Great Question:

My vote is definitely for the Talon. I have had a Talon for 18 months and love it. I have ridden it approximately 2500 miles and it still rides like it is brand new. I have only ridden it in two 1/2IM's with slight modification to the bars (AirStryke) and some faster wheels. I don't ride it in shorter races b/c of my other tri bike. This bike is comfortable and fast. Please let me know if you have any specific questions.

Oh yea! The 2003 Talon looks really cool. I don't think they changed a lot other than Kestrel make it faster.

Daniel

"Our bodies are our gardens - Our wills are our gardeners." -William Shakespeare

I have had a 5200 Postal bike for the last several years. I cannot say enough how much I enjoy riding this bike. And not to mention the warranty and service-ability of the bike. Lifetime warranty on frame & fork!

You get a solid (and complete) Ultegra grouppo, aero wheels enough for anything you'd want to do and it's made right here in Wisconsin.

Say what you want about 'everyone in the pack riding Treks/Lance's bike' - but there's a reason for it, they're great bikes and they hold their resale value too!

I have friends who love their Talons too (have absolutely nothing bad to say about them) - but for true road bike, go for the Trek...and when you're climbing the big hills on your next ride, look back and pretend you are dismissing Jan and Marco on your way to your next yellow jersey.

Do they both fit you the same, feel the same when you're riding them? I had the same choice two years ago when I stood in my LBS with $2500 in my fist: the choice was made for me because the 5200 fit my body exactly right, and I could feel it instantly when I rode both. I have never had a ride since then when I didn't think "I love this bike". Bottom line is the one that fits you best is your bike.

If you're going to get a road bike...go with the trek. i am of the opinion that you should have a road bike and a tri bike, not one that does both. especially if you're going to have two (thanks sweetie) than you should get a road bike that is not a compromise. The geometry of the oclv is a little longer, a little more stable than the talon, and the oclv comes in a wider range of sizes, making a precose fit a little easier to do.

i have had an oclv for my training ride for two years, and absolutely love the bike more than anything.

cons about kestrel: paint is awful, finish chips very easy, less sizes, sketchy geometry

pros about oclv: proven geometry, rock solid frame, warrenty, marginally lighter

go with the oclv

tommy

RE: paint chipping on the Kestral.

Check out this page...scroll down and notice all of the paint chips, if you might travel with the bike - consider what could happen.

http://www.onelesscartoday.org/daniel_home/bike/

I have no experience with the Kestrel, and therefore have nothing to say - though I hear they are nice bikes.

I ride a 5200 OCLV, though, and have done so since 1998. It is my only bike, and I ride solo, do group rides, race bikes, and do tris on this bike - and love it under all circumstances. For triathlon, I use a Torque forward seatpost, clip-ons, and aero wheels. The only drawback to this position is that any road bike is not truly designed for aerobars, so one must be just a pinch more careful with bike handling when in this position. I've been extremely happy with the bike.

FYI - I bought mine (a 1996 frame/fork) used in 1998 - so the "copying Lance/everyone has one" thought was not a factor - and the first I ever heard of that was after the first 2 Tours had been won on "my" bike. I take the abundance of these bikes on fast roadie group rides to mean that it is an excellent bike - and it is.

but those are not your only choices.

i was in the same situation last year. and, like you, i was looking primarily at very popular bikes, those 2 included. oh, and my wife is wonderful too.... particularly when she agreed for me to even think about that purchase. anyway..... do yourself a favor and consider having a custom steel ride built! especially, if you are doing long distance rides, and even more especially if you are planning on doing a marathon right off the bike. they are not as expensive as you might think, and actually, at $2,500, you can end up way beyond the bikes you are looking at.

you may or may not be familiar with landshark. john slawta builds them custom, only about 200 per year. i got my landshark last fall, and it is a true magic carpet. you can have a custom built and custom painted (your choice) with full ultegra built for 1,995 - with shim wh-r540 wheels. upgrade anything at great prices. i ended up with FULL record 10sp, campy racing wheels, and ouzo pro forks for 3k even. everything built to your custom measurements. if you wanted a slightly forward geometry because of dual-purpose, he can do that. andy hamsten won the giro riding a landshark. they are filet brazed welding, so nice, all my welds look like it's out of a carbon mold. 2 weeks ago, at a road race, a cat1 racer double takes at my bike and says "wow... a landshark... very nice". not quite mainstream.... but i counts when it needs to, particularly at the end of 112 miles. there are other custom steels to look at - waterford, seven..... but i really feel i ended up with better quality at a fraction of the price.

check out the dealer: www.gvhbikes.com gary hobbs is GREAT to deal with.

check out landshark: www.landsharkbicycles.com

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It's not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but somehow I managed to squeeze in 8 hours of TV a day - Homer Simpson