When I got into tri a couple years ago, I weighed the road vs tri bike pros and cons and ended up going road (Felt F75). I threw some clip-ons on it and it has served me well. While the bike certainly isn’t my biggest limiter (PEBSAH?), I thought it would be nice to buy a tri bike before my IM.
I had pretty much decided on a new P1 (thought about going used but would like to support the LBS, get fit properly, know what I’m getting, not hassle with shipping to Canada, etc.) I had wrapped my head around the price, which seemed pretty reasonable - in the grander scheme of things, of course - and good bang for the buck.
I mentioned my thinking to a friend I ride with who has a P2C. Whoops. He highly recommended going with the P2. I mention it to someone with a P3…same story. They sure love their carbon. Not sure if it’s the post-purchase cognitive dissonance talking or if carbon really is all that.
I mentioned it to the LBS and he thought it over and said that he figured I would be a lot happier with the P2. His reasoning was that while going from the F75 to the P1 would (obviously) be an upgrade, that there would be that much more of a noticeable leap going to the P2. The discusson from his perspective mainly focused on ride comfort, and that translating to getting off the bike feeling fresher and less beat up.
So that’s all well and good, but >$1000 more on top of a not trivial amount of money to begin with seems like a quite a bit. I trust and like the guy and while I intuitively realize he’s making more money with the P2, don’t think he’s necessarily upselling just for the hell of it. He doesn’t (nor do I) want me to get the P1, end up not being entirely happy, and selling it and buying a P2 down the road.
I’m on a budget like everybody else, but plan on being in this sport for the long haul (not getting any younger at 38), so can mentally rationalize/amortize my way into just about anything.
So I’m looking for feedback - has anybody gone from P1 to P2 (or vice versa)? General feedback or thoughts?
Its not much slower then a P2, most people that ride a P3 should be on a P2 with all those spacer underneath the stem.
Simplistic design that proven.
Carbon is just not the end all for bikes. I had a TTX before the P1 and Im not any slower.
The money you save on a P1 can be used for something that will make you faster, deep front wheel, wheel cover, power meter, getting fit, tires, tubes, race suit, etc.
After having the ride since feb with two races under my belt I learned that alum is nice. I pass alot of carbon bikes. The ride quality is on par with my TTX. My P1 is more aero then alot of other carbon fancy bikes.
Plus there is alot of P1/P2sl on ST. Overall I think that we have cleaner bikes.
Dont think of a P1 as a lesser bike, it really isnt. Cervelo has found a great market with the price point.
Agreed - in fact the reason I’ve waited a few years to buy a tri bike is I was chipping away at the other stuff first.
Acquired:
-Kurt Kinetic
-Rear wheel: PT with wheelbuilder cover.
-Decent enough wetsuit that fits well. I’ll spend money on swim lessons before I upgrade the wetsuit.
Planning to acquire in the next month or so:
-Front wheel: trying to find something super budget but effective. Any suggestions?
-And to add one to your list - aero helmet
Didn’t you read the part about me being able to rationalize any purchase?
Promotion wetsuit is under 200.
I bought one off of ebay for 200, didnt feel the need to spend 200-300 more for 10mm more of wheel. I will just ride harder.
I bought an aluminum road bike this year (my 1st). I rode it a few weeks, then F’d up and rode a buddy’s carbon framed bike. Bad move for my bank account. I sold the alum (CAAD 8) and bought the carbon (Synapse). The difference in ride comfort (I can feel the diff…even as a noob) is drastic.
When I went to buy a tri bike, I didn’t make the same mistake again. I was in your shoes (decision-wise).
I bought the P2. I’m sure the P1’s a fine bike. I also know I’ll enjoy riding the P2 more…even if there’s NO difference in speed. I couldn’t care less if the P1 were faster. I ride this thing a lot more than only in races.
Depends on the quality of carbon and alum. More important is the contact points, seat aero pads. I started on carbon then went to alum. Carbon is nice and easy going. If I go to full distance then I might go back to carbon. I had a bad experiance with carbon. Alum gives me piece of mind, plus I know I can afford to replace it.
I would say if you were a sprinter and only did 3 or 4 races a year, go for the P1.
The extra money would be a waste.
But IM is a totally different story. Get the P2. I rode aluminum for years, then
finally coughed up the money and bought 2 Cervelos: P2 and RS. The difference
in ride and comfort between the alum and the carbon is astronomical. In a longer
tri, you are going to be thankful that you chose carbon. And don’t forget about
all the miles you will be putting in training. Aluminum is a bone-jarring ride, especially
on a bike with a steep seat tube angle. The extra money is totally worth it, and
barring a crash, you can use the P2 for the rest of your racing life.
I have a P1 (P2, now renamed P1) and I love it. I’ts about 5 years old now and it still turns me on to ride it.
I am very seriously budget limited and I had to get the frame and throw on used parts, to get it into the shed. Back then the P2 (carbon) wasn’t available and the P3 was too pricey and too low in front for me, so P1 it was.
I would LOVE to change to a P2, as mine is ali of course and is a small size. It’s pretty stiff and transfers considerable vibration from the very rough Kiwi roads. If you ride a bigger size and or have reasonable roads, the P1 is probably a perfectly suitable choice. I don’t think going to a P2 will speed you up at IM by more than a matter of seconds so that isn’t enough justification for me. In a few years, I will probably change, but as I have 650 wheels (and got HED3s for it a while back) it would mean it would be buying bike and wheels, whenever I do upgrade.
For me, if you do actually have the coin for a P2, then go for it. Get some race wheels (if you don’t already have them, next year). Besides the P2 being a newer design and carbon, will likely hold a better % of it’s value than the allegedly entry level P1 (but ebay should be able to help you on that count)
Good luck with the decision and I hope you’ve already confirmed that Cervelo is the right brand (geometry) for you.
I would weigh your goals against the gains. The P2 is a bit more aero than the P1. Like some others said, if you’re casual and you want a tri bike to get in an aero position and enjoy racing more, P1 will work great.
If you are really trying to get the most out of the purchase the P2 is probably worth a couple of minutes in your ironman, and a little saved comfort.
If you get bike envy and you are an upgrader, then buy the P2 and put off the envy a little longer. Well actually, I’d go looking for a used P2, since they are out there and can be had for not far off the new P1 price. I borrowed a P2 for a while and find the “ride-quality” issue to be bunk. What I didn’t find to be bunk was how fast I went on that bike. It was fast. I can’t quantify it as well as I might like, but other with powermeters or wind tunnels can give you the aero time advantage of the P2 over the P1.
In neither case will you be able to blame the bike if you are slow.
Chad
I can’t compare the P1 and P2 but I had a Dual and upgraded to the P2. The ride quality is a lot better and now I don’t really have a need to upgrade the frame anymore. I can upgrade the components if I want to but I have a frame that is competitive with any frame out there unless you are talking about frames that costs more than 2x more than the P2.
I don’t know what your goals are. I assume you want to race triathlons and have fun at it, you can do that perfectly well on a P3. You could also do that really well on a Dual. I’m not going to tell you that you NEED a P3C when five Ironmans this year were won on the regular P3. Yes the P3C is faster, yes it has some other advantages, but I don’t think you are struggling right now on your P3. Our society is wateful enough as it is. Now, if you would find a good home for your P3 with another triathlete, I’d say knock yourself out and take advantage of our recent advances.
Feedback we get from customers is that they are usually very comfortable on a P3, I think you are included in that category.
Is the P3C more comfortable than a P3? It’s funny that the industry makes the most outlandish claims about comfort, but ask any of those companies how they define comfort and all you get is blank stares. Honestly, companies haven’t really thought about comfort or measured it, they just toss “it’s very comfortable” at the end of the catalog write-up and off they go.
we have done quite a bit of R&D in this regard, and our current position is that we don’t have a test that we feel is a proper representation of comfort. So we’d rather not make statements about comfort of one bike vs. another. This doesn’t mean there isn’t any difference, we do measure differences in vertical deflection, energy absorption. etc, but as long as we don’t have a very solid agreement between the measurements and people’s experiences we won’t make claims.
… I went from a 2004 P3 (Aluminum) to a 2009 P3 (Carbon), not by choice but because the original bike was stolen. I’m not sure that the current P3 is any more “comfortable” … (I’m in pretty much the same position and ride with no spacers under my stem and a decent drop), that said, the P3C is far QUIETER. That alone is enough to convince one that you’re getting less vibration and a less harsh ride. If bike companies measured noise/vibration/and harshness as car companies do, then I’d say that the advances are enormous when you transition from an aluminum frame to a carbon fiber frame. Also, and perhaps most importantly, I LOVE my bike, it’s sexy and fast (when i pedal with sufficient power), and I get looks due to it’s general bad-assness, and I have no doubt in my mind that it is not because of my bike that I will ever do poorly in a race.
P2 versus P1 … ? … well, neither one is going to prevent you from winning just about any race. If you’re someone who needs that last 90 seconds from a faster bike leg in order to win, then ignore my comments. Get whatever you want BUT, when I was considering the P2 versus P3 post-theft purchase, I went with the P3 because I was certain that I would not be lusting after a new bike a year or two later … and THAT is where the real expense of bikes comes in, buying stuff to sex up your non-sexy bike or replacing it b/c you just want that other ride. If you’re super stoked to go for a ride on the P1, I feel confident that it will be plenty fast and plenty comfortable for any distance race you wish to attempt.
My first tri bike was an alum Cervelo P2-SL (now known as the P1). I used it for IM FL 2008 and it did a great job. It is a superd beginner bike and has awesome aerodynamic and bike fit properties. However, I recently upgraded to a Scott Plasma 2 just because I thought I deserved a sexy bike. I ride a trainer for about 75% of my rides and I always noticed with the P2-SL’s bottom bracket would sway back and forth with each pedal stroke. With my new Scott on the trainer, there is no sway in the bottom bracket and it is stiff as brick! I ride a Tacx Flow trainer that gives me power readings so when I bought my Scott I could directly compared my wattage output. When on my previous Cervelo, my watts were at 190 for a HR of 125-130. The first time I put my Scott on there (so improved fitness was not a factor), my watts were 200-210 for a HR of 125-130. My wife noticed the same thing when she upgraded to a Orbea Ordu. So, that being said, I’m a big believer in carbon bikes. One caveat to this is that a friend of mine who owned a P2C before he changed to a Orbea Ordu said that his P2C also has much more sway in the bottom bracket than the Orbea. So, maybe it is just a Cervelo thing and nothing to do with being a carbon bike. Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in.
