# Transonic 2.8 vs Transonic 1.3



## gldtiamat (Sep 15, 2016)

Hey guys,

I'm both new to the forums and new to cycling, but I am absolutely addicted to the sport. I started my first ride at the end of July and just finished a 48 mile ride this past Sunday (and looking to keep on going for longer rides and faster rides).

Originally, I purchased a 2015 Transonic 2.8 LE from Performance for 1375, but it has since dropped in price to $1250 and I was able to get my money back through their price guarantee.

If I keep the bike, I plan on at least upgrading the brakes to Shimano Ultegra for about $130 (cost of the brakes + installation) as well as looking to upgrade the wheels to RS81 C35's for another $512, putting the total cost at about $1892. Additionally, if I wanted to upgrade the rest of the bike to Ultegra down the line, the bike would essentially come to about $2500 total (though this is obviously not guaranteed, but I've got the bug). At the very least, I know I'm putting in at least the $1892, though if I play it smart and buy the wheels during a double points weekend, I should be able to put about $100 towards the brakes and the cost SHOULD be about $1800 total for the wheels and brakes.

Alternatively...I have another option. I could also exchange the 2.8 and purchase a Transonic 1.3 for $2999. This is a sample sale (it was a pre-production model meant to show off the bike) that has full Dura Ace, Oval Aero Carbon Clinchers, and a C10 Carbon frame. 

Part of me thinks that the second option is overkill, and that I would be best suited keeping my current Transonic and doing just the wheel and brake upgrades and keeping the bike around $1800. The other part of me can't help but wonder about getting the 1.3, though.

Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!


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## Mr645 (Jun 14, 2013)

Bottom line is the components you have are fine, you may not really notice any difference in the drivetrain. The wheels will make a difference in the ride quality. Do you want aluminum brakes or carbon? 

Also, you can get an Altamira Ultra bike pretty cheap, I think under $1,500 which is a sweet deal if your considering trading. The new Fuji SL is also winning a lot of great press, looks to me one of the best bikes on the market this year


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

For someone who is new to cycling, you strike me as being very picky about your equipment. I suggest you just make the full leap and get the 1.3. Otherwise, you will drive yourself nuts wondering "should I upgrade this? should I upgrade that?" 

I've had my Transonic 2.3 since last year and have logged over 17,000 miles so far. The only thing I've upgraded is the wheels, mainly because the Oval Concept wheels didn't hold up well.


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## gldtiamat (Sep 15, 2016)

Mr645 said:


> Bottom line is the components you have are fine, you may not really notice any difference in the drivetrain. The wheels will make a difference in the ride quality. Do you want aluminum brakes or carbon?
> 
> Also, you can get an Altamira Ultra bike pretty cheap, I think under $1,500 which is a sweet deal if your considering trading. The new Fuji SL is also winning a lot of great press, looks to me one of the best bikes on the market this year


Thanks for the suggestions. Yeah, I'm thinking that the components are probably more than fine and I'm just overthinking. Regarding the Altamira Ultra, that is a good suggestion but I'm pretty happy with the Transonic.



AlanE said:


> For someone who is new to cycling, you strike me as being very picky about your equipment. I suggest you just make the full leap and get the 1.3. Otherwise, you will drive yourself nuts wondering "should I upgrade this? should I upgrade that?"
> 
> I've had my Transonic 2.3 since last year and have logged over 17,000 miles so far. The only thing I've upgraded is the wheels, mainly because the Oval Concept wheels didn't hold up well.


Hahah. Great read on me, Alan. I get pretty OCD when it comes to picking equipment. Whether it's a camera, tennis racquets, or anything else I really enjoy, I tend to over-research. I'm actually going to stick with the 2.8 (it's hard to justify the 1.3 as a fairly new rider), but I am definitely going to make some upgrades. The price of the bike actually makes it fairly easy to do so considering that it was a relatively fair purchase for $1250. I am curious, though, which wheels did you upgrade to? 

I'm settled on the 2.8 and am mainly just looking to upgrade the Wheels and Brakes for now.


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## Mr645 (Jun 14, 2013)

FYI I bought an Altamira 3.0 back in 2013. It came with a 10 speed Shimano 105 drivetrain (Mostly). I rode it and replaced parts only as they wore out. I upgraded some, like the wheels I added Shimano C50 wheels when the OEM Oval wheels need hubs rebuilt. Replaced the stock chain with various Shimano chains, currently a Dura Ace chain. Replaced cassettes as needed and recently replaced the 105 5700 shifters and drivetrain with 11 speed 5800 parts because one of the shifters was toast. 

The wheels made a big difference in comfort, the shifters are a little smoother, but none of it really made any real difference in performance of the bike. From long distance tours to 30+ mph sprints, none of it really makes a difference


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

gldtiamat said:


> I am curious, though, which wheels did you upgrade to? .


I went with Mavic Ksyrium Elite. I was primarily looking for wheels that were more durable than the Ovals, and I have had excellent results with Mavic wheels in the past. I've put about 5K miles on the new wheels, and so far no problems.


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## yellojello (Jul 24, 2008)

I got the Transonic 2.5 from Performance with almost full Ultegra, 105 brakes. It's great so far. The only thought different from yours was either 2.x Transonic or the new 2.x SL. So far the transonic and Oval wheels feels good. 

I'm not into racing, but more long distance comfort, which the SL is supposed to be suited for. The Transonic frame and color sets look much nicer though.


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## gldtiamat (Sep 15, 2016)

Mr645 said:


> FYI I bought an Altamira 3.0 back in 2013. It came with a 10 speed Shimano 105 drivetrain (Mostly). I rode it and replaced parts only as they wore out. I upgraded some, like the wheels I added Shimano C50 wheels when the OEM Oval wheels need hubs rebuilt. Replaced the stock chain with various Shimano chains, currently a Dura Ace chain. Replaced cassettes as needed and recently replaced the 105 5700 shifters and drivetrain with 11 speed 5800 parts because one of the shifters was toast.
> 
> The wheels made a big difference in comfort, the shifters are a little smoother, but none of it really made any real difference in performance of the bike. From long distance tours to 30+ mph sprints, none of it really makes a difference


Yeah, I can totally see that and I think that's why I held off. Other than the Brakes (which I actually think will be a performance boost since mine seem a bit weak and I feel unsure going at high speeds) and the Wheels (which I think can make a huge difference especially since I have the basic Alex wheelset), I don't think the group set is going to make a huge difference. Though I am debating changing the crank since I've had some trouble shifting from the small ring to the big ring, and I heard that the Shimano cranks are much better at that.

How did you like the C50s?



AlanE said:


> I went with Mavic Ksyrium Elite. I was primarily looking for wheels that were more durable than the Ovals, and I have had excellent results with Mavic wheels in the past. I've put about 5K miles on the new wheels, and so far no problems.


Very cool. I've heard great things about the Mavics, and have also considered them in my search. I'm actually still torn between the Mavics, some Fulcrum Racing Quattros, the C35s, and the C24s. I actually ruled out the C24s because I'm a heavier rider and hear that that could hurt me.



yellojello said:


> I got the Transonic 2.5 from Performance with almost full Ultegra, 105 brakes. It's great so far. The only thought different from yours was either 2.x Transonic or the new 2.x SL. So far the transonic and Oval wheels feels good.
> 
> I'm not into racing, but more long distance comfort, which the SL is supposed to be suited for. The Transonic frame and color sets look much nicer though.


I actually ALMOST traded for a SL 2.3 It would have been full Ultegra (- the cranks) and with slightly better wheels at $1600. I really hate saying this, but one of the main reasons I didn't was because I HATED the color scheme of the SL. With the Transonic, I want to ride it because I think it's an attractive bike and I feel good on it. The other main reason (and one I feel less ashamed about) is that I'm more of a sprinter/flat rider so I felt the Transonic played more to my strengths.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

You've mentioned a few times that you want to upgrade the brakes. There is essentially no difference between the brake calipers from one groupset to another. If your braking seems weak, the problem is likely that 
a) the brake pads are not aligned properly, or 
b) the brake cable has too much slack, or 
c) the braking surface of the rims has some reside, or
d) the brake pads are worn (unlikely for a new bike)


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## gldtiamat (Sep 15, 2016)

AlanE said:


> You've mentioned a few times that you want to upgrade the brakes. There is essentially no difference between the brake calipers from one groupset to another. If your braking seems weak, the problem is likely that
> a) the brake pads are not aligned properly, or
> b) the brake cable has too much slack, or
> c) the braking surface of the rims has some reside, or
> d) the brake pads are worn (unlikely for a new bike)


The brakes that came with my Transonic were generic Tektro direct mount brakes. It was my understanding that there was a fairly noticeable gain in stopping power from switching from those to Shimano direct mounts.


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## jeremy_s (May 6, 2015)

While I wouldn't say there's no noticeable difference, it's not "huge". I bought an Altimira 2.0 about 18 months ago and put ultegra cranks and brakes on it and it wasn't a night and day difference from the tektro to Ultegra. I just did it because I wanted my group to match. Putting good pads on the tektro's which I did in the very beginning made a much bigger difference.


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