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Looking for a new Steed

Mike

Maximum Pace
Sep 24, 2007
1,066
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As it's only around 7 weeks to Kusatsu I have found myself dreaming about being the proud owner of a sparkling new steed. The problem I've been having though is locating something that has that wow factor! You know what I mean, something that makes your stomach tighten and causes uncontrollable salivation once your eyes fall upon it:confused:

So yes TCC folks, I'm looking for your help. Can you send me on the path to salvation? I've been looking, researching but am still unable to come up with a frame that has grabbed me.

Being quite fussy and a stingy bugger with my hard earned cash probably won't help me find what I'm looking for, but I'm willing to go up to 150 000 yen for a frame. 200 000 would be pushing it a bit I think:( Obviously anything under 150, 000 would be a bonus.

I do like curvy, sexy things like the Pinarello F4:13 2008 model, just to give you some idea of my tastes. So if any of you have the time I'd really appreciate any advice, pictures and links you could post here. Thanks in advance and I hope to see you on the road soon.

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The 2010 Dogma I think, $5500 US for a frameset:eek:

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Deej's Steed.....is this frame still available in black? Very sweet ride.
 
Mike,

As I said in our conversation today, Cycle Taiwan no longer appears to be offering my frame in nude carbon. I got my frame and fork for the equivalent of 70,000 yen, including shipping. Black Thunder is a fantastic steed -- light, nimble and smooth. I should have bought two. My only quibble is that I wish the headtube was longer; I'm forced to run more spacers than I'd like, but that has to do more with my lack of flexibility and long leg/short torso combo.

Cycle Taiwan appears to be selling the frame only in a painted version -- the Matrix F22. It's US$899, and shipping looks to be separate. It has a two-year warranty. I'm pretty sure the fork is included, but the wording is a little vague.

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Cycle Taiwan also sells, among other frames, the Teneo Elixir, which is also $899 (including fork), and comes nude. It has a five-year warranty and two-year crash-replacement warranty.
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Good luck in your bike hunting, and I'll see you on the road in March, my man!

Deej
 
Philip, James and Deej, thanks for the info. I checked out those sites and they certainly have some good deals. I went to Y's Road in Yokohama today and came across something that made my heart race.....An Opera / Pinarello Super Leonardo Frame set

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What do you think? Has anyone heard much about this company? I read they are indeed an offshoot of Pinarello, tubing made in Taiwan and sent to Pinarello, Italy and built there. It certainly has the wow factor.....

p.s. which colour do you like? They had the blue one in the shop today, so sweeeeet
 
Opera & Most = Pinarello = You can't go wrong!

Opera are great bikes and my LBS has been riding one for the past 5 years, they are however seen as the Poor mans Pinarello.

Honestly take a look at the FP2 (Full Carbon) and the FP3, you'll be able to get them both for sub 300,000 JPY.

Mike were are you located as there are several other bike shops within riding distance of Y's Yokohama.... I'm also a Yoko resident so if you want we can meet up and talk bike.
 
Unfortunately they won't be.... Pinarello/Opera have a cap on thier prices so they cost the same all over Japan. Although the LBS will give you presents if you purchase through them.... STAGE 1 did this forme and it came to about 30,000 yens worth of free stuff.

You might be able to get it cheaper overseas but then youhave to include shipping and taxes.

Give STAGE1 a call see if they can get you one and get a quote (045-340-2117)'

Oh and go BLUE! Not many on the road so will beeven more unique! BTW is the 350,000 just for the frame and forks or a complete build?
 
Will you be building it up yourself Mike? and/or looking to replace all the components? (not your wheels of course ... ):cool:

The Opera looks like a nice bike - from my one minute of googling it looks like it's solely for the Japanese market, which is a nice touch.

One thing for me is the mark ups for the domestic market. For an equivalent price Competitive Cyclist have Scott or Look frames, probably others. If you're building it up yourself then it might also be worth shopping further afield. I'm sure Chain Reaction or Wiggle etc will probably be cheaper and if you're buying in Yen, then the pound is currently next to worthless at the moment.

Not sure what Y's is like in Yokohama but I would never buy a bike or even some rim tape from the one in Shinjuku.
 
I would go for the blue one not least because the Dura Ace crankset just looks really terrible.:eek:
 
Thanks for your input guys. James, yeah the price is just for the frame/fork/seat post. Lee, yeah it looks like the blue one is exclusively for Japan and when i saw it today the available sizes written on the card were incredibly small. How typical is that! So I called back and he seemed to think they had bigger sizes but I've got a feeling it's gonna be for the red one only.

I've been on the internet all night and I haven't been able to find them anywhere yet, apart from a shop in the UK in naked carbon, but I think I'm already really sold on the blue one. On the Opera homepage it lists the dealers worlwide and the one in Japan is in Osaka, and seems to be the Pinarello Japan Branch.

And Lee, yeah except for the wheels I'm planning on buying all the components for whatever frame I buy. I'm heading towards Sram Red atm. I've been looking at Scott/Look etc but while all good makers and seem well priced they just don't have that WOW factor I'm looking for......Different strokes for different folks I suppose.....and I'm an incredibly fussy bugger which doesn't help:(
 
Mike,

Y's were shit when it came to ordering Pinarello parts and stuff. They said it would take 6 months to get my frame in stock. Went to Stage 1 and they got it me in 2 weeks at no additional cost, I think they have a direct account with GitaSport who are the importer of all things Italian.
 
Remember that `Italian` is a highly flexible term when talking about carbon bike frames. It looks like all the frames that have been posted here so far are monocoque, not tubesets, which mean they are 99.9% made in Taiwan/China. My Wilier says made in Italy, but in fact the entire frame is actually made in Taiwan, then finished in Italy. I`m pretty sure any Pinarello/Opera/whatever fames are the same. I heard that Kuota started out as a company making cf bits for F1 cars, but that may just be a rumor. Personally a well-made Taiwanese frame is much more appealing to me than an italian maker`s (or Cannondale for that matter). Most of these companies have no history with carbon frames, and just sell their brand names stuck on other maker`s product. The Taiwanese have been making carbon bicycles since the early 90s...

I think you should skip the branding surcharge you`d have to pay with these frames and get the one Deej got, or even better the nude one. I can tell right away that it has the exact same fork as my Wilier and some Scott carbon bikes. They`re all probably made in the same factory...

And I wouldn`t consider giving Y`s or Narushima any big stacks of cash, either. Those places are total rip-offs.
 
Kiwi Simon, yeah that's what was written at the shop but the guy there seemed to think he could get up to 55cm if I ordered it.....

Anyway thanks for all your help guys. I'm gonna sit back and digest all the info and take my time with this. The black nude carbon at Cycling Taiwan and the RS2 Pedal Force def have me thinking. Will let you know if I decide to pull the trigger on a new frame. Cheers everyone:D
 
Mike -- Just as an FYI, my friend bought a Pedal Force RS2 a couple years ago. It's the exact same frame as mine, but with a different carbon fiber weave (his is 3k, mine is 12k).

Unlike mine, his has a small Pedal Force badge on the head tube. Other than that, I don't think there are any graphics.

He got it in a group buy and paid only US$500. Should have bought 10! :)

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Question

As a regular reader of the TCC blog I wonder why new frames, bikes etc. or so often displayed in Japanese rooms with tatami and Fusama doors?

Is this because this is the only room in the house which offers adequate space and/or does the mistress of the castle not allow the transport of bicycle-related things into other areas of the royal dwelling?
 
Hmmm...

Least cluttered room, so best for photos?
Least useful/used room, hence best for temporary storage of new bike bits?

The above two apply in my case, I think...
 
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