For me I have to go
Trek speed concept gen2
Specialized Shiv TT- rim brake
And Cervelo p3c…No specific order
The only caveat would be if we are are talking top 3 TT bikes then the Felt DA has to replace the P3C.
Your thoughts
Tough to get it down to three. Today I’d go with these:
Pinarello Bollide TR+
Shiv TT Disc
Cube Aerium
Honorable mentions that I might put top 3 on any random day: Scott Plasma 6, Diamondback Andean, Dimond Marquise, and Look 796
Yeah it’s tough and obviously very subjective.
Cervelo P3C - basically The bike standard for may pros and age groupers for a decade.
Softride - epitome of the tri-specific bike (honorable mention to the Zipp beam bike)
QR Superform - tri-specific geometry (vs, just putting aero bars on a road bike)
Even though I’ve never had one the P3C should be on the list. To me it seemed like it was the bike everything was benchmarked against.
I agree. For those of us who started around that time it really is the quintessential triathlon bike.
For me I have to go
Trek speed concept gen2
Specialized Shiv TT- rim brake
And Cervelo p3c…No specific order
The only caveat would be if we are are talking top 3 TT bikes then the Felt DA has to replace the P3C.
Your thoughts
Beat me to it, though the P3C would probably have to be my choice for #1 and I would go with the nosecone version of the Shiv.
Now that I have though about it for another 15 seconds, I might be inclined to put the nosecone Highroad/Giant in there in place pf the Shiv. That really was a clean sheet of paper design from Simon Smart
For me I have to go
Trek speed concept gen2
Specialized Shiv TT- rim brake
And Cervelo p3c…No specific order
The only caveat would be if we are are talking top 3 TT bikes then the Felt DA has to replace the P3C.
Your thoughts
I’m not up to speed on all these. Which years of each?
The P3C was a major inflection point in bike design. Everyone’s mind was blown the day that bike was released.
Softride’s were iconic for a lot of years.
And the Cat Cheetah. Part of me still wants to own one.
Specialized and Trek? Puhleeeeze.
Look at all the titles they have
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Why the P3c and not the P2C? Yes, I’m partial to the p2c because I still ride it! But I recall when it was all the rage, in the LA area where I rode a lot with various clubs, I’d see like 5 p2cs for every 1 p3c.
I’ll go with:
- Trek Speed Concept
- Shiv TT
- Canyon
- Oops…Cervelo p5 Disc Black version
An early Quintana Roo for popularizing the steep seat geometry and to suck up to Dan.
Cervelo P3 for being the standard by which all tri bikes were measured for over a decade.
Zipp 2001 or the Cheetah. Probably Cheetah.
Oh wow I was going to go with QR Superform, softride and P3SL (Aluminium)
Cervelo P3C - basically The bike standard for may pros and age groupers for a decade.
Softride - epitome of the tri-specific bike (honorable mention to the Zipp beam bike)
QR Superform - tri-specific geometry (vs, just putting aero bars on a road bike)
I guess just the mental aspect of it being the tip of the spear at the time but not much different between the two
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Speed concept and Argon e118.
Why the P3c and not the P2C? Yes, I’m partial to the p2c because I still ride it! But I recall when it was all the rage, in the LA area where I rode a lot with various clubs, I’d see like 5 p2cs for every 1 p3c.
The P3 was the innovative bike, and the P2 was the more conventional, affordable offering. The P2 was plenty fast (all the treads about CW’s wins on it), but it was the “Ultegra” to the P3’s “DuraAce” (there are a LOT more Ultegra bikes out on the road than DA).
No order:
Specialized Shiv (rim) for innovation
Cervelo P2 for accessibility/everyman factor
Canyon Speedmax (newest) for being the coolest 
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Ha that’s a good analogy that I agree with with the p2c as Ultegra and the p3 as dura ace.
I’m still rocking my 2008 p2c original dura ace 10 speed group!
My favorites would be
- Cervelo P3c (i’m obviously biased here)
- Natascha Badmann’s CAT Cheetah
- Zipp 2001