I rode one in 2010 and the start of 2011. No creaking, back end flexed enough to leave tire marks on the rear chain stays. Was using a Hed Jet 90mm C2 w/ 23 mm tires. Brakes were a bear to adjust, but worked well enough when adjusted. Still, I prefer accessible dual caliper brakes. Ride was great. Set plenty of PR's on it but I was coming from a Guru Crono. I'm now back on a Guru Crono CR.901 which I like even more than the Kestrel. One other thing to note, running cables on the Kestrel 4000 was a dream. VERY simple installation. Overall, a good bike if you can get beyond the brake adjustment issues. I switched over to all carbon clinchers this year, and didn't want to deal with the hassle of swapping pads everytime I changed to training wheels with the Kestrel configuration. One piece of advice would be to install an inline barrel adjuster for the rear caliper.

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I wanna go fast!

Over the years I've ridden quite a few TT bikes, the Kestrel 4000 tops the lot.
Rides and handles like a road bike and is very comfortable in the aerobars.
I agree that the hidden brakes are fiddly and I'm not too convinced with the movable dropouts. However, you cannot have it both ways.
I think the only criticism, which depends on your preference, is that it's not an edgy ride. It's delivers a smooth experience which might not be what you expect from a TT bike.
SteveMc

I ride a Kestrel 4000 exclusively. It's a great bike!

If you've had problems with bikes making noise and creaking, it's probably something besides the frame. Often times, you can get dirt in the bb or bolts aren't tightened to the right torque. A good mechanic should make almost any bike pretty quiet.

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John Kenny, Pro Triathlete, USAT Certified Coach - http://www.frenchcreekracing.com
Philly Masters and Open Water
Swim and Multisport Events

I reviewed the bike and thought the review would have to hang its hat on Kestrel's legacy and history in the sport as opposed to the bike itself.

As it turns out, the bike is a credible offering. I won't suggest there is much that stands out about it, and it is an "aero styled" bike as opposed to an entirely aerodynamic design from the ground up. That said, there is much more to a bike than just aerodynamics.

The ride quality is super good- espcially long. It's comfy. I liked that. Mechanically, pretty darn sound. They got the rear brake right but it does require experience to set up correctly. Most luke-warm comments about the brake are because of less-than-optimal attention to detail setting it up. If done correctly the brakes work very well.

Super good seatpost adjustability with a decent range of effective seat tube angles.


The rear dropouts were an awful tight squeeze to get a wheel out though (green arrow):

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

All...Thanks for the very insightful reviews. I am interested in this bike mainly for three reasons: 1) According to the "Reach and Stack" tables the 55 fits me better than any other bike in the database. 2) The component spec on it is fantastic. 3) there aren't many of them around unlike Cervelo's and Transitions in this area. ok 4 reasons- it's sick looking!!

I do worry a bit about frame flex as we have lots of tough out-of-the-saddle climbing here and I'm not a light guy at 175-180. The comment about the tire rubbing on the chain stays has me a bit worried. I will admit that most of the tri here don't involve serious climbing but I don't want to feel like I have to be cautious when out of the saddle and hammering either.

The creaks I'm talking about are from a QR Seduza, particularly the three bolts that hold the deraileur hanger in p[lace- they just won't stay tight or quiet, no matter how much LT I use.

And I think really good mechanics are hard to come by.

Thanks again for all the feedback. I'd love to hear more.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by aero styled and that it wasn't an aerodynamic design from the ground up? They designed the bike in a wind tunnel and if the published specs aren't a complete fabrication, it's up there with the other top aerodynamic bikes.

"They designed the bike in a wind tunnel"

Tell me more about that design process.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

You would have to talk to the engineers. How is that relevant? You seem to be implying the frame is not aero. Why else would you say it's "aero styled"? That implies it's not aero and is using cheap tricks to apear aero. I'm curious what you mean by that. If the published wind tunnel tests are even close to acurate, it's more aero than a P3.

505: I'm riding on my 4th Krestrel and still have all except the first one that lost a battle with the garage while resting on top of the car. There'll be a 5th when ready (& the stock market comes back). Doug

I got my 4000 SL SRAM Red in March. It's been the most comfortable of the tribikes I've owned (others being Giant Trinity and P3C). It could be because I was fit for it before buying it to make sure the bike would be good for me. As others have mentioned the rear brake can be a complete pain in the ass. I'm a very heavy sweater and in the short time I've had the bike it's caused some corrosion in the rear brake and I'm the type of person who tries to keep their bike very clean. I ride the HED Jet C2 disc for racing and in one race I did have an issue with one side of the brake not releasing and pressing against the wheel for the ride. I've since had the spring adjusted on the brake so hopefully that will take care of it. Outside from that issue I love the bike. Ride quality is fantastic and I've been able to run much easier off this bike than previous bikes I've been on. Everything about it has been solid.

Good luck if you go this route.

I've been riding a 4000 since March - really like this bike. Very comfortable ride, and I find the bike stiff enough to handle what I throw at it.

One tip for the rear brake - I installed a barrel screw adjuster on the rear brake cable up near the handle bars - makes changing wheels much easier. I race with either HED Jet's (pre-C2) or a Zipp disc and I've never had an issue with the tire rubbing the chain stays.

Fell for the design and the stack/reach that fit me best.

I've had my Kestrel 4000 KSL for almost a year now and it's the most comfortable tri-bike I've ever had. I have the same fit on the Kestrel as I had on the previous tri-bike however the comfiness is outstanding, especially noticeable on long rides - delivering me to T2 with less soreness :)

I have two barrel adjusters mounted at the cockpit. One for the rear brake and one for the RD.

However it is difficult to adjust the brake pads on the rear brake.

I haven't experienced the rear wheel rubbing the frame when standing up hammering uphill, maybe I'm just not "large" enough at 6'1" and 189 lb...... ;)

It might be more aero than a P3, but their wind tunnel test graph is....odd. There are certain patterns you see in other companies tests that I do not see there, so, I would be suspicious.

More aero than a p3 wouldn't surprise me though, the huge difference shown in kestrels data might be due to the protocol they used - bikes tested as received by the customer. So depending on which kestrel and which p3c build, that could mean some big differences in cockpit and wheels.

Some of the design elements are curious though, notably the shape of the seat tube as it wraps around the rear tire, its kind of a triangle. Is not consistent with other bikes designed in a wind tunnel, or any aerodynamic leading edge I've seen anywhere.

neat brakes though, and some very deep cross sections on the seat stays...downtube is very narrow. should be pretty good, I think.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Remember that Tom put up a long article on his old website stating the Specialized Transition was NOT aero. He said it was basically aero styled, and not real aero. Later we found out from Specialized that it's at least as fast as a P3C.

Not that I'm completely willing to share my design work but suffice it to say, the 4000 took almost 2 years of my time to design and I was fortunate to have one of the top engineers assist me during the process.

Sometimes people speak without knowing the facts.

I like a lot of Tom's reviews, but really it seems that since that point it when it was proven he was wrong, he has has been on a mission to discredit wind tunnel testing by saying it doesn't hold up in the real world. He also insists that there is no way to validate it in the real world, which is clearly false. He works for a retailer, and his job is to sell you items they sell. Caveat Emptor.

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Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

Tom's retailer sells Kestrel's. http://trisports.com/...sl-ultegra-bike.html
So, that sorta' takes the aerodynamic wind out of the sails of your argument.

I'm going with the old Chuck Yeager quote. "If it looks fast- it IS fast." The 4000 looks fast. It's a beautiful piece of work. The only issue here then is if you know what 'fast' looks like.

Didn't know that Steve. GREAT JOB!!

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"The men who try to do something and fail, are infinitely better off than those who try to do nothing and succeed." Lloyd James

Another fan here. I have ridden five different TT bikes over the past five years, and the Kestrel 4000 I rode this year was my favorite. I'm not so techy as all the previous posters - but it was just a fast and comfortable bike. I was on a 55 as well. I'll ride one again next year.

rr

Not really... If you take a look at most of his post regarding bicycle aerodynamics, he says most bikes are "Aerodynamically Styled" and regardless of what the tunnel tests say, it is just marketing and there is no way to validate the tests. Tom has had his head in the sand on this point for years now.

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Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

I'm selling my 2011 Kestrel 4000 LTD, PM me if you are interested...

LOVE IT!

Sold my Felt B2 Pro build so I can get on a 4000 for 2012. Going to deck it out with Oval Concepts parts. Super slippery bike that rides like a dream

why are you selling this, any issues with the bike? I just bought the same bike brand new last week and can't wait to get it in the house.

What size is that? Nice logos on the wheels!