I was thinking of picking up a P2k, assuming that the fit works for me. I just wanted to get some feedback from those of you who own one – and particularly from those of you who have gone an ironman distance with the p2k. Have you found them comfortable? Are there any drawbacks?
While we’re on the subject, would you recommend any other brands/models?
i love that bike like a child.
there are lots of reviews of it including Slowman’s on this website and Tom D.'s on www.bikesportmichigan.com so i won’t try and cover the technical stuff that those guys do so well.
as far as personal impressions, i got mine in feb. 2002 and have ridden it in about 7 races including as long as 1/2 IM and it’s always been a dream. obviously that is largely a matter of individual fit. (i’m 5’8" and 150 and have the 47 cm framesize and it fits me like a glove.)
all i can tell you is that certain inanimate objects just have an ability to tap emotion; and i can honestly say that i love this bike. i am one with this bike.
I have a P2K and LOVE it. I’ve ridden it about 4,000 miles, including 4 IM rides, another 2-3 century rides and 6 half im-distance races. It fits me great and is very comfortable.
No other recommendations from me.
I’m riding the 2001 P2K, and have no complaints. I love the bike. My wife rides one as well, and also loves hers.
I’ve done 4 IMs on the bike, and have multiple century and longer rides on it. I did ~9,000 miles on the Cervelo in the past year alone, and I ride my Trek in the off season, for group rides and in bad weather. So, yes, I like the bike. As for comfort, I’ve had back surgery, and still find it very comfortable, although for training, and some races I’ve added Spinergy Xaero Lite wheels. They are durable and very comfortable. Only complaint I have had with my bike is the cheap paint job on the 2001. It chipped easily, and the decals have peeled. That said, I prefer the 2001 (even though the later models have very nice paint) because of the standard headsets. I don’t care for integrated headsets at all. I switched out the OEM headset for a Chris King…worth every penny.
There are lots of great choices out there in tri-bike land. The P2K is a great one, but just one among many. Get the one that fits you best; comfort is a big issue, as if you’re comfortable, your bound to be faster. Good luck, and happy hunting.
I got mine about May 1 of this year. Since then, I’ve ridden in a couple centuries, countless 80 mile training rides and 2 1/2 IM races. I’m very pleased with it. I could not find any other bike for $1995 or less that compared in quality.
I’ve got a trek road bike, and I try to ride the trek on recovery days and with small groups, but the P2k is just so much more comfortable. The only change I made to it was a San Marco Tri-gel saddle.
P2 in April, done 1 sprint, 1 Oly and IMC. Used a Trek 5500 for 3 other IM races. I am more comfortable on the P2 than the Trek for IM racing, as I can use my aerobars longer and it distributes weight more evenly. You will notice the handling differences more than the material, and this is a function of the different geometry.
I am 5/8, ride a 54 (650) with the post forward and seat also a little forward with 11-12cm drop. So it would be regarded as a steep set up but not particularly aggressive. The only gripe I have was the squeaking seat clamp and the brakes. The only changes are seat to a Azoto and the wheels to a pair of Alex. Due to a combination of aerodynamics and positioning I do ride faster over my test routes than with the Trek (in the aerobars).
I had my P2k for 3 years and used it for everything from sprints to IM. Great bike if it fits you. It is amazing how many other manufacturers have copied this frame - imitation is the highest form of flattery. Unfortunately, I bent the derailleur hanger and the frame is toast. Although costly, that was the only problem I ever had with the bike (mine did have paint chips as well, but maybe they fixed that).
Your questions about comfortable is interesting. Remember though, comfort is a function of (roughly in order of significance):
Notice that frame construction is way down the list. For what my .02 cents are worth a P2K is a really ideal IM bike if the fit is right for you.
A great choice. But don’t take my word for it. You’ll find some other opinions here http://www.roadbikereview.com/2002,Triathlon,Bike/Cervelo,P2K/PRD_101259_4228crx.aspx
This bike rocks! I’ve had mine for 2 seasons and use it for everything from short course to IM distance. Very aero, stiff bottom bracket, and super comfortable. As some earlier posts say, fit is #1 regardless of frame material, etc. I highly recommend putting the Cervelo on your “short list”.
As an aside, I’m selling a 54cm/650c P2k frame with wheels (only 'cause I’ve switched to a P3/700c!).
-Scott
The problem is that I really don’t know what size frame I need. Probably need to get fitted.
I’ll love that bike to the day I die. I haven’t done any distances over Olympic Distance because… well, I’m too young for it. But either way, I have no complaints at all. The only thing I disliked about it was the bars, both aero and cow horns, that came with the bike. But that isn’t the bike now, is it? =)
I bought my P2K in 2002. At 6’3" with a 34" inseam, I was fitted on 61cm frame. Just like all of the earlier posts, make sure you get fitted correctly. The P2K is a great ride. I did need to practice a little with adjusting the rear wheel set screws when I would switch between my training and/or race wheels, so to optimize the aerodynamics for the rear wheel cutout. Overall great bike.
What is everyone’s take on this build?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3635033040&category=7298
It doesn’t come with the usual factory specs?
first off, i love my P2K. for the money, it’s still the best designed bike out there. only a P3 would be better. and because of its adjustability, it would be very hard to not find a size that will fit you perfectly. i have been disappointed though by cervelo’s service. my seatpost head’s thread was stripped while riding and i e-mailed them about having it replaced. i felt that since my bike was only three years old (still within the 4-year warranty), and because i’ve known and heard of people with the same problem whose seatpost heads were replaced, that it wouldn’t be a problem. not only did it take more than two weeks for them to reply (they said they were closed for Interbike), they eventually said that it was not under warranty since the frame was covered for 4 years but not the components (only 1 year). it doesn’t make sense to me since the seatpost and head are not aftermarket nor another manufacturer’s product. a friend of mine who is sponsored volunteered to give me a new head–for FREE! OK, it’s a 10-buck part (cheaper than shipping which is $15) but it didn’t seem right to me that they wouldn’t cover it. that said, i still lust for P3s and R2.5s but i would have to think long and hard about whether i still want another cervelo.
Kim
I don’t know this for a fact, but I think part of Cervelo’s reluctance to give you the new seatpost head may have been that they didn;t have them to give. Cervelo was cought between a rock and a hard place for a while this seson when the carbon aero seatpost that was supposed to be on some models (such as the P3) was seriously delayed from the people who manufacture it for Cervelo. As a result, Cervelo was shipping everything with alloy posts- so they were short on those! I would imagine there may have been some times at Cervelo when the $10 seatpost part was keeping $1500 frames from being saleable. That had to be frustrating for the good folks at Cervelo. My expereince with Cervelo’s customer service has been very, very good. When it is within their capability to do something they go out of their way to do it, often at their expense. My bet is if they had the part to give, they might have sent it to you. The reality (as I know you already know) is that you can’t get water from a stone. If they were short on the part, they couldn;t send them out. That’s my hypothesis based on the signal intel I’ve heard.
Seems that Cervelo was the little company that grew - way faster than anticipated, suddenly becoming a major player instead of a small mom and pop (or Gerard and Phil) operation. They’re bound to have a few problems when things happen that quickly. No doubt things will get sorted out. It’s still nice that we can talk to the co-owner on this forum. Hope that never changes.
I dunno Tom. doesn’t make sense to me to tell me that i can’t have it just because they didn’t have it. i would have totally understood if they told me that i would have to wait a while. it also doesn’t make sense that they’re willing to sell it to me but not give it to me. gerard even told me twice to order the part on the site instead of insisting that they answer my email when i was e-mailing to ask if it was covered by warranty. the $10 part is holding up sales of their $1500 frame and at the same time making my $1500 frame useless to me. i was disappointed that i wasn’t getting the attention that you and other people have constantly praised them for. kinda made me feel “out of the loop”. to think i was one of the first people to jump on a cervelo here in the Philippines–back when it was a veritable sea of QRs and C’dales.
Kim
What exactly is your beef? That you didn’t get a $10 part for free when (1) you KNOW that the part is not under warranty, (2) you “heard” that someone else got it for free (maybe they did, maybe they didn’t) or (3) that Gerard didn’t personally fly to part to you? Sorry, but I don’t get it. If this were a car part that was out of warranty, would you be wanking on the auto dealer or maker?
I’ve definitely not had any coffee this AM. I ordered my replacement seatpost head off the website and got it the next day.
My beef is that i don’t understand why the part is not included in the warranty since it came with the frame. perhaps it was my fault that i didn’t read the fine print regarding the components but is it so far off to assume that they will adequately cover something that they manufactured themselves? and as i implied, it does seem trivial to make such a big fuss over 10 bucks but the principle behind it is what ticked me off. also, i personally know of someone who had it replaced for free, despite the fact that he was actually the 2nd owner already. and i stopped “wanking on” them when they told me that it wasn’t covered. i just wanted other people to know that if a “component” on their new cervelo breaks after a year, don’t be surprised if their uber-aftersales reputation disappoints.
hope you’ve had your coffee.
Kim