I've test ridden both bikes and both a really nice. The Talon has Carbon fiber seat stays which raises the price and is supposed to soften the ride a little. The Cervelo is all aluminum, but the way they manufacture the tubing makes it a really comfortable aluminum bike.

By the way, one of the guys I train with is about 6'2" and rides a QR with 650 wheels and he loves it. I wouldn't necessarily worry about the wheel size unless you just really want a new bike.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

As a satisfied Talon owner, and a person impressed with the P2K's adjustability, I'll point out a couple of things that might help.

The Talon is a road bike. It can work as a TT bike if you don't need to go further than about 77 degrees (put a Thompson's set back seat post on, and turn it around forward) on your virtual seat tube angle...at least for ME, handling starts to get a little less than arrow-straight, and I like to go straight during a TT (BTW, I can ride in the aero bars on rollers, so I'm not an awful bike handler). The Talon might also have some front wheel/toe of your shoe crossover, because it isn't as long from the BB to the front axle as the P2K. This shorter front end is also why the handling starts to get a little less than arrow-straight at the steeper seat tube angles.

Talon...lifetime warranty. REALLY comfortable, yet very stiff. I'm guessing that it is slightly heavier...but not enough to make a difference in performance.

The P2K would be a better choice if you know you can ride steeper than 77 degrees. It's a great bike, well liked by anyone I've ever known that's owned one. The P2K seems to be referred to by most people as more "aero", but that info isn't from a wind-tunnel test side-by-side with a Talon, I don't know which is more "aero".

Good luck with your choice!

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

To expound a bit on Yaquicarbo's post, as he said, these are two very different bikes. To start, I'd look at your running. Unless you know that you can run as well from the slack position for the distances that you plan to race, I'd stick with a steep angled bike. That means P2k, period. The Talon has a 73.5 deg seat angle in the sizes you will be looking at and the extremes are about 72.5-75.5 IF you use their aero reversible post or the Thompson reversed as was noted. And personally, I'd stay away from the extremes of a bike's capability. You are marginalizing something if you do. As YC noted, in the Talon's case its the handling. Now, if you can run as well from a 73-74 deg angle, as I personally can, then I like the Talon a lot. In fact my replacement bike for my cracked up Saber is going to be a Talon SL. The 52 size has a 74.5 actual angle and I'll run the saddle slightly forward on a regular post to about a 75 angle. I'll be giving up just a tiny bit of low front end capability, but I'll be plenty low and aero for me, and still have a powerful position. I prefer to replicate my road position of 74 as closely as possible. I've ridden steep on a QR and most recently my Saber, and haven't noted any real personal benefit to riding steep.
Bottom line again. . .look at your running if you are trying to choose between these bikes. They are both proven performers and can probably be well fit to you. If you need steep, then its the P2k. If you want a road bike that works extremely well as a slack tri-bike then the Talon is right for you.

The Talon is all carbon and if your 6' friend wants to fit his bike better he should sell his 650 bike and go for 700's. Have you read any of Dan's fit info?

I got a P2k in may. I looked at the Talon but ended up discounting it as a road bike with aero looks but nothing to really suggest that there was an aero benefit. the P2k's ride quality sold me on the bike. I couldn't believe aluminum could be that comfortable, yet still stiff.

3 months later, i love my P2k, and certainly don't think any other bike has an edge in aeroness over it (besides the P3, I guess) but the steepness is it for me. I run much better right away off of the P2k. The first mile feels almost like I'm running fresh, instead of taking 1.5 miles to "get my legs back". I've got the seat post turned around steep, and the saddle almost all the way forward, so I'm probably steeper than 78

"Now, if you can run as well from a 73-74 deg angle, as I personally can"

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Are you basing this on having raced off both at similar fitness levels? I ask because I'm thinking about "buying steep" this winter and trying to figure what sort of improvement, if any, I can expect on the run.

As usual, KTalon has got some great points. In early May I got a P2k, the first bike shop I went to really tried to push the Talon on me. I was looking for a bike that works great at 78* and even up to 80*. I don't think it is possible for the Talon to get that steep, let alone be balanced well at that angle. I stopped looking at the Talon as soon as I realized this.

Other than that, the Talon looked like a well made bike, but if you are going for a shallow angle, it seems like you will have tons of choices that cost much less than the Talon.

BTW, About 1800 miles later and I still love the P2k. I don't particularly care about the "aero" qualities above other similar bikes, the P2k goes very steep, it fits great, all the components are fine, and the bike seems very well made.

I don't have any experience with the P2k, but judging by shear numbers, they are hot bikes. The two bikes that you compare are somewhat like comparing apples and oranges. A fairer comparison would be between the soloist and the Talon since the solist has the same dimensions as the Prodigy road bike, but is in an aero/compact frame with the adjustable seatpost.

I rode a Talon for a season and had some of my best races on it. The frame was stiff, reasonably lightweight, very comfortable, and I'm sure fairly aero. The geometry is that of a road bike. At the time, I rode in a shallow (seat tip 5 cm behind the bb) position. I recently switched to a more forward position on a kestrel 200 sci and now Javelin Arcole (seat tip 0cm to 1cm ahead of bb). On the kestrel road bike, I had no handling problems. I have no handling problems with the Javelin though it has a pretty tight front/center distance for a tri bike. I would estimate that it would be pretty easy to get the nose of the saddle even with or slightly ahead of the bb with a straight seatpost on the talon.

At your height, I would probably go 700c provided the rest of the bike fits well. I'd recommend trying to dial in your position on your current bike and then see which will let you transfer the meaurements the easiest. Test ride them to see if the ride quality is that much different. If both bikes still stack up equally, pick the one that you think looks the fastest. They are both good bikes, and I don't think that you can go wrong with either depending how well they suit your needs.

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