Model year - does it matter?

thegute said:

I am looking to buy my first real road bike and I have decided on the Specialized Sequoia Elite. I can get the '04 for $999 or the '05 for $1299.

Is the current model worth $300 more?

dont worry wt year bike you buy, $300 aint gonna make u go any quicker at the end of the day......go out and ride 🙂

thegute said:

I am looking to buy my first real road bike and I have decided on the Specialized Sequoia Elite. I can get the '04 for $999 or the '05 for $1299.

Is the current model worth $300 more?

Looks to me like the only difference in specs is the BB and crank:

'04
CRANKSET Specialized Comp, five arm, polished arms
BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano New 105, Octalink spline, 68mm shell, 118.5mm spindle, pipe billet cartridge

'05
CRANKSET Specialized Pro, 2014 alloy, five arm, black high polished arms
BOTTOM BRACKET TH 7420, square taper, 68mm shell, 113mm spindle, sealed cartridge

and 26 vs. 25mm tires

IMHO doesn't seem like you're getting a whole lot for a 30% premium.

Slider77 said:

Looks to me like the only difference in specs is the BB and crank:

'04
CRANKSET Specialized Comp, five arm, polished arms
BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano New 105, Octalink spline, 68mm shell, 118.5mm spindle, pipe billet cartridge

'05
CRANKSET Specialized Pro, 2014 alloy, five arm, black high polished arms
BOTTOM BRACKET TH 7420, square taper, 68mm shell, 113mm spindle, sealed cartridge

and 26 vs. 25mm tires

IMHO doesn't seem like you're getting a whole lot for a 30% premium.

Odd that they would switch from Octalink to square taper BB since this is still 105. Could be a move away from Shimano in general.

The Octalink will be obsolete in a few years so not really a BAD choice but I would have thought they would chose ISIS instead of square.

Anyway, recognize that with the '04 model you *may* have to replace the crank and BB together when either one wears out (a LONG time most likely). $300 discount seems like a good trade off to me.

I also think the '05 has gone from a pivot type adjustable stem to one that uses interchangable sleeves to modify the angle. Probably not a big deal since once you have it adjusted to fit you, you aren't likely to change the angle. The '04 version may add a little weight but easier to set up. I own an '04 Elite and just did a quick compare the last time I was in my LBS. Personally I don't see anything close to being worth the extra 3 bills. I also prefer the glossy finish on the '04 to the flat look of the '05.

I love mine and haven't found anything to match the smoothness. Enjoy which ever you choose.

DiabloScott said:

Anyway, recognize that with the '04 model you *may* have to replace the crank and BB together when either one wears out (a LONG time most likely). $300 discount seems like a good trade off to me.

You could swap them out now and still be ahead of the game. Of course as Scott said, BB's and cranks go pretty much forever. You'll probably replace the whole bike before they wear out. Unless you just have to have the latest model, go with the '04

thegute said:

I am looking to buy my first real road bike and I have decided on the Specialized Sequoia Elite. I can get the '04 for $999 or the '05 for $1299.

Is the current model worth $300 more?

I have the '04 Elite. I paid $1165 after sales tax. Regardless of which year you pick, the Seqoia is a pretty comfy ride. The MSRP on the '05 is a little higher than the MSRP on the '04, even though the '05 has slightly downgraded components. Probably has something to do with the value of the dollar overseas.

Like these guys are saying, the '04 comes with a splined set of cranks and a 105 Octalink BB. I took the BB out for winter bike maintenance and it is in fact a Shimano cartridge and not a knockoff. The lowest Shimano road Octalink BB that measures 68x118.5 is the 105. Tiagra is SQ tapered.

I also like the silver on the '04 better than the blue tint on the '05. Silver will be easier to match the paint should you ever want to mask a scratch or a paint chip.

Save yourself the $300 and go ahead and put it toward upgrading your wheels. The Alex ALX-290 wheelset isn't too impressive. Grab some Ultegra/Open Pro wheels or something to that effect.

I wish I could have paid $999 for my Sequoia. 🙁

Edit: There was a thread a while back about the chain not shifting properly on the front der. One of the posters stated that the Specialized rep told them to remove the Shimano chain and use a SRAM instead. I don't know if that is an actual fix for this issue or not. I've never had any problems with shifting on my Sequoia.

Get a 2004 Giant OCR 1. I paid $849 for it on Jan 11th 2005 and it has Ultegra and a nice set of wheels. Plus you can put a rack and panniers on it.

JTE83 said:

Get a 2004 Giant OCR 1. I paid $849 for it on Jan 11th 2005 and it has Ultegra and a nice set of wheels. Plus you can put a rack and panniers on it.

Yes, if he can find an '04 OCR1 for $850 in his size he should definitely consider it. Even the '05 OCR1 has an MSRP of $1000. With the exception of an adjustable stem, saddle and color scheme they appear to be the same bike. Not bad for a grand.

JTE83 said:

Get a 2004 Giant OCR 1. I paid $849 for it on Jan 11th 2005 and it has Ultegra and a nice set of wheels. Plus you can put a rack and panniers on it.

I have an OCR 1 and a Sequoia Comp and they are very different feeling rides.
The OCR has much tighter geometry, shorter wheelbase, quicker steering. The Sequoia is slacker geometry and is a much smoother riding bicycle. Component comparisons are only one part of choosing a bicycle.