Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpine F31
First off, let me say I LOVE MY BIKE!!!!!!!!!! 
Now, to be more objective. I wouldn't call this an all around bike. Compared to my 2011 Orbea Orca, it is decidedly more "racy". It is very quick to turn in and if you are used to a more relaxed geometry it can feel twitchy. The Dogma is very stiff, especially compared with my really old 2007 Orca (yes I have two Orcas!) which feels like a noodle compared with the 'Dog. It's not stiff in a bad way that beats you up, it's stiff in the way it puts all your power down to the ground and just accelerates like a beast. It's actually a very comfortable ride. I use 28's at 100 psi and it's fantastic.
Don't expect it to be light. My '11 Orca with last generation SRAM Red weighs in at just under 15 pounds with pedals. My Dogma is over 17 pounds, but that is with disc brakes and ZIPP 303's. The strange thing about that is the bike doesn't feel heavy to ride. It climbs great and descending is amazing.
Once you get used to the quick steering, the bike carves corners like nothing else I've ridden. It's AWESOME. It's also super aerodynamic. I can out coast any of my friends...meaning if we are side by side at the same speed without pedaling, I will easily pull ahead just by tucking in.
Obviously the biggest downside to the bike is the price, which is partly what kept me from buying one years ago, that and for me I never liked the looks of the bike until the F8, which I think is gorgeous. It lives prominently in my living room like the piece of functional art that it is.
I highly recommend it as part of your stable, but it will be your "Ferrari" not an M5. |
Thanks for the feed back. Pretty close to what most of the reviews i've read said. It's nice to see most of the reviews coming to similar conclusions.
My comment about all around bike was mainly pointed at being comfortable enough for regular 70 -80 mile rides and also race bike fast in terms of responsiveness and handling.
I have a friend who is a dealer, though i doubt i'll get any kind of a deal on the frame set should i go this route. The geometry compared to my current bike is pretty much what i'm looking for. Pretty similar in terms of fit geometry and more aggressive without being overly aggressive in terms of handling geometry. For the most part, the F8's geometry falls in between my current BMC and the BMC SLR01 which i'm also considering.
Dat price tag tho!