Well Trek madone 5.2 or Cervelo Soloist. Interested in any links to reviews people may have as well?
I think you should choose the one that fits you best.
Wrong site to ask that question (i.e. LOTS of Cervelo love here and not much Trek).
But, there are TONS of reviews online on the Soloist Carbon. Pretty different bikes too. Looking for a “race” bike or a comfy training bike?
Check out roadbikereview.com
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soloist team or soloist carbon?
i’ve got an aluminum (aka alumin-i-um) soloist. hard to justify the extra $$$ for the carbon, and i don’t know that you can get madone’s in that price range (can you?).
Agree assuming you are looking at the Soloist Carbon vs Trek Madone 5.2 they are really different bikes. Better comparison might be against the Cervelo R3 or RS depending on fit. I have ridden the Madone and it is a nice bike, owned an R2.5 (my most comfortable bike ever) and now an SLC (and P2C). The SLC is an all out race bike which definitely sacrifices a plush ride for performance.
Regardless if it doesn’t fit it is a bad bike for you.
On a strictly surface level I say that if you are going to ride a carbon bike, it ought to be a Soloist. IMHO it is the only carbon bike that has ever done anything for me.
I own a P3C so I lean toward the Cervelo but I just bought a 5.2 Pro (and finally got it). Go to a store that has them side-by-side and you’ll wonder why the Cervelo costs more. Both are great bikes, but the reviews on the new Madone’s are stellar.
The R3 and RS are more inline with the Madones, the SLC and SLC SL are Aero Road Bikes and according to my LBS that is a Trek and Cervelo Dealer the SLC because of its Aero profile it can save 6 to 9 watts while riding it, and its just as stiff as the Madone. But both are great bikes can not go wrong either way.
actually, one of the main questions, i’d think - how important is it to you that the frame be aero?
my understanding is that the madone isn’t very aero at all. a big deal in some situations,not in others.
I agree with previous post that say these are two totally different bikes. I have both brands in my stores and have ridden both for thousands of miles. The 2008 Madone is bar non the smoothest most comfortable bike I have ever been on. That being said it is very responsive and quick when it needs to be it just feels so smooth because of the 90mm BB and Control Core, basically all of the advancements that were years in the making. The Cervelo Solist is the bike I race (we are sponsored) and it is a machine. Stiff, aero, and extremely responsive. The Soloist takes some getting used too if you have not been on one. It is stiff and will go as fast and far as you can take it and then some.
Firstly, I’d make some comparisons between the geometry of the frame size you need: What are the head tube heights? Cervelo is dedicated to maintaining a 73 degree seat tube angle across their geometry chart in every frame size. if that suits you, it may be optimal- how does the Trek compare? It may be better for you or worse…
Another consideration is warranty duration. Check those out as I suspect they may vary. Cervelo is well known for their impact and fatigue testing with the EFBe and of course the quality of the Treks after 8 Tour de France wins (7 for Armstrong, 1 for Contador) is well established.
This is a tough comparison because you are talking about two very, very nice bikes. Mercedes or BMW? Ferrari or Lamborghini? Rolex or Omega? PC or MAC? Tough choices since each example is established and proven.
I’ve ridden a lot of bikes and this year my road bike is a Cervelo Soloist SLC/SL. I’m not a Trek dealer so you won;t see me on one of those but it is a very nice bike. I’d consider riding it, but my **opinion **is the Cervelo Soloist is a more advanced design with integrated aerodynamic features not found on other road bikes along with incredible durability that exceeds almost every other bike as well as impressive ride quality. I’ve sold Trek in the past and they are a fine bike, so no short shift to them. I agree the Trek may be more like the R3 bikes than the Soloist in that it is not an aero tube bike (the Trek). That said, there are sophisticated tube shapes on the R3 that no one else is using either…
I faced the same decision last year and ended up with the Soloist for no reason other than it “felt” better to me. Although I bought it as a road bike and own a tri bike, I ended up flipping the seat around and using it at IM Wisconsin. Never regretted buying it for a minute.
That said, ride them both and decide for yourself.