Best TT/road bike?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Redliner
Looking for a TT based bike that I can do TT or set it up for road riding in the $1800 to $2200 price range? I'm 5'9" and 150 Lb. So far I'm looking at the Kestrel talon and the Cervelo P2K but maybe you guys know a better choice in my price range?

If you are settling toward the Kestrel Talon or Cervelo P2K, I think you need to test ride them. If I'm not mistaken, the Talon has a relaxed seat tube angle (~73 deg) and the P2K has a very steep seat tube angle (~76 - 77 deg). The Talon will be better suited to road riding whereas the P2K will be better suited to time trialing.

I've never ridden a steep angled bike for general road riding, so I can't comment on whether or not I'd enjoy it. I'd guess that climbing hills would not be so much fun though. Good luck!

The P3 isn't for regular road riding. Take a look at the Cervelo Soloist. Reverse the seatpost head and take off/put on aero bars. That's about as good as a dual purpose bike gets.

Well the Talon, P2K and Soloist all have reversible seatpost that would allow you to get in a more steep angle for TT. The Talon on road setup does have a bit more relaxed angle for road riding than the Cervelos, I believe.
I'm building up a Talon righ now and it'll be ready by XMast. I chose the Talon for the same reason (multi sports) as you'd mentioned, road and TT. The Talon is an all carbon fiber bike compare to all aluminum Cervelos, however.
Test ride to see which one fits you best and it's a matter of aluminum or carbon. The Talon may end up costing you an extra $100 or so to have it set up for aero. However, there are some GREAT deals on these Talon frames I saw being sold on Ebay, with full warranty, from a bike retailer in Chicago.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Rudy
Well the Talon, P2K and Soloist all have reversible seatpost that would allow you to get in a more steep angle for TT.

The Soloist has an effective 73 and 76 degrees road and TT seat tube angles, respectively. The P2K a 75 and 78 degrees.

Anyone knows what's the Kestrel's?

Some say that the 76 on the Soloist ain't steep enough for TT and the 75 degrees on the P2K not relaxed enough for road.

Can one really feel the difference between something like the ~72.5 on classic road frames and 75 like on the P2K?

Thanks.

The kestrel seems to have a different seat angle depending on the frame size. i really don't know what the angle would be with the aero seatpost but for a 52cm frame, the kestrel seems to have the same angle as the soloist set up for road.

can one really feel the difference between 72.5 seat angle and 75? Oh yea...I can't speak for others but I know I can, from that wide of a difference in angle.

here's an article I found on the Talon:
http://www.trinewbies.com/2MidPakArt23.htm

if you want to read reviews on both the Cervelos, go here:
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/reviews/soloist.shtml

Huh, that's not good news on the 76d tube on the Soloist as that's what I've been eyeing as a 'practical' TT bike that I could also ride in whatever other situations I deem inappropriate for my Colnago carbon (i.e., if I ever do a crit or something else riskier than normal riding).

I've seen the Talon, and all I can say is that any frame with tubes so thin that I can actually crush them with my fingers is too delicate for me. YMMV of course.

The trouble with the P2K is that it has bar end shifters so it's really a single purpose machine. Even at 75d, it's going to be a TT bike that you just happen to be riding on the road (uncomfortably, too, since if it fits you in the aero position at 78d, then you are going to have a tight hip angle at 75d unless you raise those bars quite a bit).