Carbon Corral Showdown

Do you ever wonder if the more expensive bike is better? TopTube does – all the time. We’re going to answer that question by putting two of Argon18’s finest tri weapons head-to-head. We will consider the price, the ride quality, the fit and then give you a straight answer on which one is better and why.

This is more about having fun than giving you a life or death answer. Both bikes have performed well at the elite level, winning bike primes and races around the world. Both bikes are stiff, fast and aero. We’re interested in comparing the detail and ultimately deciding if the extra dollars for the E-114 are justified in the real world. So, to give you an answer we are going beyond the glossy magazine blurb, the marketing hype and the bike shop spin – we’re going riding! 

Argon18 head-to-head

TopTube tested the two bikes in the following specs:

E-112

• SRAM Force gruppo

• 3T Mistral bars

• Zipp Zedtech 404 wheelset

E-114

• SRAM Red gruppo

• E-114 integrated bars

• Fast Forward disc and F9R front wheel