I’m looking for my first Tri bike and have seen good pricing on the 2006 QR Kilo lately.
It gets good reviews here on ST, anyone riding it and any comments on ALX rims vs Shimano
excellent first bike, imho. I rode a '96 round-tubed Kilo for my first 4 years in the sport (it cost around $1500 at the time). Got me through about 30 races, including 2 IM’s, several HIM’s and a bunch of shorter races. That bike is still my trainer bike, btw.
I’ve since upgraded to a 2006 Tequilo (can you tell I like QR’s) which I also really like.
Love mine. Made a couple of small upgrades, great bike
The Kilo is really the very first triathlon specific bike, an offshoot of the original Quintana Roo Superform with an 80 degree head angle circa 1987.
Interestingly, newer Kilos (2006&1/2 and 2007) use the “new” QR geometry with a trifle steeper seat tube angle. This may be better for some, not so much for others.
QR got their start making female specific bikes, a fact few people are aware of. Perhaps as a result of that there has been a minor, lingering tendency for them to have short-ish top tubes compared to Litespeed, etc. That nicely rounds out ABG’s (QR’s parent company) stable of frame geometries.
Make sure the Kilo’s top tube length matches your torso length and reach requirements. Once you confirm that you are on your way to being on a nicely fitted, well built bike you will enjoy.
Best of luck!
Hi Tom, waht’s you opinion about this 79/80 something degrees for their seat angles. Any impressions on those bikes? What do you think about them?
How to compare the Kilo/Tequilo with the Dual/P2SL?
Thanks, Marcos.
Hey Slammer,
I just picked up my first Tri bike last Saturday. I went with a 2006 QR Tequilo and after only a few rides, IMHO it was worth every penny. If you go with the Kilo I don’t think you’ll be dissapointed, but if you are willing to look at 2006 models, look for a Tequilo also. Mine retailed for $2400 and I paid $2000. The cash I saved will go towards my race wheels… Good Luck
Thanks for the feedback.
For torso length would I look at hip to AC joint or longer than that for a top tube comparison.
I’m a bigger guy, around 225lbs so the wheels are a bit of a concern that they will be ok with my frame.
I’m a bigger guy, around 225lbs so the wheels are a bit of a concern that they will be ok with my frame.
Factor in getting proper wheels - 32 spoke handbuilt, perhaps 105/tiagra hubs on mavic MA3 Rims. Shop should do them as a fairly cheap upgrade. It’s worth doing this at the beginning and saving yourself a lot of stress later.
Apart from that it’s hard to see how you could go wrong with the Kilo. It is highly recommended to get fitted before you buy though so you can determine whether it is the right bike for you.
Hey Marcos,
Well, generally I don’t like generalizations. That said, I think more bike companies have previously had their geometries too shallow as opposed to too steep.
Something was telling product managers to not commit to steeper seat tube angles- in fact the trend seemed to be migrating back around 76 and 75 degrees and a few bikes are still stuck there.
I think there needs to be a range of seat tube angles, head tube heights, top tube lengths and front end geometries so we have a full menu to fit from.
I do have my preferences for myself and my customers, but that doesn’t mean they are right for everyone. A guy with a really long femur and a short torso is going to need something different that a fella or gal with more average proportions.
Most people sit steeper than they realize though, and the trend we see in '07 toward a touch steeper seat angles is likely a move (back) in the right direction.
I’ve had mine for the last four years. I’ve got at least 30,000 miles on it and it’s still going strong. Great bang for the buck. The only drawback I found was the original seat and seatpost. They really saved some money there. By the way I’m 240 lbs. The velocity deep v’s the bike came with are still rolling and round. I’ve only had to true them twice and the roads around here suck. I don’t know what the new ones come with but, if they have a deep rim section you’ll probably be alright. Good luck!