OK, although I won’t be buying a new bike for quite awhile, I’m curious as to everyone’s opinion concerning tri bikes for long course (HIM/IM). I’ve got a P2K, and its a great bike, but I definitely notice a difference between it and my R2.5 in terms of comfort over crappy roads/bumps, etc. So…
Do you think ti or carbon framed tri bikes enable a person to be “fresher” after the bike by being more comfortable, or is this all hype?
Assuming the answer to #1 is “yes”…what is the better material, ti or carbon? Any specific models that are comfy for long distances?
I’ll take some criticism for this answer for sure but I definitely notice a huge difference in overall comfort on long rides (60+ miles) when I ride my QR Lucero or Kestrel Talon road set-up. Now, what have I compared that to? QR Tiphoon. I just did the comparison this week. I did a 70 mile ride on my Lucero and 2 days later, a 70 mile ride on my Tiphoon. Hed Alps both rides. Similar road and route each time. I definitely felt less beat up on my Lucero. The only concern I have with carbon fiber is the durability issue. Now I can also tell you that when I owned a P3, I did some long training rides on it and I also found the P3 a little more comfortable than my titanium Tiphoon. I hope this helps a little.
OK, although I won’t be buying a new bike for quite awhile, I’m curious as to everyone’s opinion concerning tri bikes for long course (HIM/IM). I’ve got a P2K, and its a great bike, but I definitely notice a difference between it and my R2.5 in terms of comfort over crappy roads/bumps, etc. So…
Do you think ti or carbon framed tri bikes enable a person to be “fresher” after the bike by being more comfortable, or is this all hype?
Assuming the answer to #1 is “yes”…what is the better material, ti or carbon? Any specific models that are comfy for long distances?
Thanks for your help…
Spot
Good luck… this is so subjective that you will get all kinds of answers on this one. Personally, I didn’t find that either of my professionally fitted Cervelo’s (P2k P3) were comfortable bikes. The Lucero and Airfoil Pro are the most comfortable bikes that I have ridden, and they both happen to be carbon bikes. Although it’s argued that the ride quality has nothing to do with the frame material, I have yet to ride an aluminum bike that didn’t ride like an aluminum bike. Go figure.