Fit aside, I am in the market for a new bike. In the past two years I have went thru.the Felt F85 (it was just ok), the KUOTA K-Factor, (favorite of those I have had), CERVELO P2 SL (hated it) and a fixie. My GF has told me this is the last bike I can get for 5 years so I had better like it sooooo. I have narrowed it down to one of several choices. I will use this bike for crits, road racing, tris from sprints to IM distances…heres the choices unless someone has one they can reccemmond not listed.
Kestrel ST700
Aegis Victory
Kuota Kebel
Specialized Tarmac Pro
Pinarello F 4:13 Carbon FP
or I can go with something a bit more classic but still usable for what I want to use it for like
Seven Cycles V II (the most dough by far but what a great looking ride)
Serotta HSG Carbon (who wouldn’t want a Serotta?)
Lightspeed Archon T1 (classic ti)
I am a bit stumped as to what to get…any opinions will be considered…this bike has to last a long time and needs to be built solid and yet be light, be able to go long distances in relative comfort and be able to sprint like a coyote chasing a roadrunner. I am leaning towards the Lightspeed and the Kestrel at this time simply because they seem to be the most versatile. Thanks in advance.
I’d recommend you consider looking for a Colnago C-40 or C-50.
I’ve had my C-40 for 7 years and still don’t look at many bikes lustily (except maybe the SLC-SL). I’ve ridden the C-40 for more than 40k miles, raced 9 Ironmans on it, raced a dozen 1/2 Ironman on it, done countless road races/criteriums, and loved every minute.
If you can find a classic non-b-stay, non-hp C-40 NOS from 2000…BUY IT and you’ll never regret it.
With the current build, it still weighs under 16 pounds and I haven’t done anything truly “trick” to the bike.
On the other hand, Ti will last a bit longer…Don’t forget Moots.
I was looking at a C-50 at the LBS today, almost wet my pants. On the other hand, the Made in Taiwan Colnago they had (the CLX??) was surpisingly heavy. The component spec wasn’t too bad, but my old Trek 5200 is way lighter.
A guy I ride with has a custom Seven. What a nice bike. Drooooool. Titanium so it will last a long time. Would probably be my first choice of the group.
No bad rides on the list, the new Kestrel also interests me.
Well, I know its a silly item but when I did my first Im on the P2 Sl, I got four flats during the first 6 miles of the bike. Its like buying a new car and having the ac go bad in the first month. The ac gets fixed but you still have a bad taste in your mouth about the whole car. I don’t feel like the P2 Sl fit me very well and it was a bit steep and a harsh ride. I loved the k-factor in that it was creamy smooth…it seemed stiff when your got on it but absorbed the road bumps like nothing I have been on before (although I have only had a few bikes)
This si a great idea. They can be had for that cheap huh? hmmmmm, maybe have to take a close look at one. I love that classic old school styling. Thanks for the tip.
After having ridden carbon, aluminum etc and going to Ti last year I don’t think I will ever ride anything but Ti. Love the ride! Will last forever and with all the carbon bikes out there it is a different look that I think is refreshing and timeless.
what can you tell me about moots? I took a quick peak at their website but would be interested in hearing more about the company if you have that knowledge.
Ti is durable, but nothing lasts forever. There are a few potential problems with Ti, not least of which is that not everyone knows how to work with it. ABG, Moots, and a select few others do.
If I were in the market for a Ti bike, I’d be looking at Merlin first. They are sufficiently uncommon these days that they have a little more pose factor, less me-too, than Litespeeds. However, the Vortex is a really nice one. Saw that in the LBS today, and I am very impressed.
