# 2014 World Tour Bikes



## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Here's some nice pics of every team's bike. 

Commence arguing now! 

2014 Bikes of the WorldTour ? Part 1 | Cycling Tips

2014 Bikes of the WorldTour ? Part 2 | Cycling Tips


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Very minor point with the articles: Team BMC rides the SLR01. The Impec shows up only sporadically and not during any wins so far.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2014)

Great bikes.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Great article - short on prose, long on pics.

My favorite is the Gamin Cervelo C5. It has slener, purposeful, business-like look. 

For a beefy, thunder-thighs look, I like the OPQS Venge.

JSR


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Here's Velo News: Pro bikes: Who?s riding what in 2014, and what it all means - VeloNews.com


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks for posting Cinelli. I enjoyed it. Some of the comments were interesting too.

Did you catch the line about SRAM and their electronic shifting at the TDU?


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Rumor is SRAM had a bike to get feedback from some of their pros.

When Cav's hydraulic brakes crapped out SRAM looked kind of stupid...especially after all the ads showing him using them. They don't want anything like that again.


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## Durt (Jul 28, 2008)

Swift = hawt!

Featured on cycnews:
Pro Bike: Jonathan Cantwell?s Swift Ultravox Ti | Cyclingnews.com

Really like the Canyon Ultimate as well.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Here's cyclingnews photos from the TDU. Some of their set-ups are interesting:

Race Tech Gallery: Tour Down Under 2014 | Cyclingnews.com


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## 8toes (Feb 28, 2010)

Cool thread. I am diggin' that Swift as well.


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

I'm a Giant rider and love my Giants(s)(s) so I'm biased towards Team Giant Shimano and their rides although I don't know much about the Propel. The TCR Advanced SL's are rockets and stiff as hell.

I love the look of all these bikes though and I find it really interesting that more and more teams are going full electronic now. It's interesting to note that the bikes without Integrated Seat Posts can run internal batteries but those with the ISP's, cannot... Giant mounts them under the left chain stay nicely out of the way but some teams are still mounting batteries in odd places like under bottom tube. Not sure about that with all the techs these guys have at their disposal... (Belkin’s new Bianchi)

I also like seeing manufacturers here that we've never really see in North America... Lapierre and Swift?


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Rackerman said:


> I'm a Giant rider and love my Giants(s)(s) so I'm biased towards Team Giant Shimano and their rides although I don't know much about the Propel. The TCR Advanced SL's are rockets and stiff as hell.
> 
> I love the look of all these bikes though and I find it really interesting that more and more teams are going full electronic now. It's interesting to note that the bikes without Integrated Seat Posts can run internal batteries but those with the ISP's, cannot... Giant mounts them under the left chain stay nicely out of the way but some teams are still mounting batteries in odd places like under bottom tube. Not sure about that with all the techs these guys have at their disposal... (Belkin’s new Bianchi)
> 
> I also like seeing manufacturers here that we've never really see in North America... Lapierre and Swift?


Though I decided to go with a Domane as my new bike, I like seeing new brands as well. I actually got the chance to talk to one of the local distributors from Swift two days ago and they are definitely trying to make a push in the U.S. Their prices and frameset weights are competitive with the likes of Trek, Specialized, Giant, and Felt, etc. as well. PM me for the contact if anyone is interested. They are not in many shops yet, but you can still buy them.


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

_"Their prices and frameset weights are competitive with the likes of Trek, Specialized, Giant, and Felt, etc. as well. PM me for the contact if anyone is interested. They are not in many shops yet, but you can still buy them._

I need another bike like I need another pair of riding shorts. Too many already and a weak resolve for this sort of thing. Please don't tempt an addict.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Rackerman said:


> _"Their prices and frameset weights are competitive with the likes of Trek, Specialized, Giant, and Felt, etc. as well. PM me for the contact if anyone is interested. They are not in many shops yet, but you can still buy them._
> 
> I need another bike like I need another pair of riding shorts. Too many already and a weak resolve for this sort of thing. Please don't tempt an addict.


Sorry man.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

looking at all these bikes reminds me of reading about the Japanese race replica sport bikes of the 90s. The designs are all converging. Oversize bottom brackets. Oversized tubing.Taper headtubes. Straight bladed forks. Slopy geometry. Stiff and "comfortable". And of course, plastic feeling. It's a convergent world. And like reading the Superbike magazines of the 90s, after a while, everything starts to look the same. Suddenly, the odd-looking underpowered Ducati with its peculiar trellis frame starts to stand out. 

Personally, while I find all these race bicycles interesting, and like to read about their specs, I probably will never put out the cash for one, and would buy a custom steel bike. There is something evoking about the feeling of cold hard steel versus light tinny plastic.

On a sidenote, the Colnago C59 has to be the most dated looking design of the bunch. It looks like a 40 yr old cougar in a sea of mostly prep girls. If you're a 50 yr old man, you'd say the cougar is "classy". But if you're a 20 yr old college boy, you'd go for the flashier prep girls.

that is all!


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

Canyon's Speedmax caught my eye:2014 WorldTour bikes: Katusha?s Canyon Ultimate, Speedmax + Aeroad | road.cc


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Trek Factory Racing 2014 team bikes:

2014 Race Bikes of Trek Factory Racing | Bicycling Magazine


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

Rackerman said:


> I'm a Giant rider and love my Giants(s)(s) so I'm biased towards Team Giant Shimano and their rides although I don't know much about the Propel. The TCR Advanced SL's are rockets and stiff as hell.
> 
> I love the look of all these bikes though and I find it really interesting that more and more teams are going full electronic now. It's interesting to note that the bikes without Integrated Seat Posts can run internal batteries but those with the ISP's, cannot... Giant mounts them under the left chain stay nicely out of the way but some teams are still mounting batteries in odd places like under bottom tube.


I'm not sure if you mean the race bikes or their normal bikes. All of giant bikes with isp's have internal seatpost batteries if you get them with di2. I think they might go external because the pro bikes are just to light. They must hit 14.99+lbs and with ISP, and tubulars the giants come awfully close. 

With clinchers my propel with internal seat post battery comes in at 15.25lbs.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

Rashadabd said:


> Trek Factory Racing 2014 team bikes:
> 
> 2014 Race Bikes of Trek Factory Racing | Bicycling Magazine


Picture # 7, what bottle cages are those. Look nice.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

r1lee said:


> Picture # 7, what bottle cages are those. Look nice.


Bontrage RXL or RLs. The RXLs are carbon and the RLs are plastic. I've got both on several bikes. Best cages I've ever used


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

aclinjury said:


> I probably will never put out the cash for one, and would buy a custom steel bike. There is something evoking about the feeling of cold hard steel versus light tinny plastic.


I used to think like that. Then I tried a couple of plastic superbikes. Shocking how good the new bikes are.



> the Colnago C59 has to be the most dated looking design of the bunch


C59 has a lugged structure that appeals to retro grouches, it's carbon but not radical carbon. Old style but not too old, new material but not too new.


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

From a purely aesthetic perspective:

I like the Giant Propel the best, it looks modern, has a flat top tube and is aero without being obnoxiously aero. Just clean and race-ready.

Katusha's Canyons are sweet too. Very lean and Countach/Stealth-angular, the matte paint helps. It's like a Russian spy plane.

FDJ still has the best paintjobs. That royal blue is glorious.

Arashiro's C59 is the classiest bike in the peloton. Voeckler has a nice one too.

The Swift has a very nice paintjob. That's a nice red.

*Don't care for:*

Belkin's horrific Oltre

The Impec: pretty much the definition of form over function, although in this case the form isn't that great either.

Lampre's Merida. It's a hot mess.

The Venge. Never liked the look of that frame.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Hiro11 said:


> Arashiro's C59 is the classiest bike in the peloton


Do they sell a replica? Colnago's first tasteful paintjob since 1972 Molteni bikes.


> Belkin's horrific Oltre


Total mess. And an external battery? The shame. The only worse bike was the one with the Campagnolo internal battery zip tied to the down tube. (Can't find the pic)


> Venge


Ugly bike and I don't believe any of their "aero" claims for it either. Look at a Propel and look at a Venge. Then tell me how a Venge could be aerodynamic. And that stupid aero headset cap doesn't count.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

jd3 said:


> Bontrage RXL or RLs. The RXLs are carbon and the RLs are plastic. I've got both on several bikes. Best cages I've ever used


Sorry I meant picture 6. It looks nothing like the rxl cages.

Bontrager: RXL Bottle Cage (Model #09842)


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

_"I'm not sure if you mean the race bikes or their normal bikes. All of giant bikes with isp's have internal seatpost batteries if you get them  with di2. I think they might go external because the pro bikes are just to light. They must hit 14.99+lbs and with ISP, and tubulars the giants come awfully close._"

Thanks R1Lee. I checked with my shop and there was a change with the Propel. On my Rabobank, Giant was not crazy about the seat clamping coming on and off my ISP to access the internal battery. Something about potentially damaging the Carbon with seat clamp on/off all the time.

*QUESTION* - _Is no one else surprised that Giant, being the largest bike manufacturer in the world, is only being represented on one team and that being the one that they have their name on?_


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Rackerman said:


> _"I'm not sure if you mean the race bikes or their normal bikes. All of giant bikes with isp's have internal seatpost batteries if you get them with di2. I think they might go external because the pro bikes are just to light. They must hit 14.99+lbs and with ISP, and tubulars the giants come awfully close._"
> 
> *QUESTION* - _Is no one else surprised that Giant, being the largest bike manufacturer in the world, is only being represented on one team and that being the one that they have their name on?_


Actually, the team being named after Giant as the primary sponsor wasn't the plan at all. They stepped in to save the team when the original primary sponsor (a U.S. based charity reportedly) pulled out at the last minute. Giant was close to ending up with no World Tour team to ride their bikes in 2014 and decided to save the team as a result. They will also continue to sponsor the women's Rabobank team as of now. The bike sponsorship game is a tricky affair in modern cycling from what I hear. Which is why you are seeing some manufacturers just buy teams outright (Cannondale, Trek, etc.) 

Giant announces title sponsorship of 3 teams, including Argos-Shimano - VeloNews.com


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

Great point. I forgot that under Argos Shimano, they were not on Giants... I think they were on Felts?

That would have been something for them not to even have representation in the men's pro peloton.


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

correct me if i'm wrong, but if the bike manufacturers pay teams to use the bikes then i think it's really a question of marketing strategies. seems like specialized, trek and cannondale have effectively used racing to create positive brand associations, whereas giant has appeared to be far less aggressive in this arena.


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

Rashadabd said:


> The bike sponsorship game is a tricky affair in modern cycling from what I hear.


This is nothing new. Throughout history most teams are always on the verge of going under. Even iconic teams like Merckx's Molteni or Fignon's Renault were run on shoestring budgets. Read Fignon's "We Were Young and Carefree" some time, it's wasn't a glamorous life. Team cars were whatever they could find, mechanics reused old parts, cyclists stayed in run down hotels and washed their own kits in the sink. It's a bit different these days, but not much. La Vie Clair had some money, but they were an exception. As it's one of the few sports where you can't charge for tickets, it's really hard to monetize cycling.

Sidenote: you can charge for tickets at 'cross events. That sport is gaining momentum quickly, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few 'cross teams have bigger budgets than lower-budgeted ProTour teams in a few years.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Hiro11 said:


> Even iconic teams like Merckx's Molteni or Fignon's Renault were run on shoestring budgets


In "Sunday in Hell" Roger de Vlaeminck shows this. He is already a three time winner at Paris Roubaix. He drives himself to the race with his race bike and a spare on a trunk mounted bike rack. 
No team bus in those days.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

Rackerman said:


> _"I'm not sure if you mean the race bikes or their normal bikes. All of giant bikes with isp's have internal seatpost batteries if you get them with di2. I think they might go external because the pro bikes are just to light. They must hit 14.99+lbs and with ISP, and tubulars the giants come awfully close._"
> 
> Thanks R1Lee. I checked with my shop and there was a change with the Propel. On my Rabobank, Giant was not crazy about the seat clamping coming on and off my ISP to access the internal battery. Something about potentially damaging the Carbon with seat clamp on/off all the time.
> 
> *QUESTION* - _Is no one else surprised that Giant, being the largest bike manufacturer in the world, is only being represented on one team and that being the one that they have their name on?_



I think your LBS is just making up stuff and it's really unbelievable.

The reason why your rabobank TCR doesn't have an internal seatpost battery is because all bikes pre2014 didn't come with it. Shimano released the internal battery and ew90 junction box with the release of 9070. All 2013 giant bikes are actually released aug/sept 2012 and designed and spec'd much earlier then that.

If anything the internal battery is less of a headache since you charge your bike from the port on the junction box, no need to take a part anything especially the seat. Also, the ISP torque setting is about 3Nm where as a normal seat post is about 6nm. At 3nm it's just turning the bolt to make sure it's tight. A normal seatpost would be much more difficult to get right because if it isn't the seat post would slide down and damage the frame.

All di2 internal cabling bikes have the ability to go internal seat battery. You just need 3 things.
1. Internal battery
2. Ew90 junction box 3 or 5 port.
3. Longer cable to connect the battery.


And to continue where Rasha left off. Giant isn't really interested in title sponsorships, unfortunately they had no choice with Argos and it's not announced sponsor deal fell through. Giant understands that their bikes need to be in the peloton, but that is it. With title sponsorships come serious $$$$, and where do you think that ends up equaling? More money for giant bikes at your local lbs. Giant makes great bikes and less expensive at your dealer which makes them a great value. If they were like specialized and started sponsoring all sorts of teams, you as the consumer will end up paying a higher price.

And btw, how did you get your TCR advanced di2 to 13.9lbs?
I had my TCR sl3 with red22 and tubulars down to 13.9. But that was the sl and running tubes. 

Post in the giant sub forum.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

r1lee said:


> Sorry I meant picture 6. It looks nothing like the rxl cages.
> 
> Bontrager: RXL Bottle Cage (Model #09842)


You're right, It's the Bontrager bat cage Trek's BAT Cage Is Actually One The The Company's Least Expensive Models But It's Light And Holds Bottles Tightly. Photos | Cyclingnews.com


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

jd3 said:


> You're right, It's the Bontrager bat cage Trek's BAT Cage Is Actually One The The Company's Least Expensive Models But It's Light And Holds Bottles Tightly. Photos | Cyclingnews.com


thanks


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

*r1lee*, Great comment about my frame and I took that off line via PM.

Your comments about Giant and transferring the costs of team sponsorships to the buyers makes perfect sense. You can sometimes see the difference with Specialized and what they charge for some of their equivalent frames to that of a Giant or others. 

If I was with Giant, I would look to get involved or take over in grassroots racing. The costs would be lower, the impact on the buyers would be negligible and they stand to create brand buyers for life...

I just really could not imagine upstarts being in the pro peloton and the worlds largest player not being there. Kind of like Chevy pulling out of Nascar or Reebok saying they sell enough tennis stuff so they don't need the expense and exposure from sponsoring pro players... Dare I say beer commercials and the Superbowl???


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## bwbishop (Sep 17, 2011)

Rackerman said:


> Great point. I forgot that under Argos Shimano, they were not on Giants... I think they were on Felts?
> 
> That would have been something for them not to even have representation in the men's pro peloton.


I became a Argos fan because they were the only team on Felts. I still cheer for Kittel, but with Felt was represented in the Pro ranks. Their new AR is a sick bike.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Rackerman said:


> Something about potentially damaging the Carbon with seat clamp on/off all the time


That's a bunch of baloney. You don't have to access the battery "all the time". Once it's in, you never need to touch it again. It charges through the junction box at the handlebar.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

other than paint they all look pretty similar

like the color of the Focus Mares

Found it amusing that Giant has gone back to standard geometry. I can't wait to hear their marketing department counter all the hype they put out the last decade


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