Trek Madone 5.1wsd or Pinarello 5 fp5

[Purki1]

I have narrowed my search down to these two bikes. The Trek Madone 5.1wsd and the Pinarello fp5. Both are full carbon and both come with Ultegra components. Just wondering if paying the extra $800. is worth it for the Pinarello and are they even in the same playing field.

[KnottedYet]

Pinarello!

Well, actually, what I should ask is which one feels better when you ride it; which one inspires bike love in your soul; which one fits best...

(besides, *everybody* has Trek bikes! If you have a Pinarello, other Pinarello owners say "Hi!" My sweetie was doing bike-parking at ALC yesterday, and counted Pinarellos.)

ETA: out of a couple thousand bikes in that section, there were two Pinarellos.

[Trek420]

Warning, Knott and I like unique bikes, her Waterford cross (purchased right here from a TE'er ) is distinctive and beautiful. I have a full-custom Mondonico Futura Legero. It rides as good as it looks. I favor steel bikes but yesterday saw a Mondonico with carbon front forks and rear stays, Campy full carbon throughout. I had to stop and clean up the drool.

That's now on my "when I win the Lotto" list.

One day on ALC4 I was striding (well maybe not striding, kinda limping) out to start the day and get my bike. A rider wandering around in bike parking shouted out "Anybody seen a Trek Madone? " We all laughed, but in a helpful way and helped him find his bike.

That's when I was glad in a virtual sea of Trek-Cannondale-Specialized- a fine Italian bike stands out and performs great! And dayhum if it costs more than a Madone it'd better be a great bike.

Ultimately it is all about the bike, how it fits you, rides, how you feel on it. I'd rather ride my $250.00 commuter that fits great than a 4 figure bike that doesn't.

You may choose the Madone, or any one of many other fine bikes out there. Then it's your bike. The fit, the specs, it becomes yours. There may be more Treks out there than Pinarellos, but this one will be your Madone.

But if you choose the Pinarello you know it will have to take anti-organ rejection drugs for a lifetime to accept Shimano parts. You'll need Campy

So get out and ride the bikes. We of course want to hear the test ride reports. Pinarello vs Trek Madone? Which will it be?

And welcome to TE.

[redrhodie]

The Pinarello FP5's I just found online (gitabike.com) are with Dura Ace gruppos, for MSR $3450. Does that sound like the same bike you're considering?

[yauchzee]

I just got a Madone 5.1 this year and love it. I had compared it to the Ruby Expert and Orbea Diva when I made my decision so I didn't look at the Pinarello.
I love the Trek and I think it is one of the best frames you can buy for that kind of money (OCLV carbon). Smooth riding.
My two cents, good luck with your decision. Here is what mine looks like:

[Purki1]

Thanks for all your replies!

Well, technically I have not road tested either bike as I have not been able(until now) to find either one in my size. I am 4'10" so I need the smallest frames out there and most don't carry them in stock. I did not want to order one without riding the proper size first so I have been looking in multiple states..

I am visiting in Scottsdale Arizona and amazingly found both bikes so I will go out and test ride them Monday morning. Of course the Pinarello test ride will require a two hour drive to Tucson, but it's worth it. I don't want to get a bike just because it's the only one in my size.
I have never been on a road bike before (only Mtn Bikes) so trying to figure out what fits right has been difficult. Most stores keep trying to sell my a size to big and that's really irritating. I am renting a Masi this weekend which is to big for me and now I am so happy I did not listen to them, my back is killing riding this thing and braking and shifting are interesting...

I was also considering the Cannondale six13 fem1 but the top tube is 28.8
which is way to tall for me. Most bike shops have told me to stay away from getting a smaller bike with the 650 wheels as it will make me slower. Is this really such a big deal? Some smaller frames such as the Orbea only come with the 650 wheels.
Also, what about a triple, compact or standard crank?
And thanks for pointing out the Dura Ace group on the Pinarello, I had it in my head that they were both Ultegra.. Must have been thinking about the Orbea...
Any other comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Purki1]

The only other bike that I was considering was the 2007 Cannondale Optimo Fem2, but I was shying away from it because of the 650 wheels.. Any thoughts on this bike or the wheel size.

[ehirsch83]

what about the jamis xenith pro?
The frame technology is the newest out of any bike out there and super stiff and responive.

[sbctwin]

I am 4'10" and I have a Lightspeed Bella XS with 650c wheels for my road bike. I love Bella. She fits me. I had flat bars installed because I wasn't comfortable with the brifters and I kept shifting when trying to brake. Now that I have ridden her a couple of years, I believe I could handle drops and may switch back.

I have been trying to find a new commuter bike and was about to get a 44 Bianchi Volpe with 700c wheels. It felt good in the reach and everything but standover height. There was no room and I had to lean the bike over to stop/start. I was commuting home a few weeks ago and going down a very steep hill when I had to make a drastic defensive stop. I realized then that 700c wheels were out of the question for me. I would have been seriously hurt with the Volpe had I had to make that stop.

Do not let your lbs dictate what feels best for you. As you can tell, we don't have many choices in bikes because of our height. Find one that fits you the best, but at least try 650c wheels to make sure it isn't the best fit for you. Just my 2cents....

[Triskeliongirl]

No, 650c wheels will not make you slower. Your speed is dictated by the gear ratio. With a smaller sized wheel you need to select a different gear to have the same ratio, but the effort required to move at a certain speed will be virtually identical. It is true that smaller wheels have slightly more rolling resistance, but then they are also lighter which will balance things out. Furthermore, to build a frame in your size with 700c wheels will likely have either compromises to the handling, or toe clip overlap.

[Bluetree]

But if you choose the Pinarello you know it will have to take anti-organ rejection drugs for a lifetime to accept Shimano parts. You'll need Campy

HA HA HA I love you, Trek!

My Pinarello FP5 lasted a whole week with Dura-Ace before I rebuilt it with Campy. My Nago- and Pinny-riding buddies looked in horror – sheer throw-up-in-mouth-a-little horror – when I took it for a test ride with the Shimano.

[NbyNW]

I find it strange that an lbs would recommend you "stay away from a smaller bike with 650c wheels" for performance reasons. If a small bike is what fits you, that is the bike that will perform best for you. If the bike is properly geared, you should be able to get comparable performance out of either size wheel.

I am just over 5' tall, so I had similar challenges finding a bike. I have 650c wheels on my touring bike and I think they're plenty fast. My folding commuter has 20" wheels and they're pretty darn fast, too. Compared to the 650s, I think the 20" wheels pick up speed more quickly and handle quick stops really well, but don't hold momentum as well, which is just fine for city riding. I imagine it's a similar relationship between 650 and 700 wheels, I just don't know if it's as noticeable.

I'm sure there are TE members who race on 650c wheels, too -- hopefully they'll weigh in, if racing is what you're interested in.

Here's a discussion on 650 vs. 700 in racing -- I don't know how good this information is, and some of it is a bit technical, but the gist of it is this: there are some differences, but unless fit is a major issue, the performance is probably negligibe for most riders.
http://www.duathlon.com/forums/experts/66

I suspect the bike shops that are steering you away from 650 wheels don't know much about fitting petite riders, but that's just my opinion.

Good luck with the bike shopping, and keep us posted on what you find! I'm always interested in learning about what else is out there for petite riders.

[maillotpois]

Thank you Bluetree and Trek for pointing out the perhaps not so obvious (but blinding to some: sushi and proscuitto - blech!!!)

Get the Pinarello with CAMPY.

Pinarello is a great bike. My DH has the F4:13. It is a beautiful, classy, unique ride.

[Trek420]

Thank you Bluetree and Trek for pointing out the perhaps not so obvious (but blinding to some: sushi and proscuitto - blech!!!)

To clarify -
sushi YUM
prosciutto - YUM

sushi & prosciutto - BLEH

Reminds me of someone I know who'd never had prosciutto & melon, saw trays she assumed were prosciutto wrapped around cheddar cheese. It was your classic prosciutto and melon - YUM unless your mouth is expecting cheddar cheese.