Hello all! I am new to the forum and have been reading through for a month or so now. First post is one that is probably been discussed, but I couldn't find a good answer from the previous posts.
I have been riding for about a year and a half and started my cycling journey with a Specialized Allez with a Sram Apex groupset. I love the feel of the bike and the Sram shifters are what made me choose this model over the 105 version. This winter on trainers, my avg power for a 1 hr ride has been between 195 and 205 Watts during steady training rides, so I would still be in the beginner stages. 6'0 185 lbs for reference.
Towards the end of last year, I borrowed a Madone 5.5 from my Mom and it felt so much more responsive than my bike. I did not have a chance to compare flat ground speeds but it seemed to get up to speed much quicker and each pedal stroke seemed to push me forward better.
Is this a factor of the carbon frame being higher end, stiffer, etc..? Or could I do something to upgrade my current bike to improve the feel? All components are stock at the moment:
E5 Aluminum frame - top for specialized at the time
carbon fork
Sram Apex full Groupset
alloy seatpost
DT Axis 2.0 wheelset
stock tires.
My budget would be around $800 before spring, if I need more than that, it will have to wait until next fall to save up without dipping into other funds
Thanks in advance!