I'm not Gerard but I raced a Giant TCR with a neutral seat post and the seat pushed forward. Gave about a 75/76 seat angle and like the Soloist was a compact frame. Very similiar in principle.

The handling in that 76degree position. While the frame is obviously designed first and foremost for handling in the 73 degree position as that is where we expect people to do most (or all if you're Bobby Julich et al) of their riding, we did do a couple of things to the frame to help it handle better at 76 degrees than a normal road bike would. This includes geometry and stiffness in certain areas.

---

Gerard Vroomen
3T.bike
OPEN cycle

I guess that's what I'm looking for...why should I buy a soloist over instead of any other road bike out there with the same principle?

Is there something in the geometry?

I'll second that - I'm about six months from affording my dream bike and while a big chunk of me is whispering P3C do it you know you want to the other half remembers that my all time best cycling memories are pounding up the Alps. I can't afford two bikes so what I buy is probably going to have to do both. I ride a crappy road bike with crappy bars and a crappy shoved forward seat post at the moment (search my posts for a critique my position thread if you want a laugh) and so would be grateful if ssomeone could blind me with science about the new soloist.

---

"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm getting fitted at Cronometro in Madison in the next few weeks (they told me to wait until their 2006 order comes in).

Can you divulge any of the geometry and stiffness details that make it better? Anything I can use to convince my wife I really NEED one. If not, I'll still get the bike, but then she'll get something SHE wants and I'll have to wait on the powertap.....women...so selfish.

Just get fitted, ride it and you'll be able to explain her why. I hope.

---

Gerard Vroomen
3T.bike
OPEN cycle

If she doesn't....I'm giving her YOUR email address and you two can fight it out while I'm out riding!

That actually happened once

---

Gerard Vroomen
3T.bike
OPEN cycle

Well hell...I was kidding...but now that I know you have experience in that arena.....

I did not enjoy the experience.

---

Gerard Vroomen
3T.bike
OPEN cycle

Ok...then just promise me mine will be extra fast (I already said I believe in marketing hype) and I'll deal with the wife....

I have heard that Gerard has a part-time job as a marriage counsellor.

Fleck

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

sounds a bit like " trust me, I'm a doctor ( or piest, lawyer etc ) "

I don't think any of those would end with "I hope". They always seem to exude 100% confidence. But of course, I don't know his wife :-)

---

Gerard Vroomen
3T.bike
OPEN cycle

Two words: front center

---

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

"why should I buy a soloist over instead of any other road bike out there with the same principle? "

The main advantage of the Soloist is the aero tubing. In a personal email I had with John Cobb he felt the tubing might be worth 10-20 seconds over a 40 km TT. The Giant TCR is a nice bike however, especially the carbon version which is a lot cheaper than the carbon Soloist.

If you're looking for a dual purpose bike, either will work very well. Compact frames seem to lend themselves a bit better to this, possibly because of the smaller rear triangle.