Tri Bike Six Pack
After a hard swim, the next discipline is one of the most eagerly awaited for any triathlete: the bike. This is where you get to show off your two-wheel fitness and put your cycling acumen on display for all to see. We’ve selected a six pack of industry-leading favorites: some represent amazing values, some offer cutting-edge technological advancements and all stand, in general, as genuine marvels of speed.
Cervelo P2C $3,000
Cervelo’s second-tier bike outfitted with Shimano Dura-Ace deserves first-class billing – after all, it’s the bike that TeamTBB pro Chrissie Wellington used to win the Hawaii Ironman in Kona last year. The reason team coach Brett Sutton put Chrissie on the P2C is the same reason that makes it the perfect rig for us: a taller head tube means less space under the stem. For many of us, the ultra-low position afforded by the top-end P3C is too aggressive. The P2C gives you much of the same aero effect, with a less aggressive frontal geometry that’s better suited to long-course triathlon racing.
So we ask: where else can you get the exact same bike that won the Hawaii Ironman, in a Shimano Ultegra version for $2,500? Answer: you won’t find it anywhere else. This is it.
www.cervelo.com
Guru Crono $4,900
Guru’s approach to bike building is that it ought to be unique, like your fingerprint. And while the Montreal-based brand does have stock offerings, Guru is best known as the only major-production, full-custom carbon bike manufacturer in North America. And the Crono, Guru’s top-shelf full-carbon tri rig, happens to be an object of art due to its uniquely organic design, built just for you.
But the design is more a measure of function than fashion; as tubes seamlessly flow in shape and aerodynamic depth, they twist to deliver a desired ride characteristic – stiffness through the bottom bracket, and aerodynamic effect with deep tubes at the down tube and seat tube. The Shimano Ultegra-outfitted Crono is a true jack-of-all-trades, a masterful marriage of all the critical bike features: aerodynamics to stiffness to compliance, to create that product of perfection built just for you. And in our opinion, Guru offers the finest wet-look paint job options in the industry to finish your masterpiece, making it as suited to your fireplace mantle as to the racecourse.
www.gurubikes.com
Felt B12 $2,699
Whisper-thin stays, a perfectly-cowled rear wheel, a 76-degree seat angle, a down-tube flare that catches and flows front wheel turbulence… the wind-tunnel-designed Felt DA has proven itself on paper – and on the race course – to be one of the fastest bikes in triathlon. But not all of us can afford the DA.
Enter the B12, delivering the same aero advantage to the masses. Felt uses the same frame mold as the DA with a different carbon layup, and substitutes the bayonet fork for a standard Felt carbon fork. Then they save you money with great part specs, including Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra parts, an FSA crank set and DDA aero alloy wheels. The end result is a bike at a price that is arguably one of the best values in the sport.
www.feltracing.com
Kuota Kueen K $6,399
From strength to strength, the Kueen K was developed to harness the power of two-time Hawaii Ironman champ Normann Stadler, one of the truest workhorses on the bike in the pro ranks. To that end, it’s without question one of the strongest tri bikes on the market, thanks to a stout oversized down tube and one of the beefiest bottom brackets available. Up a climb or out of the saddle, the Kueen K is one of the torsionally stiffest full-carbon tri bikes available today. But there’s a lot of aero advantage at work, most notably at that bottom bracket, which has a unique leading-edge cowl, designed to aerodynamically protect the stealthily mounted rear brake.
Athletes that ride a bike hard and appreciate a strong rig won’t be disappointed in the delivery of the Kueen K – which is usually into T2 in quick time.
www.kuotanorthamerica.com
Specialized Transition Comp $3,000
Maybe it wasn’t that Chris McCormack went all that much faster (though he went hella fast, averaging over 24 mph) when winning his first Hawaii Ironman title last fall. Perhaps he just went… easier. The groundbreaking aerodynamics of the Transition, including unique stays and in-line braking that helps keep cables out of the wind, meant he could use less energy by pushing fewer watts – and was perhaps fresher off the bike for the run.
Yeah, that’s all great, but you can’t afford the aerodynamics of Macca’s top-end S-Works Transition. Right? Actually you can get the exact same aero benefits in the Transition Comp Specialized’s price-point tri rig, including the same frame design and geometry (with a slightly different carbon fiber layup), with a less expensive component package at a super-affordable bottom line.
www.specialized.com
Argon 18 Element 112 $3,700
Argon 18 instantly became a major player in the tri bike market when Torbjorn Sindballe muscled the slippery, deep tubes of his Element 114 frame to a third-place finish in Kona last year. With its integrated front fork and its reversible carbon post offering between 76 and 78 degrees of seat angle, all on a slippery nanotech carbon frame with a beautiful seat cutout, the E-114 quickly became the pièce de résistance for many triathletes.
To make it more affordable, Argon 18 now offers the Element 112 – the exact same wind-tunnel-designed frame as its big brother, but with a standard Argon 18 carbon aero fork and a Shimano Dura-Ace/Ultegra group set combo. Samantha McGlone rocked the E-112 to a win at Wildflower this spring – further proof that so-called second-tier bikes are capable of first-rate results.
www.argon18bike.com
this month's magazine
Best of Texas 2008
It's up to you! Vote in our Best of Texas 2008 contest and be entered to win a Griffen Bike!
The Secret is Massage
Do you feel like you'll never recover from your hard workout days? A massage may be the answer to your problem. Olympian Jeff Galloway explains why a massage isn't just relaxing, but important for your recovery and overall performance.
Adventure: Hawaii
This time of year, when someone mentions Hawaii, we think Ironman. But there are tons of other fun activities to do on the Islands.
Val and the Ironman
With Ironman celebrating it's 30th year, few know the efforts of Valerie Silk, without whom the race would not be what it is today.
competitor tv
best of
other features
Mondays with Marty
Award winning author of Chasing Lance, Martin Dugard shares his weekly musings exclusively online.
also on competitor
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Team Kona cyclocrosser Barry Wicks reports on some of his off-the-bike pursuits.
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:46:13 -0500
