You can turn these seat posts around? if somehow you can, it will make you go even more back. Instead of focusing on pushing the seat more forward, how about shorter stem for handle bars? (also aerobars can be moved back too). Its a gamble buying a used a bike thinking it will fit you some how

When I say "backwards" most seat posts position the center of the seat behind the post. So turning it around "backwards" should move that position forward, allowing for more forward adjustment. This is what I'm looking for. I've done this on my Ridley and both my road bikes. I like the positioning better like this, but would still prefer even more forward a position. I don't want a shorter stem because the objective is to move the whole body farther forward in the cockpit. It's not a reach issue.

Jen,

From looking at the pix of that Kestrel, I'd bet a dollar to a donut that the seatpost isn't symmetrical and thus can't be reversed. That said, there's a lot of room to slide the seat clamp forward in the current orientation.

If ever there is a 'road bike' that would make a reasonable tri bike, it's likely the Kestrel. Take a look at: https://bikeinsights.com/...c1b40b4ff00175d3dc9,

You can see that the 48cm Kestrel has a very similar steering geometry to a small Trek Speed Concept. The critical question would be whether you can get the seat far enough forward. You would just need a few parts to convert the front end.

Yes, I see that now. Thanks for pointing that out. I did not notice the first time I looked at it. But as you said, it does look as though there is still a good amount the seat could be moved forward on the rails.

Not a particularly big fan of the flat/grey paint scheme, but n+1. Always.

Thanks to the post by Mudge I now see what you were pointing out.

as mentioned up thread, correct, you can't turn the post around. Effective seat tube angle in the most forward possible position is 78.25 degrees, which is slightly shallower than the forward position of most Cervelo tri bikes.

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
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The Talon was basically a standard road geometry with a slightly longer front end, but still much shorter than most tri bikes. You didn't say which year/model Cervelo you have, but the reach on a 48cm Talon is 20-30mm shorter than a 51cm Cervelo tri bike, so you'd need a stem that much longer just to duplicate your current position...

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

First, I love the idea of building a bike. My thoughts on this are:

A) Buying the frame and transferring components from one of your current bikes will save some money. I'd think wheels, derailleurs, brakes, and seat at a minimum. Depending on BB, cranks may transfer as well. Handlebars and stem may need to be replaced so the bike fits you better.

B) Have you worked with a bike fitter to either adjust your current bikes and/or advise on upgrade equipment to get a better fitting bike?

That's because, to be honest, I don't know the year of my Cervelo. Bought used about a year ago. Best guess is it's about a 2010-ish. And one of the reasons I'm interested in building/finding a smaller frame is I feel a bit "stretched out" on the Cervelo.

I have not worked with a fitter as of yet. But I'm strongly considering it this coming year.

I have pretty solid mechanical skills but I've never built a bike. Pretty confident I can handle simple things like swapping handle bars and running cables. Not quite so confident about setting up cranks. I think I'd rather take the easy route there.

Great! I believe a good fit will really help with the reach issues. If you are good with derailleurs and pulling cables the crankset shouldn't be any issue for you. The frustrating part is figuring out the BB for the frame. Your current BB and cranks may very well work on a new frame.

Sounds like a fun task for the New Year

If you are stretched out on the Cervelo why just not move the saddle forward which should be possible with the dual mount option seatpost that came with the P2C / P3C…..

Jeroen

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Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands

Maybe, but I would really want to go through it with somebody who knows what they're doing first.

Well, here's the problem. The Cervelo is 2600 miles away right now. Bought it when I was visiting my mom out in Florida, and there it has stayed ever since. I go out there once or twice a year to visit and generally try to schedule around a triathlon, so it's nice to have a bike there.

I have several bikes here I use for west coast triathlons. I have a Ridley Cheetah for flatter courses and I choose a Specialized Roubiax with better gearing for the more hilly courses. And since I live out here I just naturally have more time and experience on my Cheetah and Roubiax.

Absolutely! The 2 best bike tools are the local bike shop and YouTube.

I've built almost every bike I have. When I’ve bought off the rack I change so many things for reason of me being very picky or fit. The great thing about building is that you have every single component and frame exactly what you what. It’s part of the journey.

I'm currently working with 2 clients building TT/Tri bikes for them, the first is a budget build the other is a bougie build.

My first advice is if you do not know your pad XY and/or stack/reach is to get a bike fit by someone who is has done a ton of tri bike fits. You say you're stretched out or want to turn around a seatpost. Those are warning flags to me

A good fitter can measure up your bike amd current position. Then after you get a fit and tell you your preferred pad XY is something/whatever. Your current bike pad X something + a number and Y is whatever - some #. You need to take off your 100mm stem replace it with an 80mm stem and add 2 spacers that will get you within 6mm of your preferred pad X and be off your preferred pad Y by 3mm.

The bougie build person knows all this and it's been a lot easier to buy a frameset and spec it out.

Get a bike fit. Get a retro fit where they do a fit on your bike. Just don't fly blind on the project or you'll end up with a position that you're not happy with which will mean you might have a bike you could love but will never know unless it's by a happy accident.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Well I would certainly be in the "budget build" category. One of my hang ups about spending money on a fit is just the knowledge that I'm at best a middle-of-the-pack age grouper, and I'm essentially doing all this for one single IM. A couple years ago I swore I was done doing long courses. Then I did the Santa Barbara long course (again) and thought "you know, I could probably finish a half IM." So then I thought I would do a half IM and swore that was going to be a one-and-done. Now, I'm looking at a full IM and I swear that's going to be it. Really. Honest.

I get that. I would still advise it. It sucks buying the bike you want only to struggle with the fit the entire time you're riding it. Remember it's not just an IM you're doing it for. You'll be riding that bike in training as well. Think if it as a 6-12 mo commitment that could go on and on and on. It's an investment in your future self.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta