All roughly the same price. I’m thinking about buying one later this year during a sale or year end closeout or slightly used classified or whatever. Stack and reach numbers for the Felt, BMC and Spec are nearly identical (560-567 and 392-395 for a 56cm). The Cervelo is 580 and 387.
I’m not going to race it so ride quality trumps wind tunnel test minutia. I’ve been reading as much as I can about them. Yes, I have searched through various posts on ST.
Opinions???
I’m not going to race it so ride quality trumps wind tunnel test minutia
From what I’ve heard here, from people who know far more about this than I do, amongst closely matched bikes like this, tire and saddle choice will impact ride quality more than anything.
From what I’ve heard here, from people who know far more about this than I do, amongst closely matched bikes like this, tire and saddle choice will impact ride quality more than anything.
I’ve had a lot of people tell me the same thing as well.
Get whatever one you think is the prettiest (and easiest to work on)!
Bmc tmr brakes are major pita to work on and the frame is extremely stiff. Great racer on smooth roads but id have to spec it w very forgiving wheels plus cushy tires to be ok riding it over 2 hours. Spec venge is my current ride and it is amazing except for shifting issues due to the bb cable guide. Im using ultegra shifters and 105 RD. the cable pull would flex the guide and i solved it by drilling out the plastic pieces in order to run a full lenth of housing from shifter to derailieur ive heard this is not an issue with dura ace bc its better actuation than my ult+105 mix nor is it a problem w sram due to a different ammount of cable pull. Id defninitely test ride a venge w a different parts spec and see how the shifting is. i love my venge now that the shifting is sorted out. It comfortable, it accelerates like a beast and its AERO!
Cant really speak of the other two bikes you listed.
Hope that helped a bit
Get whatever one you think is the prettiest (and easiest to work on)!
The more I read, the more similar these bikes seem so aesthetics (and logistics) might be the determining factor.
Eyeballing the bikes has me ranking them:
Venge
AR4
TMR02
S3
My S-works venge with “s-works turbo tubular tires” rides fast and so soft. More comfortable than all road bikes I’ve had
Why are you discounting bikes SRAM Force 22 builds? Just a thought…
I have an AR2 and couldn’t be more happy with it. Great ride quality for everything from a long day in the saddle to crappy roads and race performance.
Out of curiosity, why not consider dengfu? For about $700 I got a custom painted fm098, seatpost, fork, bottles, aero handlebars delivered in about 2.5 weeks. I pick it up from the mechanic tomorrow
Have never ridden the ones you list, but I hear very positive feedback on the dengfu from others on here, and it’s way cheaper. Plus, 2 yr warranty with dengfu that you won’t get with classified purchase.
Why are you discounting bikes SRAM Force 22 builds? Just a thought…
A Force 22 build doesn’t exist with the BMC, Cervelo or Felt. The Venge with Force 22 is almost $2,000 more than the Ultegra 11-speed.
That’s why.
The Force 22 group is only $50 more than Ultegra 6800 (just the group), so the price differences in the SRAM and Ultegra for the Venge may be due to the wheel/component spec on the SRAM bike. Also, the Shimano build is a mid-compact; SRAM is 53t
And it’s disappointing that BMC does not offer a stock SRAM build.
The Force 22 group is only $50 more than Ultegra 6800 (just the group), so the price differences in the SRAM and Ultegra for the Venge may be due to the wheel/component spec on the SRAM bike. Also, the Shimano build is a mid-compact; SRAM is 53t
And it’s disappointing that BMC does not offer a stock SRAM build.
Definitely why the Venge is more but nevertheless the reality.
Shimano Ultegra shifts better than SRAM Red, let alone Force.
I’ve heard that too, but I don’t find it to be true. Tires and saddles make a difference, but the frame has a lot to do with road feel as well.
I went from a Storck to a Caad10 (expensive carbon to cheap aluminum) and the ride quality wasn’t very different. I got a SuperSix Evo and the difference is insane. This bike is so smooth. It is night and day compared to the other two bikes, even with the same saddle, wheels, tires, and pressure.
If you aren’t racing, I would look into a Trek Domane or SuperSix Evo. Both bikes are smooth and comfortable. I haven’t ridden the bikes you mentioned, but I’ve heard that most of the aero bikes are harsh. My teammate went from an S3 to an Evo and loves the way his Evo feels.
Shimano Ultegra shifts better than SRAM Red, let alone Force.
this is just untrue. SRAM Force shifting is louder than Shimano Ult., but performance-wise: it is certainly is on par, with Shimano.
also, “better” is just a bit subjective; this is not a weight or cost comparison, and kindof a meaningless statement.
if one puts 25mm tires on an aero bike, like the venge, it will be more “comfortable”. one might also ditch the SBG Romin saddle for a Fizik Arione, for extra comfort.
All roughly the same price. I’m thinking about buying one later this year during a sale or year end closeout or slightly used classified or whatever. Stack and reach numbers for the Felt, BMC and Spec are nearly identical (560-567 and 392-395 for a 56cm). The Cervelo is 580 and 387.
I’m not going to race it so ride quality trumps wind tunnel test minutia. I’ve been reading as much as I can about them. Yes, I have searched through various posts on ST.
Opinions???
See if your dealer will swap the stock VM seatpost on the AR4 for the latest VR seatpost.
That bit of tech makes a great aero bike into a great bike. Period.
-SD
Until this past year I had a new Red group for four years running. AR2 came with Ultegra Di2. I rode that for a couple weeks waiting for my SRM on Red crank, with new 11 spd Red rings, to be serviced. After swapping them out there was zero question about which one shifts better. Not because it’s electronic, because it’s smoother and more consistently. That, in my opinion, makes it better.
I would take mechanical Ultegra over Red, and certainly Di2. Red saves a little weight but I don’t really concern myself with a few grams. I don’t love the Ultegra hidden rear brake caliper but that’s nitpicking.
The Felt AR is the smoothest riding roadie I’ve ever been on (of a few dozen that I’ve put decent mileage on) - I don’t know whether the unbridged seatstays or clever layup are the driving factors. I chose it hoping that the design would yield a nice ride quality and it still surprised me. I like race bikes - the old S2 was just right in my view (at the time) but it’s certainly nice to have an increased damping effect.