is kestrel that far off the radar? i really admire this company’s bikes, always have. these folks at fuji are seasoned pros in american distribution. pat cunnane, the president of ASI, is sharp as a tack. i suspect kestrel may have a good chance at a rebound, both in road and in tri.
I read the article on the main site. I don’t know why but Kestrel is one of those brands that I just have no interest in and I don’t give their bikes a second glance. I suspect I’m not alone in this.
Another news breaker on ST.
Probably a good move for Fuji. They actually have some really decent bikes, but don’t get as much notice as they deserve. The Kestrel name may now give them a higher profile in the USA.
I’ve never found Kestrel bikes to be particularly appealing although they’re probably good bikes. What will change now that Fuji bought them?
I just got a Kestrel Talon that I have set up as a road bike. I love it and plan on making adjustments and using it for IMMOO next year. I hope this doesn’t change their warranty policies—which I was led to believe were quite good with Kestrel.
Nor suprising to me. A minor brand (As far as market share is concerned) being sold to a larger brand which itself is a part of a larger organization. If you can get the smaller brand at a good price, why not?
I’ve seen some Kestrel bikes around and have been impressed, but I couldn’t tell you of a dealer anywhere near me that carries them.
Bob
Thanks for the heads up on this. I think you once said Kestrel has had more partners than Elizabeth Taylor…seems to hold true. I used to have a 200EMS which was made in Japan during the time they were owned by Schwinn. Sad to say though that some folks I know have had frame failure problems with their Kestrels. I hope the brand survives and Preston comes up with something new. Do you know if the deal includes a non-compete clause?
"I’ve seen some Kestrel bikes around and have been impressed, but I couldn’t tell you of a dealer anywhere near me that carries them. "
I really like my new Kestrel Talon, but couldn’t find a dealer in Canada. Had to purchase on ebay (which was OK because it was cheaper).
Kestrel bikes always seem to be on sale. I picked up a full Ultegra 06 model for $1700 shipped about 7 months ago. They seem to be out of favor. I think the frames have been the same for quite some time, so they don’t have the cachet of the newest and coolest. Personally, I like the bike. I could likely gain a minute or 3 with something more advanced in an OLY, but I can still gain 6-8 minutes by continuing to train hard.
i just hadn’t been aware.
(i mean, yeah, i know there’s a ‘main site’ i just hadn’t looked at it for a while).
i think that this is great!
i say this because i think they’re good bikes, but hard to find in philadelphia, but suspect that will soon change.
-charles
yawn.
kestrel has not been kestrel for a few owners, now. they offer what - a one-off mold from martec ? this is significant because . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ???
i rank this someplace between the sad modern day “resurgence” of masi, and motobecane. the only thing to resurge is the spelling of the word on the decal. what else do they have to offer ? maybe the new marketing director is sharp, good for them - what specifically about the modern product has any significance ?? like a modern masi - nothing to not much at best. this is just another grab at trying to breathe life into a dead brand that hasn’t fully laid down yet, that some investors hope they can still make a buck with. whatever.
is kestrel that far off the radar?
The short answer: Yes
It is somewhat sad to see such a dominant brand in the tri industry become an “also ran”. I’ve always admired their bikes (even if they are not willing to discuss some of their technical structural design), but lack of innovation, slow development times on new products, and that classic blunder of not having a bike to sell into the tri community for an entire year seemed to make the sale (again) of the company inevitable.
It will be interesting to see how Fuji handles their new “in” to the tri market (that they haven’t made much of with those slack angled bikes).
Hey Fuji, if you move them further south into So.Cal, you may have a few people willing to help out 
Histroy Lesson. Kestral was light years ahead of the thinking curve. They had a full carbon aero bike out in the mid 80s. They were the first really nice carbon fork. They were the first to have the no seattube bike. Kestral was and is a great bike maker. I am not too sure what happened, but in the late 80s early 90 they were the Cervelo of today. I have only owned one of their frames an older 4000 or 3000 model that had been used hard before I got it, and I consider it one of the best of the 40 or so bikes I owned… How about it Dan what do you think happened to the brand?
the key word is “history”. i am aware of kestrel’s legacy, and i was around and stunned by their first bikes. bevil has been gone for some time now, you know. they squandered their position of innovation over 15 years ago.
history lesson: are you aware of say, masi’s legacy ?? kestrel’s pales horribly in comparison i can assure you.
all the more reason to be saddened by the modern state of either one of them. they are hollow and fragile see-thru shells, at best ( masi is even worse than that . . .) of their former selves. dead but too stupid to lay down, i believe the saying goes . . . .
They were the first to have the no seattube bike.
I think that’s one of their problems. No matter how good the design, how aero, how comfortable the general biking population does not like the no seat post concept. It’s one of the reasons softride is no more. It’s too far away from what people are willing to accept in a mass market bike. Kestrel would be better off stopping production of such bikes and being more like the me too’s of the bike world.
Yea T-N-T I am a bit of an old fut and have never owned a Masi, but I have a Colnago and Cinelli from the 70s. Masi just sort of made a marketing blunder in selling their name in America, but I think Alberto is still making a few real Masi bikes under the velodrome in Milano, at least he was 4 or five years ago and I think the Milano frames being imported are still related to the line. However if you want a Old Masi get a Sachs, they are probably better made than any Masi ever was and are painted by the master Bell.
But back on point, Kestral is what I considered a “Triathlon” bike company in the start and that the roadies stayed away from because of that image, now the tridudes look at them as a road bike company. I am not to sure what happened but I have a 91 issue Kestral fork that is as good as the day I bought it. Kestral made and still makes rock solid products, just not popular with the tridudes and dudettes.
I guess it’s still habit to look at the forum daily and the main site at most once a week since in the past it wasn’t updated very often.
Can you check hits on the forum vs. hits on the main page?
We should have some news pretty much every day, at least during the summer months.
So do check it often.
Herbert
I guess it’s still habit to look at the forum daily and the main site at most once a week since in the past it wasn’t updated very often.
Can you check hits on the forum vs. hits on the main page?
You might be surprised in a year or two. In a world of me too bike designs, they have a great opportunity to stand out, with the only non double diamond design.
Their problems seem to be 1. lack of operational discipline, i.e. missing product development cycles, 2. Failure to market their uniqueness.
This will change under Fuji.
Totally agree. In a world of me too bike designs, they have a great opportunity to stand out, with the only non double diamond design.
Their problems seem to have been 1. lack of operational discipline, i.e. missing product development cycles, 2. Failure to market their uniqueness effectively. Not surprisingly, these are issues smart engineers often struggle with.
This will change under Fuji.
The Airfoil is on my short list for next tri bike.