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Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time
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What would make this "most venerated" list. Need not be the fastest, nor the most most popular, although those could be a contributing factor. Is this just a North American list? I dunno. 1 bike per brand? I dunno. I think the P2 would be on this list if wasn't the case.

Give reasons why if you want. 3 sentences max.

Here's a starting point

Cervelo P3 SL

Kestrel KM 40

Zipp 2001

QR Kilo

Softride Powerwing

Specialized Shiv

Trek Sped Concept

Cheetah Cat

This could be you __________________________

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Slowman gonna ban you unless there’s a Quintana Roo in the list...

Ah there is never mind.
Last edited by: MattyK: Mar 10, 19 1:52
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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How about the bike that started it all in the beginning, the QR superform. Most every pro in the sport rode, or at least rode an exact copy of that bike, many on your list are those copies. The Principia copy was quite popular for awhile, of course that was when there were 400 germans doing Kona!!
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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You gotta add cervelo P3C, and also cervelo n.P3 ...

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook

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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I would argue that the Transition was, and still is, a far better and more important bike than the Shiv.

"...the street finds its own uses for things"
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I'd add:
Kestrel Talon
Kuota Caliber
Softride
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [AutomaticJack] [ In reply to ]
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More important.... hmm... explain!

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Litespeed Blade. The first “superbike,” and a test of just how much money athletes would spend on a frame.
QR Redstone. Gussets. Aero hoohas. Looked fast just sitting on the showroom floor at Endurosport. Made me want to try triathlon in the first place. I’m still not worthy of that bike.
Last edited by: davetallo: Mar 10, 19 11:02
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Cervelo P4
I thought the BP stealth bike was kind of neat.
Pearson Z1 Eleven
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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The top 10 Tri bikes were all Softrides
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [davetallo] [ In reply to ]
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davetallo wrote:
Litespeed Blade. The first “superbike,” and a test of just how much money athletes would spend on a frame. QR Redstone. Gussets. Aero hoohas. Looked fast just sitting on the showroom floor at Endurosport. Made me want to try triathlon in the first place. I’m still not worthy of that bike.

me either. that was a fun bike to make. we had scant idea what we were doing, but it came out pretty well.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Cervelo P5 - first bike of “peak aero” age?
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Clutch Cargo] [ In reply to ]
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Clutch Cargo wrote:
Cervelo P4
I thought the BP stealth bike was kind of neat.
Pearson Z1 Eleven


WOW, YES, I have to agree..... being that I am the owner of a Z1-9. Actually, I badged it the Z1-9C. Because Graeme built it as a Z1 in 2009. Then in 2011, I made a few modifications to it and thus added the C for my first name. I can say that mine is the only one of the 5 that Graeme built in 2009 that has the modifications I made, and thus is the only Z1-9C.

Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice
Last edited by: Taugen: Mar 10, 19 15:15
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Kestrel 200 & 4000

The 200 bc it was the first carbon aero road bike (at least that I can remember) & the 4000 bc it was the first time a company tried to make a full on aero frame TT bike

Hooker Elite - super aero TT bike made out of aluminum iirc

Slingshot - with it's cable downtube going for aero

Softride Power V and damnit forgot what the ironman branded aluminum model was

QR kilo


these bikes all belong on the list bc with out these we'd be at the P4 currently, maybe. These bikes caused people to lust, leave their spouse mid sentence to walk across transition to touch one of these bikes. These bikes pushed the curve, brought the road bike world kicking and screaming into the future. These bikes gave rise to a new era in triathlon, as young as it was back then. When going fast was all that mattered and completing a triathlon for fun was still a foreign concept. When short course reigned supreme and IM athletes were the weirdos.

It was an age when triathlon took steps at a time forward vs inching or regressing.

I feel bad for all you kids who weren't racing back in the late 80s/early 90s. You missed out.

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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Brian, I had the aluminum powering but sold it, but I still have the kestrel 200sc(i), which is my favorite bike. Currently have the older model p2c.

Would you put some of the older Japanese steel bikes on the list like miyata, centurion, and zunow?
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [MikenUltra] [ In reply to ]
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Ohhh good call on those bikes! They weren't as prevalent as most of the others listed, at least in the states, but damn they had some awesome curving & sloping top tube designs. And their paint jobs were waaaaaaaaaaaaay the F better than what we get today.

So much cool stuff going on back then. Thanks for bringing those names back to my mind.

I wouldn't put these names on the list. But here were a few more brands doing things: Brew bikes which had a slew of pro's on them in the very late 80s/very, very early 90s, Landshark is another name that comes to mind. Trimble, Profile (although iirc they were rebadged 4000s) all come to mind as well. Trek's 1500.

I mean we've got another Cervelo being launched in the next 10d or so..with disc brakes...oh look my hr went from 42 to 43.

If disc brakes had the adoption uptake that the Scott DH bars had we'd all be on a 2nd generation disc brake by now. Instead disc brakes are like a 70yr old taking a double dose of Viagra trying to get his limp dick up. The industry is dragging you kicking and screaming towards disc vs making something everyone is slitting their training partners throats to get.

Wake me up when something BIG happens in triathlon.

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Last edited by: desert dude: Mar 10, 19 16:14
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Tier 1:
  • Kestrel 4000
  • QR Kilo
  • Zipp 2001
  • Hooker Elite
  • Litespeed Blade
  • Cervelo P3C

Tier 2:
  • GT Project 96
  • Obree Egg Bike
  • Softride
  • English Mk2

Honorable Mention:
  • The "Peak Aero" Bikes (P5, Speed Concept, Shiv)
  • Cat Cheetah
  • Indurain 1995 Pinarello
  • Felt TA FRD


Amateur recreational hobbyist cyclist
https://www.strava.com/athletes/337152
https://vimeo.com/user11846099
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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I have a QR Kilo Private Reserve, that should definately make the list. My first tri bike and silly 650c wheels which at 6" do make me look like a fat bloke on a tiny bike (mostly because I am these days). Just found an old Specialised tri spoke for it, and I run one of those deadly dangerous expolding Spinergy RevX time bombs on the front. I love the danger.

Plus I have the Redstone. Which is now confined to the windtrainer and is looking somewhat worse for wear sadly. I have highly corrosive sweat it seems. The headtube cracked (hence relegation to the wind trainer although the aeroforks are on the Kilo), as did the carbon-fibrey bits on the rear seat stays. Looks (looked?) the biz but maybe a touch heavy...? Controversial?

Oh, and a friend is hopefully gonna lend me his Powercranks (Yes! I know!!!) for me to play with on the trainer. Wonder if they work with non-round chain rings...?
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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desert dude wrote:
Slingshot - with it's cable downtube going for aero

...and for packing. I was able to get a large suitcase, fold that bad boy up and not have to pay for airline fees from Alaska when I had mine. Even had some Spinergy Rv-X's to complete the "look."
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [quintana who] [ In reply to ]
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C4 Joker? Loved the look of them, but maybe not aero or light?
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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The first Look carbon fiber bike. I think it came out in 1986. Scott Molina raced on one. Anyone who had the $$ tried to get one because, hey, it was the first mass produced carbon bike. (Well, at least the 3 main frame tubes and the head tube were carbon; it had aluminum lugs, aluminum chain stays and an aluminum fork). I never owned one, but it was certainly lust-worthy at the time.
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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The release of the original Cervelo P3C blew up the entire triathlon/TT bike market. Really important bike.

I was always partial to the Cheetah and the Trek Y Foil.
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [NordicSkier] [ In reply to ]
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Agree. I think if this had to be a list of just "one" bike, the P3C was prob the biggest game changer and possibly more than the original P3 which I'd have as #2.

Improvements since the P3C, I would argue are quite minor in context of how much faster you would go on a P5X for example vs the original P3C. I'm not saying it would be as fast but in some respects it was a better bike in certain categories ever to this day - i.e. weight of the bike for example.
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Lotus 110. Not really a triathlon bike but still used as a reference point for Aero.
Still my favourite bike ever.
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Re: Top 10 Tri Bikes of all time [Canuck1] [ In reply to ]
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The Trek speed concept might have been the biggest single tech leap in one package... A format that other companies took a while to catch up:
- tt dedicated carbon geometry
- integrated stem and bar system
- integrated top tube storage
- integrated seat tube storage
- integrated front fork brakes
- hidden rear brake
- completely internal cable routing
- cam tail foils
- smaller rear triangle
- huge factory color options
-released with several packages not just super bike


The speedmax and plasma could be the closest to peak tech evolution with integrated hydration added
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