New road bike (TCR SLR 2 vs Defy 1, which one?!)

[davesday]

That's the customary FSA headset sqeak. There's a rubber seal under the conical outer bearing cover above the headset, and it's very common for it to squeak as it rubs on the rim of the headtube. Happens to nearly all of them.

So is that something I should be worried about? What would be the solution?

I am thinking of sending it back to the LBS for them to fix it.

[Duck!]

Nothing to worry about, it's not affecting bearings or anything like that; It's only a rubber weather seal dragging on the rim of the head tube. It's easy enough to fix; loosen the stem & top cap enough to lift the stem & spacers a few mm & just run any kind of lubricant around the top of the head tube (I use a silicon spray 'cos it's easy to squirt in), then tighten it all down again.

[davesday]

Thanks Duck! I read a lot about the 'FSA issue' and its due to rubber-to-rubber contact on the underside of the top cap. Apparently the issue will come back over time and is pretty rampant on Defy and TCR using FSA. Which I believe why you said 'customary'

I'm bringing the bike in this weekend for them to check it. The wheel hubs are wee bit on the tight side. The wheels do spin freely but eventually stop with a bit of resistance. I also checked that the brakes are clear of the rim. They are a bit close because I had to adjust the levers to my finger reach.

[davesday]

Thought I should provide an update. Bike is in good condition now. Had several runs with it already and I like it very much. The squeaking steering tube is now sorted and is now silent.

I just found some upgrade opportunities (sales at Pushys) and I'm now open to upgrading the wheels. The Defy 1 came stock with PR-2 wheels and according to research they weigh about ~1900g. There's nothing wrong with the PR-2 wheels but I want to ask if there's any point to upgrade to something like a Shimano RS21 or RS31 or even the Fulcrum Racing 7 CX wheelsets. The Fulcrum is being listed at around ~1700g while the RS21 seem to be around the same as PR-2 (not sure about RS31 other than higher profile rims for aerodynamics). Will they provide any upgrades to performance?

[macca33]

I reckon if you're going to upgrade - Fulcrum Racing Quattros (at least) or Racing 3, or how about some Pro-Lite Braccianos?

I don't reckon moving from what you now have to Fulcrum R7s, or Shimano's low-end wheelsets is enough of an improvement.

cheers

[davesday]

Thanks for the advice! In this case, I would spend on a nice pair of cycling shoes and pedals instead. The wheel upgrades later or when there's a nice deal going.