I’m considering this bike for TT’s and just wanted opinions on ride, fit and value. The sizing that is used on the TREK website is a bit odd. As luck would have it, I’m LA’s size, so I figure if I can put together the money, I may take the plunge.
I’m a roadie, so I won’t be doing any 100-200km rides with it. I place generally top 5 in Masters 30-39 category provincial time trials (Quebec). I’ve considered Cervelo, but I like to have something a little different. I’m a bit funny since I won’t ride a TREK road bike since I consider that poseurish (ok, let the LA fans flame away…), but since you don’t see many of the TT bikes, I thought this might be an interesting alternative.
Bit of a tricky fit based on our (admittedly limited) experience. We’ve sized three people on them who bought them elsewhere (full disclosure: we are not a Trek dealer but do sell competing brands). None of their positions wound up being exactly where I would have preferred. Given the cost, I would carefully examine other alternatives before making a buyng decision. Also, think about the long term ownership experience. Admittedly a cool fashion accesory, but that may be its primary attribute. Not a huge fan.
My friend is sponsored by Trek and got one of the TT bikes for last season. He loves it. I rode it briefly on a couple of training rides, but it’s very difficult to assess a bike that isn’t fit for you specifically. I will say this: The bike likes to accelerate. The pick up is great and the bike rides low to the ground. Not as good at cruising speed for me, however. Some bikes just have this inertia to them at cruising speeds. I don’t think the Trek TT is one of them. Also, the fixed seat post thing is a bit of a fit nightmare. And, if that seatpost bolt strips, your hosed. Maybe they fixed that on the '03s. Not sure.
The '03 model does use a standard seatpost binder design for a round seatpost. Big improvement over '02. Limited size run. $4400 for the complete bike with Ultegra- a lot for an Ultegra bike with limited fit capability. As soon as Lance’s reign is over (or even looks like it) the cache of this bike may be diminished. On the other hand- good results at Ironman. Standard deal, stop comparing bikes and start comparing fit.
I have a Santa Cruz Roadster I got from a Trek rider right after he was picked up by the team. He’s a TT man and loves his Trek TT machine. He’s 6’, 180, or thereabouts last time I checked. He rides a lot more laid out than most triathletes, though. I really think you’d have to give it spin and see if it fits your style before you’d know for certain. It looks sweet, but like Tom says, if it doesn’t fit you and your riding style, you might end up hating it. Frankly, I’d buy a P3. :),
FWIW my partner has done several IM’s and has won a triple IM on one and he loves the bike - even for long distances. Luckily, the frame fit him, but the seatpost mechanism is severely limiting. If you’re lucky enough that one fits you and you don’t mind spending the $$$, it is a beautiful frame, but I agree with the previous posts that fit is your main concern.
This bike is an aero road bike with slightly steeper seat angles.All three sizes less than 74 deg.I believe this bike is UCI legal and thus has a less aero fork than you might get on a true tri. bike.If I remember correctly Chann McRae rode one at kona with his seat jammed way foward.If you are comfortable on a road bike for time trials it might work.John Cobb says on his web site that last years model set up as a road bike was a great set up.Buy based on a pros fitters recomondation.
Admittedly I didn’t have the two frames side by side in the same room to compare directly, but I recently viewed the new Hed Aerolab frame John Cobb will be producing and it looked a lot to me like an aluminum version of the Trek TT frame.
It looks very robust and aero, has a rear wheel cutout, but vertical dropouts. The shop guy said the seat tube angle is around 74-75 degrees, so that matches my above impression.
I guess this was supposed to be a hush-hush issue, but the brochure was already printed and it said it would be available around this time. I don’t know how much it will sell for, but it’s sure to make an attractive option for those who don’t ride that steep.
i’d have to disagree with what was said to an extent. the trek usps can make a great tri bike. with the older ones, you simply had to fabricate a new seat post if you wanted/required a steeper angled seat angle. With the new ones this should be even easier. it takes a standard 27.2 post and a profile fast forward or even a set back thomson e with the guts turned around will transform this bike. remember kids, this bike is balanced to be ridden in the aero position and has a low front end, so transforming into into a 78 degree bike compromises it in no way. i would take issue with what john cobb said about making it a road bike. i think the wheelbase and front center are a little off, but who knows. also, the hbar drop would be pretty extreme… i have sold quite a few of these bikes, as well as many p3s and i think they are quite possibly the fastest bikes out there. i have a personal best on one! the p3 is the only triple triangle frame that comes anywhere close to being as aero as this thing. i still prefer the horizontal dropouts of the p3, but the trek is a marginally smoother riding bike. oh! lance rides a medium…but you should get fit by someone, and please bear in mind that bikes of this type have alot of inherant adjustability. posts can be swapped, hybrid aero bars can be created using bits form vision tech, parts from profile, bolts from the neighborhood hardware store…just find a shop that’s into it!!
oh! by the way…buy the frameset. dressing up that fine frame set with the mid level garbage trek puts on it is a travesty! this bike needs d/a, rear disc, tri spoke front, carbon cranks, hed aerobars etc etc. etc. (only sort of kidding!)