Tri bikes, the good the bad the ugly??????

I think Felt hit a home run with their B14. A carbon frame from the same mold as their high-end DA's with a mostly ultegra drivetrain and a very nice aerobar setup for under $2500.

Felt's B16 is a great deal at under $2k, but I think the upgrades to the B14 are worth more then the cost difference.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Cervelo P2 either. Proven geometry and this year's spec is a little nicer then previous year's ultegra equipped P2's. At $2800 it's a little more then the B14, but well worth it.

scott

yaqui's price point is also where I thought the cost/benefit ratio was optimized. I went with the P2 due to fit, it helped that my LBS gave me a great discount on the FAST  DA model.

I shopped around for awhile and I finally settled in the Quinta Roo Seduza with Ultegra components, I paid about $2200 after taxes. It has gotten me started in the right direction and like most bikes is easily upgradeable.

I rode my Spesh Tarmac with Ultegra SL group for first two seasons, and really enjoy riding and racing on it. Meanwhile, I trained, and I waited, and waited, got a pro fitting, then waited some more ... and bought a tri-bike then sent it back, then waited, then waited (and trained) ... then spent some serious hours spinning in aero position to make sure I was going to be comfortable in an aero-tuck.

I dig my roadie so much that I really wanted to be sure I did not compromise on my tri bike just to save a few $$ ... otherwise I am sure I would find myself second guessing whether or not I should be on the roadie after I finally got around to racing on my tri bike.

Then a few weeks back I finally got an awesome frame ... had it built last week .... groomed the fit last night ... picking it up later today. So, my recommendation is to keep racing on your roadie until you are sure you have a good fit on a tri bike that will make you faster. And then get a tri bike that is as well made and well-grouped out as your road bike.

Bang for buck? Hmmmm the 2009 Cervelo's are starting to go for about 20-30% off retail; Kuota K-Factor is a great deal; and if you want to get the wheels at same time, $3800 for a Ordu with Reynolds Strike deep-dish carbon is a good deal... but be sure to check you local tri club and bike shop.

Edited by jsselle 2010-01-30 1:14 PM

Why not try a used bike?   Bikes are like cars in that they depreciate a lot just by being used.  I've scored my road and tri bike this way and they will last me until I'm good and ready to drop serious dough.  Ironically, the higher-end the bike the more likely it will have been cared for well and the owner might be the type to upgrade frequently!  If you don't want to buy sight unseen, check out CL.

Thanks for the tips I figurea I would start asking now, that way when I am ready to make a purchase i will be a little more educated. The Tarmac will get me where I need to go this year, if you have more tips though keep them comming,,,Thanks