I don't own the TT7, but I do own a Softride. Best bike I have ever owned for doing triathlons. I honestly believe if it weren't for my Softride, my back could not have handled my IM training. Plus - it is wicked fast. I've done several coast-down tests with riders on other "aero" frames. I win every time.

Get it...I like my TT7 much better than my P3

---

----------------------------------------------------------

What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

watch out, there are just as many softride haters as lovers, scratch that probably more haters;) I've never owned a TT7 or any of the newer Softrides but I loved my old classic and although it was a brick, yes Softride owners say it with me "My bike is a brick" (well except in the case of Record10carbon's svelt Rocketwing) it still rode and climbed very well with the exception of out of the saddle climbs. Smooooooth ride and the adjustability is a great tool to figure out your optimum seat angle. Enjoy, they are a bit finicky to adjust some times but as long as you're fine with that they are very worth it.

WAIT! did you say OD as in Olympic Distance and 7 mile TT???? Well the Softrides are sweet but I really don't know if you need one for shorter races. I'd personally go with something else unless you're planning on racing or training longer or have back problems. But then again, they are great bikes.

I love my Rocket TT7. It is so comfy, that when I've been riding it exclusively for a while, I forget to unweight my rear on the bumps. (This causes me to gt some jolts when I go back to my road bike.) It is very aero.

I have no problem climbing in it. I'm not a 'climber,' but I don't give anything up compared with my 15 lb road bike.

Getting the geometry right can be tough, but Dan's angle table helped immeasureably. Get a metric tape measure and a cheap plumb bob. Remember to measure seat angles, etc with pressure on the beam to bring it down into riding position.

---

_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Yeah, I do have some low back issues that I am working through and like the idea of a softer ride and adjustability between different aero positions. Anything that can help me hold that position and feel better going into the run is worth trying. I also hate the alum ride quality, even though it technically may be more responsive/faster.

Nice to hear--do you think it would be good for Olympic distance tri's as well? I do have some low back issues.

It's certainly not going to slow you down. No reason that it wouldn't be good for shorter distances, but the fatigue-fighting effects will not be as apparent.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

if your lower back really bothers you I'd test ride a Softride Classic and the newer TT7 beam type. The Classic is a LOT smoother ride. When I got mine i had a minor disk herniation and couldn't ride more than 20 min on my steel road bike. Granted the road bike setup was less than ideal but on the Softride I could immediately ride over an hour with no or minimal pain. It was amazing! I kept it for a year or two and then when my back got better I switched out to something lighter. I'd love to go back to a FasTT bike though, they sure do look sweet. Maybe someday if I decide to race longer stuff again. On the ride quality the Softrides are pretty stiff and responsive so they accelerate just fine. Granted you won't get the neck braking acceleration you'll find on a 15lb bike but for a TT bike they are great.

I'll chime in, that I dig my '02 RocketTT. I don't have any back problems, bought it mostly because I was looking for an upgrade from my '99Kilo, and bought it complete for a song on eBay.

And I've been happy with it. It's my tri-bike so I race everything from super sprints up on it and haven't noticed any issues, i.e. slower bike times in shorter races compared to double diamond rides.

It's a bit funky getting your position dialed in, but nothing a barely competent person can't figure out.



T

---

"The mind can calculate, but the spirit yearns, and the heart knows what the heart knows."

I use mine for all distances. I'm not sure why people don't think they accelerate well. I've always thought acceleration was mostly dependent on how stiff the bottom bracket is, and my Softride is great in this regard.

The Softride isn't a cure-all for low back problems (you need to do some core and back work for that), but it dampens out all the high frequency vibration you get even from smooth roads on an aluminum bike. This really helps with the fatigue and stiffness in your lower back, especially when you are expected to hop off the bike and run. It really is hard to go back to a normal 'hard-tail' once you've been on a Softride for a while.

I just bought a Softride Qualifier about a month and a half ago. I had an aluminium road bike before that. At this point in the season I'm just using it for commuting. I live in VT. Very hilly ride to and from work. Home much more uphill than to work. My overall speeds increased significantly after getting the Softride and my rides home are much closer to my rides to work. So my climbing is better than it was with my rode bike! The comfort is much improved and I really like the feel of the bike. I also noticed that I have much more spring in my step coming off the softride on a brick than I ever did on my old bike. My legs always felt like lead weights then.

I had maintenance problems with my rocket tt7, so I sold it and bought a titanflex. I am very happy with the decision.

I too did a lot of research before buying my current bike. Looked long and hard at the softrides, but was real concerned about the maint. issues and failures of the beam mechanism in the TT's. Bought a TitanFlex and couldn't be happier. Very aero, smooths out the bumps without a bounce, super adjustable and with the titanium boom (100 yr warranty) system, no maintainence issues different that dd bike. You can spec it the way you want, too. Check them out and drop Tom a line; he will work with you and answer all of your questions.

---

Larry

Don't be afraid to ride too long or too hard. That's what cell phones are for. Rich Strauss

If your a bit mechanically inclined the softrides are a good bike. Your not going to get anything much more aero. They smooth out the road shock a bit. I always found it funny when passing people going uphill and they about how much of a weight penalty Iwas paying. (which is the sole reason I guess for outclimbing them).

My only concern is that Softride is no longer producing bikes but keeping what they have for warranty issues and fulfilling placed orders.

---

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I had a Softride Rocketwing TT for my triathlon/time trial bike. Loved it, but it got destroyed by a maniac in a car. So (based on peer pressure:) I decided to go with a diamond frame (One of the ST gangs favorite bikes P?) when I replaced it. I ended up just hating the ride compared to my Softride & my times were actually slower, too. So to make a long story short I sold my C------ P- and ended up getting a Softride FasTT. I couldn't be happier with decision. It's much more comfortable, aero and just plain faster for me. I've used the Softride for all distances and in fact had my PR's for all distances on it. I never had any problem climbing with it either. I have a carbon diamond frame road bike I use for most group rides, but much prefer the ride of the Softride and when I do ride it in group rides I have no problem hanging with the groups and taking the pulls.

Brian, are you saying they aren't making any more Softrides? Well, I know you're saying that, but: wow. IF that's true...it's sad. There is a real market for suspension bikes...and I suspect this market will grow as we get older and still hard-headed enough to want to keep riding.

---

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

It has been stated they are looking for a buyer for the bike division.



Dave

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Thanks for the clarification, Dave. I'm not really up on the latest politics in the bike world, obviously!

---

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

Carefull with wanting it to ride it in a TT, my local organization goes strictly by the book and that bike would be a NO GO in any TT race due to rules.

t~

That is a great point--it would probably be illegal. Hmmm? Guess, I'll need to buy two bikes now :-)

I like my RocketTT; did have a problem with the beam clamp assembly thanks to the roads at Lanzarote (SR evidently received some faulty beams a few years ago) but Adam from Softride very quickly shipped me a new/improved beam. Love the bike and it does fly downhill, very nice riding on course roads as well. The seat angle adjustability is great too. Looking forward to doing an IM on it next year.

---

FIST Certified Fitter
Salt Lake City, Utah

Which rules?? Are you in the states?? I thought it was only illegal for UCI events?