Spdntrxi]

I quite like the look of the Lapierre aero bike that I spotted on top of the service cars.

[Matthew]

Sorry, but that Cervelo is hideous. The stem looks like an, um, erect male appendage. Not big on the down tube shape either. Cannondale is ok but I'll take the Jumbo Bianchi's with rim brakes all day long. The higher the seat stays reach on the seat tube the better.

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Sorry, but that Cervelo is hideous. The stem looks like an, um, erect male appendage. Not big on the down tube shape either. Cannondale is ok but I'll take the Jumbo Bianchi's with rim brakes all day long. The higher the seat stays reach on the seat tube the better.

It is very different and not good looking in the way a more classic stem would be. I think it is an interesting idea for lots of reasons including better internal routing. I also think it might be nice ergonomically (i like to ride narrow on the tops). I think it looks super cool from above.

Screen Shot 2020-09-17 at 12.40.42 PM by bicycletricycle666, on Flickr

[KJMUNC]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Sorry, but that Cervelo is hideous.

Agree on the Cervelo....funny how people flock back to what is essentially a riser stem cloaked in a new aero package.

Personally I like the AG2R Merckx frames. Rim brakes and I dig the color scheme.....same reason I just bought a AG2R Factor version from 2yrs ago.

[foregroundmusic]

+1 for the Ostro, also really like Astana’s Willier this year

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

Agree on the Cervelo....funny how people flock back to what is essentially a riser stem cloaked in a new aero package.

Personally I like the AG2R Merckx frames. Rim brakes and I dig the color scheme.....same reason I just bought a AG2R Factor version from 2yrs ago.

riser stems are a great option for aero bike designers and have been used in some of the most aerodynamic track and time trial bikes. Stems usually have less frontal area than a head tube and they allow the frame to be more compact overall. This version also has some other advantages (supports the torsional load going into the bars better and cable routing). I would admit they are not as aesthetically pleasing as a level stem or some bikes that have a stem that is inline with the top tube.

[bicycletricycle]

I think the Merckx is really nice looking, I think it is the most "pacelineish" bike in the tour and is the bike I would most likely buy

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

Agree on the Cervelo....funny how people flock back to what is essentially a riser stem cloaked in a new aero package.

Personally I like the AG2R Merckx frames. Rim brakes and I dig the color scheme.....same reason I just bought a AG2R Factor version from 2yrs ago.

[KJMUNC]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

I think the Merckx is really nice looking, I think it is the most "pacelineish" bike in the tour and is the bike I would most likely buy

Yep, agree....I looked for one but they are still eye watering-ly expensive, so I'll wait to pick one up after the depreciation bounce (or will just live with my Factor)

As for the Cervelo stem, I wasn't passing judgement on the aero-ness....I'm sure it's faster, it's just funny how circular the trends tend to play out. Be Aero. Slam That Stem. Yuge Saddle to Bar Drop.....wait....no, actually, Riser Aero Bar FTW.

I swear someone is going to make an aero steel bike and claim "innovation! Smooth Aero Ride!".... while the bike industry will further choke on its own tail.

[bicycletricycle]

The marketing mumbo jumbo is strong in road racing bikes right now. Everything is subject to these wild swings, come back in another 10 years and who knows what will be "fast". We will probably be back to round rings by then (perhaps extremely round rings with certification of their roundeness), Skinny tires will be more aero again, small derrailleur pulleys will come back but with really big chainrings and cassettes and just for fun I predict riders will be showing just one fist of seat post with deep drop bars as God intended.

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

Yep, agree....I looked for one but they are still eye watering-ly expensive, so I'll wait to pick one up after the depreciation bounce (or will just live with my Factor)

As for the Cervelo stem, I wasn't passing judgement on the aero-ness....I'm sure it's faster, it's just funny how circular the trends tend to play out. Be Aero. Slam That Stem. Yuge Saddle to Bar Drop.....wait....no, actually, Riser Aero Bar FTW.

I swear someone is going to make an aero steel bike and claim "innovation! Smooth Aero Ride!".... while the bike industry will further choke on its own tail.

[GregL]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Cannondale is ok but I'll take the Jumbo Bianchi's with rim brakes all day long. The higher the seat stays reach on the seat tube the better.

Agreed!

[robt57]

The Bahrain McLaren Meridas and the kits caught my eye. Nice touch being the blue inner front fork legs and socks. ;O

Reminiscent [not the blue] or the Tequila Sunrise AG2R Kits before they went with the current ugliness and previous ugly versions since...