In looking for a new bike this weekend, an opportunity to get a new Blue Triad EX with Di2 at a great price came my way. The bikes I was already looking at are the P3, Shiv Elite, and BMC TM02. I have seen Blue before, but know very little about them. In doing research on them, I have come up with very little info. All I can find is that they are a small company, they are relatively new (when compared to other companies), and they don’t have a massive dealer network (which may explain the lack of info on them). The few reviews I have found are positive though & I have heard good stuff about their customer service.
What’s the public opinion on Blue bikes? Are they a solid player in the market? Are they worth a look alongside the likes of Cervelo & Specialized?
Blue has been around a while. They went bankrupt (I think is what I read) and got a new investor and are back on the scene.
You are correct. From what I was told (and not to split hairs), the investment company that owned Blue went under by no fault of Blue or their leadership. They found a new holding company to back them & that company retained Steven Harad as the CEO of Blue. So the bankruptcy & transfer of ownership is no reflection on the company itself.
I just built up the Blue SL Red. Nice bike - I don’t have a tonne of km/miles on it yet but it seems like a nice bike that fits well. I think the SL has a different carbon layup though so I can’t comment on road feel with the EX but it is great so far with the SL.
Previous tri bikes have been:
Trek Hilo
Litespeed Saber
Cervelo p2k
Cervelo P2C
QR CD0.1
I would say it kind of depends on what you plan on doing. Of those bikes, the Shiv is probably the most practical for 70.3s and longer due to it’s storage integration. P3 is obviously a great bike. I could be wrong but I’ve heard TM02 users struggling with the rear brake. Honestly not very familiar with that bike though.
The shiv is good if it fits, its a tall and short bike, so if you are trying to get low good luck. Shiv is also overpriced in my opinion. The TM02 is in my opinion the best bike out there for the money, the rear brake is not that bad but not as easy as an fully exposed brake. Blue bikes are also similar to the shiv and they are tall in the front, just something to keep in mind.
I’ve ridden an awful lot of tri bikes in my time in the sport: two different Blue Triads (my size changed as my position evolved), a Felt B16, a Specialized Shiv, a Trek Speed Concept, and a Scott Plasma Premium.
In my humble opinion, the two best bikes that I’ve ridden were the Triad and the Plasma. Both handle quite well, climb well (something none of the other bikes IMO could do), and aren’t all that difficult to wrench on. With the Di2 option, obviously it eliminates some of the need for some of the wrench-ability, per se. But I would really consider it a quite strong option.
All the bikes I’m looking at have their advantages. The Shiv has the integrated hydration, but the Blue Triad comes with complete Ultegra Di2.
I’m just trying to see if the Blue bike is worthy of being in the running.
Integrated hydration plus the Fuel Cell for your flat kit and maybe some gels. Depending on your size and hydration needs, you might be able to get away with just the internal bladder and a bta for a 70.3. I’m seriously contemplating switching to a Shiv next year from my SC and taking a bit of an aero hit for this and brakes that are easier to travel with (I plan on doing mostly 70.3s next year and into the future).
I have a Blue Rd1 (road bike) that I bought in 2009. Never had any problems with it. I have a Specialized Tarmac now and find the Blue to be just as good. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Blue.
I’ve been told that they are good bikes but the bars left something to be desired. You can’t switch them out the way they are engineered/mounted (integrated stem) so you are stuck with them. The rest of the bike is solid though.
I have a 2011 Blue Triad EX (before the bankruptcy), which I bought off the slowtwitch forums. Its my first tri bike, so I have nothing to compare it to, but overall I’m well pleased. I have one small issue - dirt gets into the BB each time I take it in the rain, causing a grindy noise until I clean it out and regrease. I suspect that might be more the SRAM force than the Triad though.
Make sure you’re aware of how the bike fits before you go to purchase - the bike is “long” - ie: well suited for the long legged variety. It works for me - I have an L (‘56’) size. I’m 5’10, but most of that is femur.
The integrated hydration is ok for some, if you can deal with warm water. The liquid in the bladder tends to get very warm on long summer races. I do not ever use the bladder in my SHIV and know a bunch of others who are the same way.
I would not buy a shiv just for the integrated hydration, other than that I love my shiv.
Wrong.
You can get a Blue stem that is engineered to fit the Blue Triad SL with a standard tt/road handlebar. http://www.all3sports.com/...eplacement-stem.html
Pretty expensive but I am sure you can contact the Blue squad and work something out to get it for a lower price.
Or : http://www.ebay.com/…;hash=item20d9b42603
I had a Triad SL and it was a very good bike compared to other bikes (and I have had many different superbikes). It’s one of the oldest superbikes still on the market (considering that other brands released newer bikes since) but to me, it’s still one of the nicest.
Blue makes good bikes, and in my experience (limited), stands behind them. Their CEO is on Slowtwitch, and gets involved if anybody expresses a concern/issue. Make the decision based on the bike that fits you and your style best, but there’s no reason to exclude Blue artificially.
Are they still including wind tunnel time with the purchase of a Triad? That’s certainly something to consider.
Thanks to everyone for the awesome replies. It looks like the Blue Triad will join the other 4 bikes on my short list. I really appreciate the input & everyone’s expertise & opinions.