In a nutshell, what are the differences between these bikes? Gerard says the Dual is, “not an entry-level bike, but a World Championship winning bike that happens to be inexpensive”. Does this mean that the speed/aero benefits of the P2 or P3 over the Dual are negligible? But then, what is it about the P2 and P3 that makes them worth paying more?
I’d suspect there is very little performance difference in the real world. Dan wrote a very good article on the Dual and noted that it has a slightly longer head tube. This means you would ride a bit less aggressive in the front which Dan points out would be more optimum for 95% of AG’ers.
The aluminium Cervelos are the best bang for the buck in the tri bike world. The Dual is probably the best deal of all.
I toyed with buying the P2 but ultimately went with the Dual, much more bang for the buck, leaving about $500 for potential upgrades that I couldn’t have afforded with a P2 purchase.
Ultegra vs. Dura-ace: who really cares anyway?
Rear wheel cutout vs. traditional seat tube: Put your water bottle in the holder, no aero difference.
Carbon seatpost vs. aluminum: again, who cares?
If I was looking at the two '06 models, it wouldn’t even be a contest. The new Dual comes with DA drivetrain and the wolf TT fork. The only real question is about the paint - is it worth it to you to have the scratch-proof anodized finish for another $500?
Great points.
If I was buying in this area, I would have a serious look at the Dual. I would ask the dealer to swap out the OEM wheels, for some bomb-proof training wheels and then spend the large amount of money saved on a set of real racing wheels. Now you would have a world class, World Championship winning bike, for way less than $3,000.
Fleck
I’d suspect there is very little performance difference in the real world. Dan wrote a very good article on the Dual and noted that it has a slightly longer head tube. This means you would ride a bit less aggressive in the front which Dan points out would be more optimum for 95% of AG’ers.
The aluminium Cervelos are the best bang for the buck in the tri bike world. The Dual is probably the best deal of all.
True, but more precisely, the top of the head tube is higher relative to the length of the top tube. I would bet that the 95% mentioned above is correct, and that of that 95%, NONE have zero spacers and a flat stem. IOW, only 5% of the riders really “need” a P2 or P3.
Where’s Tom’s post about comparing bikes…?
I’d suspect there is very little performance difference in the real world. Dan wrote a very good article on the Dual and noted that it has a slightly longer head tube. This means you would ride a bit less aggressive in the front which Dan points out would be more optimum for 95% of AG’ers.
The aluminium Cervelos are the best bang for the buck in the tri bike world. The Dual is probably the best deal of all.
True, but more precisely, the top of the head tube is higher relative to the length of the top tube. I would bet that the 95% mentioned above is correct, and that of that 95%, NONE have zero spacers and a flat stem. IOW, only 5% of the riders really “need” a P2 or P3.
A longer head tube doesn’t really constitute a big reason to get a P2 or P3, especially since you can get a downward angled stem. I just got myself an Oval adjustable stem today to try to get lower on my zero spacer Dual.
IMO the only advantage of the P2/P3s over the Dual are aerodynamics. I think the Dual frame might actually be lighter than the older version Alu P3s as far as weight goes.