I have only done tris on a road bike and was considering switching to tri bike (likely in the <$2500 range). The only thing is that I am inflexible and there is some chance that the tri bike setup won’t work for me. So I am looking for good bikes that I could do a tri bike with full bars on and if that fails, flip the seat or switch it back to a road bike set up rather than having to sell the bike. So far I know of the Softride and the Soloist. In Slowman’s fitting guide, I think, he discussed that forward seatposts on a road bike make the handling hazardous and a tri bike is better. So my questions are
what are some good bikes with a reversible post/is it really as easy as just flipping them around to go back to road angle if the steep angle doesn;t work
Is the Softride Qualifier, for example, in the TT setup versus the Road setup identical to flipping a seatpost (i.e., moves center of gravity forward & affects handiling adversely) or is it possible to adjust the Softride to be more like a “true” Tri bike
Is it a bad idea to try for a bike that includes this road-bike-backup-plan?
Kestrel Talon is road geometry with a reversible seatpost. You can get somewhat steep or go slack just messing with the seatpost and saddle. Handling isn’t perfect all the way forward but it’s not horrible.
I ride a 2004 Soloist and I LOVE IT. I used to have a Softride Powerwing 700 but sold it because I wanted something that I could use in group rides also. The Soloist is PERFECT and is even more stable than my old softride when riding aero. The secret is all in the geometry and Cervelo has it down. While I can't comment on the other options out there, I can say that Cervelos works and handles great. You have to make sure it fits you right because otherwise neither position will respond properly.
Look for a road bike with a relatively long top tube and middle of the road seat angle. (73.5 degrees or so). Trek OCLV are actually relatively long, at least in my size. Their 56 cm is measured to the very top of the seat collar, if you measure to the top tube it is around 54.5 cm, combined with a 56cm top tube.
I think that Giant TCR’s are relatively long as well, but don’t quote me.
A second saddle and seatpost makes it really easy to swap. Look at the Thomson layback post, it can be run in a reversed orientation, and isn’t too far forward. it should give you around a 76 degree angle.
BTW, you mentioned that you aren’t very flexible. That really has very little to do with whether you will be effective on a Tri bike. Actually, you need more flexibility to achieve a good TT / Tri position on a road bike as compared to a forward geometry tri bike.
I would also highly recommend the Cervelo (no I don’t own one) Soloist as well. Older aluminum ones are a steal right now. The new Carbon one is awesome (test rode one today at IM FL) but quite pricey (they are ON SALE today for $5,000 USD with DA10). Could buy 2 aluminum ones for that price, or a DA10 carbon P3 and a nice mountain bike …
I was looking for a bike which fit my multipurpose needs - I settled on the Kestrel Talon and LOVE IT.
I use the drops/STI with clipons - it takes me 5 minutes to swap seats, ditch the clips and raise the bars with a spacer or 2 and I am in a comfy road position.
I have not had issues with handling all the way forward, but admittedly down some of the big hills I will grab the drops and ride it out. I suspect that if I had a full aero position on most any bike I’d be out of the aerobars.
A good friend of mine has the soloist - she loves it as well and can achieve the same versatility (drop/sti with clips). I would have conidered a soloist if there had been any indication that one would have been available before July - glad that I didn’t end up waiting. The Talon is that good.
and when you do the aerobars on that in the seat forward position, are they full bars/are the pads on your elbows or do they ride farther up the forearm like shorty bars do?
what are some good bikes with a reversible post/is it really as easy as just flipping them around to go back to road angle if the steep angle doesn;t work
well… if you just flip it around, the seat will face backwards. so technically, no.
bigger point is that if you plan on getting a soloist & switching often, it’s worth getting a second seatpost head and saddle. undoing & redoing the saddle clamps can be a pain.
one thing to consider - a soloist handles great in the tri position, but you can’t shift from there. if you really want a bike for triathlons & have another road bike, it may be worth finding out somehow (loaner?) if you are flexible enough or not for the tri bike.
Hey, check this out Halo seat post. As far as I know the only aero seat post on the market that allows forward adjustment. I have one and it is a very effective post
Its missing the clamp in the photo which is round and has a seat clamp binder bolt and will fit in any of the 3 holes. $140 msrp in 230, 250 and 300mm. Weights in at a very strong and sturdy 250g for the larger ones. Adjustable between 73-79 degrees on a road geometry frame. If you or anyone else is interested drop me an email at PeterClode@gmail.com and I will point you in thr right direction of a dealer as the dealer list on the site may not be up to date. And yes I do work for them as the Cal, Az sales rep. No problems with slipping! As long as the bolt is tight!
WOW !!! I’ve been asking myself the same thing. I have a 1999 Quintana Roo Kilo with an angle of 76 or 78 and a 04 Specialized Rouibaix Elite with a 74 seat angle. Honestly I’ve never been able to sit comfortably on the Kilo. I’m not flexible enough to bend that way on the aero bars. My privates get crushed and my spin is not as powerful all the way around, specially on the up stroke or pulling on the pedals. It feels like I can only push down on the pedals. So, what I’m trying to say here is, you’re doing the right thing going after a frame like the Soloist. I recognize that it’s hard to take seriously anyone on a Roubaix but its soooooo comfortable. The angle allows my torso to leg angle to open up so I can do a smooth, more powerful spin. Even if I put my elbows on the handlebar I don’t get the same crushed feeling. I’m happy for those of you who can ride P3C and the upcoming P2C but for me, a low angle frame seems to work best. I;ve considered the Orbea and Trek, but I think the Soloist is the best choice.
I raced bikes in the early 90s when aerobars were new and could not ride well with them. I didn’t understand the hip angle thing and just bolted them on my regular road position and off I went. I was never fast. When I started tris 10 years later I spend three years playing with different bikes, not understanding what I was trying to acheive.
Then I found somebody who could build me the bike I needed and it was perfect for all types of riding. I climb on it, it descends very well and I can ride it all day in the aero position.
Having said that, here is my opinion on your questions:
Flipping the seatpost around is a bad idea. On a forum that loves to stress “correct fit is most important” I am amazed that anybody thinks one bike can achieve a good position from 74-79 degrees and not have compromises in good handling. This is personal experience learned the hard way. You can’t have it all in one bike.
Don’t know anything about Softride. I rode one once in a very forward position and it was very, very squirrelly. It reminded me of riding my own Cervelo when I had it in the far forward position. You had to keep both hands on the bars at all times and do a lot of praying on technical downhills. My Cervelo might have worked for someone, but for me it was a terrible bike on anything but flat, non-technical bike legs.
I think you can accomplish this within reason. However, one bike can’t do everything well.
I have/am selling a Softride Rocketwing which I have set up at 81 degrees. I used to have it set up at much closer to 76 degrees. I can offer a couple of observations:
When I move from my road bike to the rocketwing, it feels like my head is hanging out over the front axle, mainly because it almost is. With so much weight forward, the handling is very different to a road bike - much more nervous. It takes a while to get used to. The more you switch, the easier the transition becomes (just like switching between cars, IMO).
When I’m on the aeros on the rocketwing, suddenly everything clicks into place: it’s fast, comfortable, stable, etc. Again, not surprising, since at 81 degrees it’s designed to be ridden on the aeros.
Adjusting the beam of the rocketwing between the two positions is straightforward, but it’s not really a job that you’d want to do in five minutes before you ride. That means that you’d have to plan your rides ahead a bit, work out what position you want, and leave yourself enough time to dial it in. Once you’ve got your two positions dialed in, switching will become easier as you can mark the beam pivot and beam itself to set the beam angle and saddle position in a hurry.
If you take the view that the switch between road and tri position is basically rotating your road position forward around the bottom bracket, then logically once you adjust your saddle position/seat post angle forwards and up, you should swap your stem as well forwards and down. Swapping a stem is a five minute job, but it’s just another thing to bear in mind. Which brings me onto:
If you have one bike for both styles of riding, it’s pretty important to realise that compromise is the key word. For example, on a road bike I tend to move my hands around a lot on the handlebars: to the drops, the hoods, on top of the hoods, in the centre. On a bullhorn with aerobars fitted you don’t have nearly so much scope to fidget. On a long ride you might find that wearing on your arms or wrists.
If you do want to get a one-bike-does-it-all solution, then I’d say that in the Soloist and Softride you’ve got your two best options. I’d suggest looking at a used FASTT frame rather than the Qualifier. It should be stiffer all round.
How about simply buying two bikes? Get a $1000 & a $1500 bike. Spend more for the tri or road according to your needs. OR two $1,000 bikes with the extra $500 going towards a Renn Disc.
My opinion (FWIW) is that you are better off with one item that does one thing really well, and a secondary function poorly, than 2 items that are mediocre at best at what they do. Not that price is a great predictor of performance, but you would be hard pressed to find a decent road bike for $1000. and forget about a tri bike.
why play with the seatpost? just get a frame that puts you somewhat forward and stay there for road and tri. just add or remove the aerobars as needed. this is a p2:
