Been thinking about getting a Tri bike. Everyone seems to love Kuota or Cervelo and I thought about getting kuota Kalibur until I saw 07 QR Lucero. This is going to be my first Tri bike and I would like to get the best equipment possible. Thanks
Best equipment possible? This is going to be fun.
Welcome to the board! You’ll quickly get hooked. There’s no better place on the planet for free advice and quality used equipment at reasonable prices. I ride a kestrel km40 (hooked on carbon fiber) so I can’t help you with your bike decision.
By the way, your seat is too high.
Friend of Donny’s?
ksh…get measured but someone who knows what they are doing. Then find a bike that fits you. Then pick out the color.
Just search for threads on the '06 Lucero. Consider the '07 the same thing with just more technical looking graphics (which, IMO, are some of the best they have had over recent years).
Great bike. Great Company. You can’t go wrong (unless you offer to pay them twice the asking price 
It’s a great bike, but so are most of the top of the line carbon bikes.
Make sure it fits correctly (rule number 1, okay maybe rule number 2 behind can you afford it…) and that it offers the riding geometry that you’re most comfy at. The only problem with the Luceros before was that if you rode super steep, ie you saddle tip more than 1cm or so in front of the BB center sometimes the QRs weren’t receptive to this. They have new “shuttle” seatpost adapter now which lets you get this steep so now it’s no problem.
Aerowise, it seems pretty aero to me, certainly not something you can knock the bike down a rung about
Brand support kis superb
God I LOVE the new paint scheme!!!
Built one up for a friend last year and she loves it!
I’m considering getting one myself.
Anyways, if you are looking for “The best equipment” that’s a hard one as there are so many options out there but the Lucero is definitely a step in the right direction.
Lucero is FAST
You will still have to train though
crap, bricks aren’t easy
There’s my reponse in the form of an ST haiku although this was my second choice:
Lucero is fast.
Isn’t a P3 faster?
Shut up and ride one!
I live in Northern Virginia and visited local Tri shop call Bonzai to try out some bike. But the problem with them is that unless you are serious about buying their bike they will not let you test ride. I mean this guy is unreal and he happens to be the owner of the shop.
I live in Northern Virginia and visited local Tri shop call Bonzai to try out some bike. But the problem with them is that unless you are serious about buying their bike they will not let you test ride. I mean this guy is unreal and he happens to be the owner of the shop.
How does the owner gauge a shoppers seriousness? Polygraph? Psychological test? IMO, the owner is a fool and doesn’t deserve your business.
Tom Demerly’s thoughts on test rides are in this thread: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=326589;search_string=test%20ride;#326589
IMHO, ordering a bike from a good fitter will be a whole lot more helpful than judging a bike based on a test ride. That said, your bike shop experience sucks. Unfortunately, bike shop attitude is extremely difficult to avoid, even in the very best shops.
Thanks for all your inputs,YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME !!!
I have to admit I disagree with Tom in his assessment of test rides and their importance. While I would agree that some of his stipulations may be valid with a test ride of only a few minutes around a parking lot, I have seen too many people go into a shop (Mission Bay) perhaps thinking they wanted one thing, went out for an extended ride on a few bikes, and ended up with something completely different.
I do like the idea of having someone measured, but it really doesn’t take that much to throw a bike on the trainer (if you qualify if they are buying that day or not), do some marginal adjustments, and get them close to their position that you will ultimately tweak on a trainer/Computrainer type of device.
I also understand the financial implications of test rides, and the risk behind them. There are plenty of bad stories - along with plenty of funny ones like the dumb bike thief who purchases stuff at a store with his credit card, provides his home phone number and address to be notified when a particular bike may be due in, then when he goes for his test ride, just rides the bike home without paying for it…until the police show up a few minutes later. This is a huge risk for retailers, but as an experience bike buyer, if a shop won’t let me ride something, I’ll go elsewhere. I understand that people like Tom say that they are honest, but so did the used car salesperson down the street (understandibly, I know Tom from this forum and through mutual acquaintences, so in this case I would probably trust him a bit more). Essentially, and in general, that shop is in business to BE in business. Unless I’ve seen a shop actually recommend a bike they don’t carry, I am always aware of the reason they typically recommend various bikes (usually the ones in stock).
Also, I find test rides to be extremely important if people are trying to choose between frame materials. They don’t necessarily need to be from the same company, but similar geometry can help decide what you may like.
Last, who determines who is a good “fitter” (although again, people can FIT on many bikes, but their optimal “position” is what they try to achieve)? I know having a FIST certification is a good start to at least know they understand triathlon positioning on a bike, if you subscribe to the same principles. It doesn’t guarantee that they won’t just try and get you the best position on a bike that they have in stock.
“It doesn’t guarantee that they won’t just try and get you the best position on a bike that they have in stock.”
I guess I was coming at it from the perspective of the special order. I bought my bike from Tom and it wasn’t “in stock” so there was no way to test ride. My point would be simply that the lack of opportunity to test ride shouldn’t scare someone away from buying the right bike.
i lived in nova years ago (94-2000) and bought some stuff (not a bike!) from that shop. I remember the owner to be somewhat elitist.
When I was maybe 15 I was in Vancouver visiting my grandparents, and wandered into a bike shop to check out the goods. I saw an Otis Guy road bike built for a Softride beam. I wanted to check it out, so I came back the next day with shoes & pedals. They told me that they needed a credit card to hold, which I naturally didn’t have. So they asked for a driver’s licence - which I also didn’t have. I thought I was going to get turned away, when one of the guys said: “ok - I’ll have to come with you then”. He had been wanting to check out a new Brodie (mtb) that had just come in, and just so happenned to be wearing a kilt that day to annoy his boss. We got rolling out of the store and I heard a faint voice in the distance yelling “hold up!”. I rode back and he said “ok, I was hoping that I could keep up bit this is just stupid. Please don’t ditch me and take off with the bike”. He noodled around on the Brodie while I rode for about 25min and then came back to meet him, before we both returned to the store.
Everyone working there “knew” that I didn’t have the cash to buy the bike, but they were totally cool.
“Re: Hi! I’m new. Anyone got a opinion…”
Boy have you come to the right place!
Get fitted from someone you trust and feel good about and follow their advice. Shops have every right to be somewhat skeptical on someone testing a $4k bike. I know I couldn’t just walk into a Ferrari dealer and test drive one, so why should someone be able to stroll into a bike shop and take a spin on an expensive ride who has no intention of buying it? The 06 and 07 are the same other than the flashy paint job for 07. The 06 looks better imo. Best,
BTW your seats too high. ;^)
Welcome.
I bought my Lucero at Bonzai and Mark was beyond helpful. Courteous and helpful. Perhaps the problem was you?
B