I have a Talon and have had it set up for road and tri. I liked it both ways. However, I always felt like I wanted to get lower in the front with the tri set up. It was just a little twitchy in the aerobars also, because I was riding it as steep as I could. In the end it was a bit of a compromise. Not too bad, and certainly workable. I have since set it back up as a road bike and purchased a Cervelo P2SL. The Cervelo handles better as a tri bike and I am definitely lower up front. Who knows if I am faster…but I am more confident in the handling and lower should be more aero, so it’s all good.
Also, I really like the Talon as a road bike though. The handling is superb and the bike is plenty stiff. I just like the way it rides. My only complaint is the cable routing. It is a bit of a pain to route those cables, but it is doable. I think it is amazing that the Talon is still around and is still selling well. Are there any other carbon fiber bikes still in production (unchanged) that have the longevity of the Talon? I wonder how long the production run will continue? It is hard to beat as a road bike, especially for the price nowadays…
I agree with the marketing. I feel that Kestrel is missing the boat. Same with the paint jobs. The old kestrels were classy. The new ones are a bit over the top in my opinion. Give me a solid color with 1 or 2 logos or nude carbon. Also, I would bet that a 78 degree STA Talon, with more front center and a shorter head tube (and improved cable routing) would sell well, if it were the same price point as the talon. I wonder why they never went there. Seems like a better choice than the RT-700. Heck, they already had the Evoke, which is a great road bike.