So Ive heard alot about Cervelo’s and how great they are on this Forum but have not heard much about the Trek TT. Why? It looks sexy, Im assuming its fast since Lance rides it, and its carbon which I like. So how does it compare with another one of my dream bikes, the P3? Fire away!
Oh and GO LANCE!
The Trek OCLV bikes, IMO, are fine bikes. Pretty darn impressive. Light, nice ride characteristics. Good bike.
One thing: before you consider owning a Trek TT, have your bike shop demonstrate the procedure for installing the internal cables.
We recently charged over $400 to re-cable a Trek TT becasue of the complications and time involved. It was far more complex than need be. Also, Lance rides a bike that may be similar to the bikes we buy- very similar, same frame in fact- but it is not maintained, assembled and fitted the way yours will be.
My primary observation about these bikes is that they are expensive to maintain and quite laborious to work on. Like a Ferrari. If you are OK with that, I think you will enjoy it.
Now, working on a P3, that is a breeze. They are well engineered and well designed with the best internal cable routing in the industry in my opinion.
It is worth pointing out that I sell Cervelo, but I do not sell Trek. This is a part of the reason why.
Tom, isn’t one of the main differences that the Trek TT is a slack-angled bike, where the P3 is designed to be ridden in a forward position?
Tom
How does the Felt fit into that mix? Aerodynamics? Weight?
Happy 4th.
Ed
“We recently charged over $400 to re-cable a Trek TT …”
WHAT?!
Did you use diamond studded housing or solid gold cables? What could have possibly been involved in the procedure to make it cost that much?
Did this guy have more money than he knew what to do with?
I’m sorry…I just find that unbelievable…
yup.
Hello,
Boy I knew Tom was going to catch it for this one. Ive never worked on a Trek TT, but here goes. I have seen some internally cabled bikes where holes are drilled in the frame for the cables to go into and out of. Once in the frame the cable has to majically snake its way down the tubes, aroundthe bottom bracket, into the next tube and out the corresponding pinhole exit. Repeat four time. Can involve having to remove the seatpost, the bottom bracket, and headset to gain access. Couple this with premium cables like nokon or gore at about $50 a set, plus bartape, plus who knows maybe brake pads.
so for this bike you’ve bought parts, disassembled, reassembled, tune-up, and spent maybe 3 (frustrating) hours fishing cables. All on a bike that wasn’t purchased at his store. I admit if I bought a bike from Tom and took it in later I wouldn’t be happy if I wasnt warned about the costs when I bought the bike.
Standard disclaimer. I know Tom and we are friendly, but not close buddies. I buy stuff from him, but don’t drop serious amounts of money their.
Shawn T
John Cobb has hinted in the past that the Trek TT is at the very least as aero as a p3. I believe the TT weighs less also, but I could be mis-informed.
My take- The Cervelo is aero, it’s stiff. Comfy? I’ve heard a lot of conflicting opinions. The paint is ugly. Cervelo finds a new painter, I’ll start thinking about singing their praises. The fork/seatpost are probably better.
Trek TT- It’s aero, it’s stiff. Like the P3, it was pretty much designed in and for the windtunnel. Comfy, supposedly beter than aluminum, but under par for carbon comfort. (The honeycomb construction that stiffens things up does just that.) The graphics are very nice. Trek seems to understand my chief belief, nothing sells a bike like the paint.
If I were to set up both bikes the same way, for the same amount of money (free), I’d probably go for the TT. Just my personal preference. If you want a real stud bike though, I’d seriously consider a Felt DA or an Argon 18 Mercury Aero.
-I luv Felt
I agree with madisonbucky, $400 for re routing cables sounds ridiculous!?
There has to have been more done than only re routing?
Comfy? I’ve heard a lot of conflicting opinions.
…most comfortable I’ve had; BUT, frame material is not the largest factor in comfort. The larger factors would be: bike fit, tires, wheels, saddle, handle bar tape, shoes and clothing.
One thing: before you consider owning a Trek TT, have your bike shop demonstrate the procedure for installing the internal cables.
We recently charged over $400 to re-cable a Trek TT becasue of the complications and time involved. It was far more complex than need be. Like a Ferrari. It is worth pointing out that I sell Cervelo, but I do not sell Trek. This is a part of the reason why.
$400! How did you come to that amount?!
I own a Trek Team Time Trial, and mostly work on it myself. I have installed new cables twice and didn’t find it any more time-consuming than running new cables on my KM-40. And I don’t sell any bikes, I just figured it out myself.
Out of curiosity, did you tell the customer that you “do not sell Trek”, are not familiar with “the procedure for installing the internal cables” and that the “complications and time involved” for you to do it would make it much more expensive than a Trek dealer who is familar with the bike?
Using your analogy, it’s like taking your Ferrari to a Audi dealership to have the transmission worked on. They could do it, but it would end up costing much, much more than if it was done at a dealership that was familiar with the Ferrari’s paddle shifters.
As to P3 v. Trek TT, Dan has a write-up somewhere here on the Trek TT, and his complaint is that it can’t be ridden steeply. I think the Equinox version of the Trek TT cures that. I personally don’t buy into the P3 cult because although it fits me well, I don’t like the “ride”. Too harsh for me, and I place a high priority on comfort. Those who have them swear by them, though. Like a Blade, I’m thinking maybe it’s really good for larger high-power cyclists. I’m not in that category.
Spin, spin, sugar…
Re: “I personally don’t buy into the P3 cult because although it fits me well, I don’t like the “ride”. Too harsh for me, and I place a high priority on comfort. Those who have them swear by them, though. Like a Blade, I’m thinking maybe it’s really good for larger high-power cyclists. I’m not in that category.”
I’ll throw in a couple of comments. As stated, the Trek TT is a much slacker seat angle, so if you’re short in the torso or want to ride really steep the Trek TT probably isn’t for you. I haven’t ridden a Trek TT, but I do have an OCLV road bike, and a P3. I was initially concerned about the P3 “harshness” but I’ve found the P3 to be every bit as comfortable (if not more) than my OCLV. I’ve never been accused of being a powerful rider- I’m 6’0" 165 lbs. and I typically spin in the 95-105 rpm range and ride my P3 at about 80 degrees. What’s my point? You can’t really stereotype that the P3 is for powerful riders or is harsher or is this or that. You really have to ride them both and see which you like better.
It took $400 worth of time to complete it and de-bug it.
It took $400 worth of time to complete it and de-bug it.
You have, as my father often said “talked, but said nothing”. How is that “$400 worth of time” calculated? Since you say it was “time”, is that (for example) 10 hours of labor at $40 per hour? Or perhaps at the extreme if you charged $60 per hour it took you 6.66 hours?
I know how many hours it takes an incompetent mechanic (me) to “re-cable” a Trek TT, but to get to $400 it would be at a Ferrari-like labor rate.
Something’s just not passing the stink test here.
Since you are the “bitter” “angry man”, did you just charge $400 dollars because that’s how much it pissed you off 
Aw come on, if the customer isn’t complaining? Anyhow heres a philosophical question, Why should a ferrari mechanic get paid more (by the hour) to fix, adjust, maintain brakes than a bike mechanic? You are butting your health and safety in both of their hands. Certainly the time will be longer and the parts more expensive with the ferrari, but why the hourly rate? ,
Also, Lance rides a bike that may be similar to the bikes we buy- very similar, same frame in fact- but it is not maintained, assembled and fitted the way yours will be.
Actually, he doesn’t. He still rides the old frame, the one that you can’t really buy anymore, with the seattube extension all the way to the saddle, etc. I am sure they make new frames for him every year, but they use the old mold to do it. The new mold, which is the bike you would buy in the shop, has a different headtube configuration and a different seattube configuration as the most telling differences.
As for aerodynamics, I have never seen an independent test involving the two, so that would be tough to determine for a consumer. Of course I’ve seen our own tests, but that would mean little to you.
Aw come on, if the customer isn’t complaining? If the customer isn’t complaining it’s OK to screw them? Anyhow heres a philosophical question, Why should a ferrari mechanic get paid more (by the hour) to fix, adjust, maintain brakes than a bike mechanic? You are butting your health and safety in both of their hands. Certainly the time will be longer and the parts more expensive with the ferrari, but why the hourly rate? Gee… maybe the education and associated costs required, overhead, liability and market justify the slightly (note: “slightly”) higher hourly rate. ANYONE can adjust and maintain a bike’s dual-pivot brakes, but have you taken a look at a Ferrari’s front Brembo calipers with their ABS sensors, etc.? Taking your philosophical question farther… why does an orthopaedic surgeon charge more than a veterinarian? ,
I have an 02 5200 and a built 03 TT. To start with, a P3 and trek TT feel different, or at least to me they did when I test road them. I think the TT with the 110 and honeycomb does ride stiffer but better than the ‘soft’ 120 carbon in the 5200. Don’t be miss informed by others on this sight. My LBS only charged $200 to install all the 10spd DA parts and run the cables into my Vision Trimax plus handlebars. He charged me double for installation due to the fact they did have problems running the cables into the handlebar, not the frameset. Trek provides and extra foot of cable housing for all 3 cables. You do not need to take out the seatpost, bottom bracket, or headset/fork! Others are filling you full of shit because they do not own one. Trek makes it very simple on doing the cables, so don’t be taken advantage of by the LBS. The funny thing is that I purchased the frameset from a pro triathlete ove rthe internet and got the handlebars on clearance. That was the most expensive bike that the owner had ever worked on. What out though, the trek TT is designed around a 19c rear tubular tire, whcih they do not tell you. I had on a 23C which rubbed on the one side of the chainstay. I switched to a 20c and it works great. I only found out after having posted on here and got a response from John Cobb.
How does the Trek TTT compare to the KM40?
Let me guess, Tom…Nokon or IRC cables and housings? Those, in fact, are a bit more difficult with internal routing, according to the guy who did up my Talon SL. Not to mention the fact that they are more expensive in the first place.