Hello! This is my first post on slowtwitch. I am new in triathlon and have been riding on a borrowed road geometry bike–converted tri bike for the past couple months. I am doing great in the bike, and now feel worthy of a decent tri bike. I am a female, 5’4", 39 years old, 4 kids, yadda, yadda, yadda. I am trying to decide between the Quintana Roo Lucero (found a great deal on Nytro) or a Cervelo P2C. I am wanting to ride at a steep at least 78 angle. I need a 48 frame with 650 wheels. I want to do this bike thing once, and not wish I had gotten a better bike a year from now. My budget is topping out around $3,000, give or take. The P2C I am told comes stock, not sure with what. The deal on Nytro.com has a DuraAce Mix Pkg. on special right now with a Lucero frame for $2948. The Nytro package is listed at this link:
I don’t have a great local shop that carries these bikes, though I could get the Cervelo from one of them. Just don’t want them to do the fitting, etc. I also talked to Elite cycles about their T-class, and I’ve been advised by friends to stay with carbon because of comfort on longer rides. Elite is very steadfast in that their aluminum on the T-class is of such a caliber, along with their geometry, carbon fork, that comfort is there due to the “low frequency vibrations” being dampened.
I am looking for any feedback, advice I can get. Please be gentle—I am brand new! Thanks ahead of time for any input.
Wendy
I’m 5’4" 1/2, so I know how difficult it is to find a bike that fits. I don’t know what your proportions are (I have long legs and a short torso), but I like the 51 cm Cervelo. You can flip the seat post to get a 78 degree effective seat angle and a top tube measured at 51. If you go with the 48, you might find that the top tube is too short in a steep setup. Take a look at the geometry on the Cervelo webpage.
Give Nytro a call and ask to speak to George. He will ask a lot of questions regarding your measurements and will compare your numbers to the two brand’s size charts to best determine what size is right for you. george has sold hundreds of bikes over the phone. and you can do a little homework by going to the website and looking up the ‘legendary fit system’ and have your measurements ready when you call.
Personally, I am 5’3" and I ride the 48 P3C in the forward seat position and my bars are dropped about an inch below my saddle height … and it’s a great fit.
I would consider a 47cm Kestrel Airfoil. I have a 50 and it’s by far the most comfortable ride I’ve had with the exception of my softride. but I just went from a cannondale alum frame that I thought was fairly comfortable to the kestrel and the difference is night and day. I wouldn’t go back to aluminum. Very aero and light frame as well. but I’m sure there are other good choices. Read through slowtwitch bike review I think Dan reviewed bikes for smaller riders.
Don’t get stuck on the “48” part. I’m 5’5" with a 28" inseam and I ride a 51cm P2 that fits perfectly. My road bike is also a 51cm. I have ridden 2 48cm Aegis Swifts and one “small” Softride, as well as a 51cm Litespeed Blade. They all fit about the same, and 51s are easier to find than 48s.
I am 5’4" (almost) and have long legs and short torso… not sure if this is you or not. I ride a Specialized Transition Pro, 54. Works for me perfectly. I could have done the 52, but then the seat would have been pretty high and I don’t like a tall seat post.
It is preference. Specialized has a more compact frame, so give the Tranisiton Elite, Comp, Expert, or Pro a shot. They are really great bikes. Mine came with Zipp 404s!