Justin A. Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I know that there are alot of cyclists here, I'm just wondering if any of you ride a Cervelo...I'm planning on adding a Soloist Team to my rack in the coming weeks and I'm sponging up all the information that I possibly can about the company and their reputation, and personal experience and/or opinions would be great. Think spring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvrocks Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I don't ride one but they have a very good reputation in the triathlon world. I test rode the Cervelo Dual but didn't end up buying it because it didn't fit me well. Had it fit better, I would have bought it. The spec was good for the price and the fit and finish was nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Cervelo is top shelf stuff. I'm sure you're aware of their record at the Tour de France. If you're looking for value, also consider Argon 18. Made in Montreal. Great rep in the triathlon world. http://www.argon18bike.com/version.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Cervelo is top shelf stuff. I'm sure you're aware of their record at the Tour de France. If you're looking for value, also consider Argon 18. Made in Montreal. Great rep in the triathlon world. http://www.argon18bike.com/version.htm I had checked them out, but there are no dealers in the US (near where I live anyway) that I can find. Plus, I'm 100% sold on the Aero Advantage, and their TDF, Paris-Roubaix, and basically team CSC's records. I'm going to be buying the the US because the thought of paying 14% tax-for programs that I don't get to use or see the results of as an American Citizen- turns me off. Nothing against you guys, but I prefer to support my own economy (even if I am buying a Canadian made bike either way-give something back to the neighbors I guess) in NH-where there's no sales tax . Those Argons sure are nice though... Jacking my own thread here.... Skategoat, don't you drive a Jeep Liberty? If you do, you should come camping with this liberty group that I'm a member of this weekend. We're heading up to Minden on saturday, and some other people might be camping as well-I definitley am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Nah, I own a Toyota 4Runner. I wouldn't mind going mudding with it sometime. The only off-road it sees these days is my driveway. As for camping, umm, isn't there still snow on the ground? Thanks but no thanks. I'm a fair weather camper at best. Make sure you stop at Kawartha Dairy for some ice cream while you're in Minden. Order the Raspberry Thunder. Mmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Nope, no snow anymore. Here in Ottawa we picked up about 15cm yesterday morning, but it's all gone now. Gonna be a good weekend, awesome biking weather too. 17 degrees and SUNNY! Now if only I had that Cervelo now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 There is a local dealer me in NH. Here in Ottawa, there are 2 dealers that I can go to for any servicing needs that spring up. I ride alone 90% of the time, and when I have the money on hand, Zipp 404's will be going on, and I ride in a good aero position anyway because I like keeping pace with traffic . The thing about this particular bike that attracts me despite a somewhat thin dealer network is A) the price- for $2200 name another stage winning bike in stock form. B) Cervelo's dedication to precision and excellence. C) the Aero advantage-truth is, I ride alone much more often than I ride with someone else, I find the aero position comfortable to ride in (I must be doing something wrong I know), and I like to go fast when I do. D) the stiffness to weight ratio of the Soloist team is amazing...I didn't feel any noticable flex in the frame under big ring accelerations from a stop to about 40km/h - my Giant practially starts creaking under the same abuse. I read the thread over on RBR, but it seems that people over there can't click the right link when they're reviewing bikes...there are all star reviews for the SLC-SL in the Soloist Team page, and I don't have the patience to sift through to find what I'm looking for when it's like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertrash Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 who rode that bike in stock form in a stage win? im gonna bet nobody. maybe they rode the frame but i doubt it was stock. the pic on the site of Julich is a stock "frame" big deal, not a stock bike at the $2200 price point. $2200? i know the web site says that but nobody pays that: http://www.all3sports.com/product_info.php?pName=cervelo-soloist-team-2007 im not saying it is a bad bike but who cares what races have been won on that frame? if you are going by that measurement i would think Trek would win. do you have aero bars on your bike now? if not you aren't in the aero position, you cant get your arms in the right position with out them. have you been fit for an aero position? by a reputable fitter? fast splits is worth the money, i was fit by the owner. there is also a shop in vt that is very good, fit werx (also in ma now). keep your giant, ride it like you stole it. if you do need to upgrade ride a ton of bikes before you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Being comfortable in the aero position does not mean you are doing anything wrong.In fact evolving gradually into a progressively more aero position on your own with a little guidance can be as effective and even more so than having someone else try to imprint you with their philosophy on fit. If you are entry level particularly, being comfortable in the meantime will make you faster.I know several riders and coach a couple that put out considerably more power in more upright positions.As for Trek being number one; if it was all about stage wins in grand tours and other races on the pro tour, that wouln't be the case. Cervelo would have them beat with the numbers of races actually won on their bikes.Some people just want a new bike and as a bike shop owner it surprises me that someone who obviously wants a new bike would be told to keep the creaky one they've got.Especially in a forum based out of a manufacturer/retail site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertrash Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Being comfortable in the aero position does not mean you are doing anything wrong. agreed. In fact evolving gradually into a progressively more aero position on your own with a little guidance can be as effective and even more so than having someone else try to imprint you with their philosophy on fit. so a coaches philosophy is better than a bike fitters? i dont disagree with your statement however' date=' for a recreational rider it is probably easier in most cases to walk in to a shop and get a good fitting than find a coach and the time to work with them. If you are entry level particularly, being comfortable in the meantime will make you faster.I know several riders and coach a couple that put out considerably more power in more upright positions. this is one thing a good fitting would evaluate. As for Trek being number one; if it was all about stage wins in grand tours and other races on the pro tour' date=' that wouln't be the case. Cervelo would have them beat with the numbers of races actually won on their bikes.[/quote']my point was more towards the idea of buying a bike because of its race resume and not how it rides/fits for the buyer. Some people just want a new bike and as a bike shop owner it surprises me that someone who obviously wants a new bike would be told to keep the creaky one they've got. i am pretty sure his current ride is only about a year old. if it is "creaky" it probably can be fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 My current ride is creaky in the frame because I flex the chainstays when I sprint. It's not componentry or build quality that's the issue, it's that I've outgrown the level of bike that I'm riding. I'm going to be racing in the local races this year, and let's face it...a Giant OCR isn't a race bike, nor is it a particularly fast bike. A Soloist is a race bike, and a very fast bike. TT, I understand that you're trying to keep me from blowing money away, but I didn't ask for that kind of guidance. If I was buying the bike soley because of it's record, I would fall into the same groove as most of the rest of the population that wants a fast bike and buy a Cannondale or a Trek. The fact that I'm targeted on a fairly obscure company (in the general public's eye) should tell you something about me doing my homework on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Have you ridden one long enough to tell if it realy fits you? If you have, and it fits you, and you like it, and it seems like a fair deal for the money, ... get it. Who cares who's ridden it in what race if it wasn't you? If you haven't ridden one(not just around the block the bike shop is on), go do it! If the bike doesn't fit you, it's worthless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted April 20, 2007 Report Share Posted April 20, 2007 Oh and by the way, turning seat posts around to make a hack tri-bike is not a revolutionary idea. If you look at the geometry specs on Cervelo's web site, you'll find some pretty old school road bike numbers on that frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2007 something has to be wrong with these prices:http://normansbikes.ifastnet.com/cervelo.htm Agreed. Next time I head home, I'm definitley going there to check them out, after calling to confirm prices of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 ill save you the trouble, its a confirmed scam. oh well. How'd you find that out? I mean...they have a yahoo email address which screams scam to me, but did you find them on a scam list or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Justin - You talk about racing and being aero....are you racing road (crit, road, etc), triathlons and/or time trials? I chat with Gerard several times a year and various events. Very nice group of people until you try to get customer service...typical small company syndrome. It's VERY important to go through a top 10 dealer (who has spare parts and clout to pull strings at Cervelo). I'd recommend RA Cycles. I've had a Soloist long before they were popular. Matter of fact, mine has a 1" steerer! No doubt about it, the Soloist team is a great value, but it also has some serious flaws. Love it or hate it, the compact geo is a lil messed up. Why? B/c of the ACTUAL angle of the seat post tube (not the effective position after saddle fore/aft). Therefore, you get progressively more "rear" end as the slope is pretty slack. Not a huge deal, but if you are downsizing your bike (high seat post/low front end), this may be an issue. Stiff? Well..it's depends what you are comparing it to! There are NO published tests on the Soloist, but rather most of the other Cervelo frames. Why? Well..b/c it sells well enough w/o releasing them. It is a alum bike and it will wear out over time. Now..the biggest problems: 1) Alum seat post is a boat anchor 2) Seat tube collar is prone to stripping 3) Flip floppable seat head bolt is prone to stripping 4) Seat clamp bolt is prone to stripping All of the stripping above is within the recommended torque settings, btw. The solution? Find a Soloist Carbon owner (or shop) who will sell you a FIXED seat post. You still might have issues with the collar, the the fixed post is a VERY GOOD seat post. The "flip flop" marketing of the Soloist is all smoke and mirrors. If you have your bike fitted for proper "road" position, it's MUCH MORE difficult to get a good aero position than simply tossing on some aerobars and flipping the seat around. Most likely, you'll have to adjust the seat height, seat fore/aft, handle bar height, reach, aerobar length/height, etc and the list goes on. That said, the Soloist is a good road bike OR a good tt/tri bike, but NOT BOTH unless you have the time/patience to swap it around and a box full of spare collars, seatposts. Net-net - Buy it as a ROAD BIKE and keep it that way. It you wanna a tri/tt bike, there are much better choices for less money. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted April 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 I'm talking about Road racing, not TT/Tris. Tri is nuts, and I don't plan on doing any TT's seriously enough that I need a different bike/position for them, I would be doing them to measure against myself. Road racing is what I'm interested in getting more serious about. My current bike is a compact frame as well, I haven't had a problem with that about it, I figure it should be the same with the soloist. Seatpost- The shop I'll be buying from sells the Soloist Team with the carbon seatpost . As far as the stripping goes, I am yet to go anyplace where I needed to remove my saddle from the seatpost to get the bike there, so I'll have the shop put my saddle on and adjust it, and then just leave it there unless I HAVE to move it. Has Cervelo adressed these issuses with the seatpost though? Even without planing on moving anything around, that kinda worries me...is it an issue on their carbon bikes as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 Seatpost- The shop I'll be buying from sells the Soloist Team with the carbon seatpost . Has Cervelo adressed these issuses with the seatpost though? The Soloist Team DOES NOT come with the FIXED Carbon post, but the regular "flip flop" carbon post is an option. The stripping issue isn't just with installation, but can happen during riding (with the flip flop head). As for Cervelo addressing it, they have released several different seat post heads over the years with mixed results..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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