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13/11/2008 3:23:20 PM
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Allkai
Posts 9
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Hi there...
Figured I might as well crack open this board with my first post!
I'm looking to get back on the bike after a couple of years layoff, and thinking about an upgrade.
Has anyone ridden the latest Avanti Cadent, and can:-
1) give any feedback, good, bad or otherwise
or 2) recommend anything else around the same price for comparision?
What struck me first up about the Cadent was being full carbon at $2599, which I thought was a good price.
Since I started looking, they have gone up to $2899, so am wondering if that brings them "back to the pack" a bit in comparision with others....
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15/11/2008 11:01:59 AM
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Jeffrey Schulz
Posts 56
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Most people would not agree with me but after riding an Azzurri, I think these are one of the best value for money bikes on the Market. The people who do not agree most likely have never seen an Azzurri let a lone ridden one.
I have owned and ridden the top model in the Trek line up, I have ridden the top Giant bikes, I have owned a Avanti, Specialised road bikes and the best value for money bike I have ever ridden is the Azzurri.
The last I looked a Azzurri Tigre (tiagra) 8.8kg with similar specs to your avanti was around $1800. This is over $1000 cheaper. The 105 -8.3kg version was around $2100 and the Ultegra - 7.9kg Version around $2800. I test rode the 105 version and did close to a pb up the old freeway and norton summit. I have a giant TCR advanced and the azzurri is better at climbing hills. These bikes are light for the price. http://www.azzurribikes.com/
I have owned a Forza and a Mezzo. My Mezzo weighed in under 7kg with Record and American Classic Mag Wheels.
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15/11/2008 12:34:20 PM
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Brett Aitken
Posts 31
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Wow, you'd make a good salesaman Jeffrey  Personally I could be considered as being biased as I'm a sponsored Avanti rider but I have been riding their bikes for close to 15 years now and the new Quantums/Cadents are by far the best of the Avanti's I've ridden so far. They've learnt alot from bikes like the Specialized Roubaix which I consider to be the best bike I've ever ridden when it comes to stiffness, handling and comfort.
I guess there is a fine line between value for money and quality but there is so much more to a bike than a good ensemble eg. Shimano 105/Ultegra at a cheap price and wacking it on a frame that is light. As mentioned above I personally rate a bike by it's frame design through strength, stiffness, handling and carbon compliance (comfort) before I even consider weight as a factor. Fortunately both the Avanti and Specialized bikes are very light but when 99% of us could probably lose an easy kilo or two through a few extra miles it makes sense to not compromise on performance.
Considering that 99% of all bikes also have the same componentry (Shimano) then it's worth defining what is the essential difference between one bike vs the other even if you do have to pay a little bit more.
BTW, my second big tip on bikes for performance is the wheelset and the number one change you can make to a bike for overall performance with the least amount of cost is an investment in a good set of tyres.
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16/11/2008 12:31:53 PM
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Brad Simpson
Posts 1
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I would like to back up Brett's thinking in what determines the performance of the bike. When it comes down to it componentry whether it be the cheapest or the dearest does the same thing, right? So really you can get away with having a modest groupset and place it on any frame. The question is....if you want to go fast, where do you want to go fast? Hills or flats? These days frames are becoming rediculously light and in turn more expensive. Yes there are carbon fibre frames all around us now, but not all carbon fibre is the same. That's why you can now get carbon fibre bikes at under $4000 and everyone jumps at it but is what they're buying actually going to last the distance. The short answer, probably not! Sorry but a great example are the Azzurri's. I've heard of many people who have owned them and they break. Why? Cos they're made of cheaper grade carbon fibre.
I think it is better to compromise on weight and look at performance (ie stiffness, comfort), because as Brett says you can always lose a couple of kilos of your body weight (It cracks me when I see overweight blokes on fancy light bikes, it sort of defeats the purpose doesn't it?) But if you can find a light frame and the performance is there then great!
But most of all (which Brett touched on) are tyres and wheels as essentially this is what connects you to the ground. You're better off spending an extra $1000 on better wheels and tyres then putting that $1000 into a frame/componentry. You'll reap the benefits instantly! A bike is always going to go faster say with Zipp 404's then with Mavic Askiums for example.
The best bikes come from Spain.........Buy and ORBEA!!!!
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17/11/2008 10:04:12 AM
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Steven Jacobs
Posts 1
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Here is a recent independent review on the Team Quantum in cyclingnews for those who are interested http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2008/reviews/avanti_quantum_team_nov08
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18/11/2008 10:58:54 PM
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PC
Posts 1
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Take a look at a carbon bike these days, or any bike for that matter, and you will see that the production label on about 90% of these bikes will state “Manufactured in Taiwan” or some other nearby Asian country.
Even some high-end Italian brands, such as Pinarello, have their frames built in Asia with only the batch testing and finishing touches completed in the factory back in Italy. I can hear the die-hards screaming at me already, but the moulds are made in Italy. Yeah but the real work is done in Asia.
Now I’m not naive enough to think that just because something is the biggest that it’s necessarily the best, but to be the biggest you must be doing something right. And to build a frame that someone else is prepared to put their name on, speaks wonders in itself. Well this is where Giant started out, building frames for other brands in the 1980’s.
I can’t remember exactly what year it was, but it was around the time when Laurent Jalabert went from chasing the green jersey, to solo breakaways chasing the polka dot jersey, and he did it racing on this bike with a funny top tube. The design has been copied ever since.
Found under such Pro Teams as Once, Liberty Seguros-Worth, T-Mobile, Columbia and now if my current affairs are up to date, Rabobank for 2009. This is a company with such high standards, that they even weave their own carbon sheets.
Don’t get me wrong I can appreciate and drool over a European frame with Campag Ultra Record and Bora Ultras just like any other Euro Pro wannabe, but I don’t have a bottomless bank account nor the talent to be riding a machine of that calibre. So for about 1/2 – 2/3’s the price and for performance that you or I couldn’t pick between, why wouldn’t you buy a Giant or any other carbon bike that has come out of Asia.
Take a closer look and you might get a shock when you realise that your Italian Pinarello or American Specialized states that it was made Asia. Now I’m not saying that all carbon bikes out of Asia are as good as something out of Europe, its like anything else, you get what you pay for.
So when you can get a Giant TCR Advanced SL R for about $8500 and a Pinarello Prince for in excess of $12 - $13000, I know which one I’ve got more of a chance of owning.
And finally a company that produces a model of bike with a particular group set, and stays true to that group set. Nothing ****s me to tears more than companies that state “Dura-ace groupset” for a particular model, but try and hide the Ultegra front shifter and brake callipers, which have been swapped in to cheapen things up a little.
http://www.giantbikes.net/
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26/11/2008 9:28:57 PM
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Robert Rau
Posts 150
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Hi,
I initially bought an el cheapo Alan/Vitus light weight bike from Cash Converters for $200 to ride to work when petrol hit $1 per litre. It had shimano 600 components and I loved to ride that bike up any hill I could find. I even rode it in the last Tour down under community challenge. the bike ended its life soon after in a car door. Still really miss that bike as it was a true classic. From the insurance money I purchased another from France and put nine speed dura ace on it, and some Mavic Ksyrium SL s under it and it weighs about 8.5 kg - rode that one in this years Amy Ride - absolutely rode beautifully. I was so impressed by these french made bikes that I built up another one with a retro Mavic SSC groupset, complete with down tube friction shifters and Mavic 571/2 hubs and Open Pro rims - weighs just over 9 kg and I ride it to work every day. It even climbs amazingly fast (without any carbon components), and rides very silky smooth and doesnt blow around in the wind and handles extremely well down hill hair pin turns. Recently I bought a Giant TCR C0 frame and forks and built up my first full carbon bike. Yeah it is light and it climbs well, but it blows around in the wind and seems somewhat unforgiving downhills if you choose the wrong line. (perhaps it needs better adjustment of some components, ie needs a slightly longer head stem). When climbing it feels stiff like an RPM bike, but it seems to lack a sole or character. The lesson here is that while some value for money bikes are exctly that it may not be the ultimate determining factor during bike purchase. Some people will max out the credit card or beg the bank manager for a loan just to get a Colnago. For me, I still like the old aluminum Vitus 992 as we have covered thousands of kms and lost lots of kilos. It looks nice parked outside the local cafe and stands out in a sea of carbon!
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2/01/2009 8:56:22 PM
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Troy Collett
Posts 171
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well Im looking to upgrade to something lighter & stiffer this year & have no idea where to start.My budget will be around $4,000 - $5,000
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26/01/2009 1:58:23 PM
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Troy Collett
Posts 171
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what you guys reckon about the Scott range of bikes? they`re pretty light
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9/04/2009 2:42:36 PM
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Michael
Posts 1
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Hey All,
Just about two purchase a Avanti Candent 1.0 for $2600-00, Anyone out with some feed back regarding the Cadent range ??
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13/06/2009 2:21:16 AM
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john michy
Posts 1
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Shimano ultegra
Shimano Components from Probikekit
Shimano cycling Shimano cycling Shimano ultegra Shimano dura ace Shimano 105
http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?cat=Shimano%20Components
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