Worst. Tri. Bike. Ever.

I have one and like it. The frames are not that aero compared to what is available today, but I will say they are very comfortable to ride. If you are getting it for cheap I say go for it. If you can get something newer/modern for close to the same price I would go with the newer bike. Aegis is currently out of business so there is no warranty on them, but I have had no issues with an Aegis product I have ever owned (mtn frame, 2 road frames, and the Trident). Definitely not the worst bike ever as the other poster has stated. I find them nice looking bikes, and since it is only a TT bike and not my mtn bike that is what really matters.

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Contemplating a multi-sport comeback

I rode one for four seasons, multiple IMs. It's not a light bike compared to some others, although the size of the one you have will help that, and as the other poster said, not the most aero, but very durable and solid and got me to some pretty fast splits. I still have it as a back-up and it's still in great shape after getting it in 2005.

I've got one. It's a fine bike. As mentioned, it's not as aero as newer bikes, but well designed for it's time. It's got airfoil downtube, seat tube and seat stays. I ride a 54 and the BB is pretty stiff considering its age. If it's your first bike, you'll be happy.

Why is it the worst tri bike ever?

Aegis and Kestrel had very close ties on how they got started (i.e. same people); this in addition to the original Trek carbon bikes being from Aegis (before OCLV, and before Calfee if I remember correctly). Take a look at the history of Aegis...it is pretty good stuff:
http://www.aegisbicycles.com/about.html


Stephen J

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I believe my local reality has been violated.
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Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2

I rode one in 2002 for a season. I definitely had some of my fastest bike splits on it. However, when I hit certain speed on downhills, the front-end would start to shake. The frame also cracked and had to be send back. I didn't have much luck Aegis frames lasting. A couple of years before, I had a Basso road bike that was made by Aegis - it was the same frame as the Profile Design frame - and that ended up cracking also. Those have been the only bikes that I ever had crack on me.

I can't speak to the tt bike, but I've had an Aegis road bike since 2002 and it is very durable and comfortable. However, as others have said, it's not light or aero.

No gripes with the frames. I still have one. If the bike has the Aegis hot rod fork, do not ride it. With other forks it will be fine. I did have the speed wobble over 40 mph as another poster said, but mine is a 700c not 650.

Oh yes, toss the hot rod fork if it has one. I ride a 650c and do not have any speed wobble issues. Though there is no warranty you can still purchase parts that you may need from Peter Orne at http://shop.aegisbicycles.com/main.sc. Stuff like dropouts and seat binder bolts are available. I like the Aegis bikes a lot and I may be giving up a little speed for sticking with one, but I had the Aegis Brutus mtn bike for 5 years ('96-'01) and rode and raced it for thousands of miles on New England trails with no issues at all. I did send it back after the first 3 years to get a new paint job, just because I wanted a new one not because it needed it, and it went through an inspection process to make sure there where no issues. I still regret selling that thing to this day.

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Contemplating a multi-sport comeback

Just bumping this back up. I'm looking at an AEGIS Trident (with drop handlbars) as a something to upgrade my current road bike. I'm seeing that people aren't recommending because of the Hot Rod Fork, just not sure I why and I can't really find anything else on the webbernet that explains why a couple of posters say it's unsafe.

Thanks!

Aegis does not exist any more. It was started by one of the folks that had a difference of opinion about how to build a monocoque bicycle (the other went to make Kestrel). You therefore will not find a new frame unless it has been sitting in a basement/warehouse for years (which is possible). Nowadays, forks can be had so cheap that I would just put a fork on a frame that you might find that has a better reputation. A broken fork is not a trifle. Good luck, and keep the rubber side down.

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I believe my local reality has been violated.
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Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2

I had a Trident with what I believe was the "stock fork". The steerer tube broke and I went down. I believe the hot rod fork was the upgrade that I should have purchased when I bought the bike to prevent what had happened. Either way, be cautious.

Apparently I commented on this thread way back but just an additional comment on the fork. I do remember that within weeks of me picking up the bike I got a call to come back so they could replace the fork. I do not remember what the issue was, but sounds like if you do get it you might want to grab a different fork.

Awesome, thanks for the info folks. I'd assume that the fork has been replaced, but I guess we'll see tomorrow for a maybe new (to me) bike day.

I feel the need to comment after reading others comments.

I have Aegis Trident and have ridden that bike 1,000's and 1,000's of miles over the years since I first got it in 2001. Although I have taken a long sabbatical from triathlon and now have a couple year old Cervello Road bike I use on daily rides I always felt best on that Aegis. I still ride the Aegis on the trainer and every time I get on it it just fits like an old glove. Its very comfortable for me.

This said, back in 2005 I had the fork snap inside the head tube while I was in the aero bars and I went down hard on my face. I heard a snap and in the blink of an eye I was face down on the road. As much as I was super lucky and did receive facial lacerations it could have been much worse. I was going slow at the time on a group ride and minutes before was going 30+ MPH on a downhill. Also, I was Lucky to not have cars behind me when I went down.

Its now interesting to hear others complaining about the fork on the Trident.

I dont know the name of the fork but it did not have its own branding and was painted the same color as the bike. The owner did mention that the fork he was sending was not made by the same company as the original fork so it seems I was not the only one with issues with that fork.

Since then I had many, many miles on that bike with no issues and did 3 IM's on it and always liked that bike. I am sure the new bikes are faster.

Its also relevant to say that several years before the fork broke was not my only structural issue with the Aegis. Previously I had the carbon frame crack and since at that time it was under warranty I was sent a new frame. I see others had similar situations. Maybe that was an issue way back in 2001-2002 with carbon frames but it happened with the Aegis.

My point is that it seemed that their was fork issues with the Trident and perhaps avoid it just to be safe. A fork snap is our worse fear when in the aero bars. To this day I still cringe when thinking about it.

I did a long face slide also. I was wearing a pair of "hard frame " Rudy Project sunglasses at the time which saved my cheek bone. I lost a couple teeth, had a few stitches and looked really ugly but it could have been much worse.

 

Not that it means much but I believe that Simmon Lessing, Troy Jacobson and Michael Lovato all rode the Aegis Trident.

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Once, I was fast. But I got over it.

My Trident has a factory Reynolds Ouzo Aero or Pro fork, I think it was perhaps an upgrade at the time (which I gladly took seeing as how I got industry pricing on it!). It sounds like issues documented here are with the 'regular' fork.

PS I am definitely willing to part with my 56cm metallic blue Trident, so if anyone is interested please PM me.

 
I would not trust anything Aegis. I had a T2 frame that developed hairline cracks. They also use English sized hex-bolts. Very annoying.

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