Triathlon Bike Question

I think your head is in the right place.  I'd go with the Cannondale Slice and spend the extra few bucks on a wheelset.  Besides, now days those Cervelos are like a$$holes; everyones got one.  Get a Slice!

yeah, this a$$hole has a P2 and i love it. must be that they make a good bike or something.

The P2 and slice are somewhat different geometries.  Across all sizes, the Slice tends to be about 2cm shorter in reach.  You can adjust for that with a shorter or longer stem...but just so you know that the bike geometries are not the same.

DanielG - 2011-09-23 3:56 PM Chrissie rides a Cannondale Slice. What else is there needed to know about it?

Didn't she also win her first IM on a P2 ?

Chrissie would win with high handle bars, banana seat and a basket. It's not about the bike.

I'm a little concerned about this because two of the bikes on this list have very differenct fit characteristics (consult Dan Empfield's Stack and Reach database to see the differences) and one is also fairly far away from the others.

I don't see a common theme in these recommendations. Did your fitter tell you if you were a long, short or average torso configuration? These recommendations do suggest a trend, but I'd be interested in reading their take- it may clarify the range of choices.

Was your fitter F.I.S.T. certified and experienced in running off the bike?

The P2 is A LOT of bike for the money.  If it fits, I don't see how you could go wrong.

Full Disclosure:  I ride a Kuota, so I'm not partial to any bikes on your list.

pitt83 - 2011-09-23 2:29 PM

marcag - 2011-09-23 5:22 PM

DanielG - 2011-09-23 3:56 PM Chrissie rides a Cannondale Slice. What else is there needed to know about it?

 

Didn't she also win her first IM on a P2 ?

Chrissie would win with high handle bars, banana seat and a basket. It's not about the bike.

Or a big wheel.

I'm surprised she doesn't ride one. She is just about LAST on the list of pros I would look to for equipment choices.

For those asking about my fit numbers, he did suggest specific configurations for each bike to fit my coordinates and numbers.

Excellent- I'm taking a look at this now...

Ehhh. Stop.

There is mention of a 76 degree seat tube angle. Is this the "effective" seat tube angle, i.e., the angle between the center of your saddle and the center of the bottom bracket

-or-

is it the frame seat tube angle being prescribed?

I sense it is the later, and not the former- as the former would be extremely relaxed. I sit at 76.5 on my road bike and you and I share the identical saddle height at 72cm but  use 175mm cranks.

Also- given these numbers: Do you have an extremely long femur? If not, I think this answers my question about whether or not this guy is F.I.S.T. certified, triathlon specific bike fitter... 

Note sure on the seat tube, but yes to Triathlon guys and yes to F.I.S.T.  Not sure on my femur.    I have to admit a lot of it is new to me and I am moving from road to TT/Tri to may be related to my flexibility and comfort.  Here are my road measurements:

OK. some of this is starting to come into focus.

You are measuring your saddle height at 72 cm. but, according to your description of how you are measuring it, you are measuring the saddle height by "...follow 73 degree seat tube line up to top surface of saddle."

If you're willing to, do me a favor: Measure your saddle to verify it is 27 cm long. Measure from the rear of the saddle to the front. This will provide your saddle length. Most traditional racing saddles are within a couple millimeters of 27 cm. If you are using a saddle such as a Fizik Arione or a Profile Design Tri Stryke it will measure 30 cm. You indicated you aren't, so I post that for the general readership.

Divide the length of your saddle in half. If it was 27 cm, that gives you 13.5 cm. Measure from the nose of your saddle to the 13.5 cm mark (if that is, in fact your centerline). Make a mark with the edge of tape or chalk.

Now- measure the distance from the center of the bottom bracket, going upward, to the top center of the saddle. Do not measure along the seat tube of the frame. Measure only the linear distance to the saddle center in a straight line- which will trace your true effective seat tube angle to the center of the saddle. This measurement may be shorter than your original one by up to 8 mm.

If you have Dura-Ace or Ultegra cranks it will be tough to find the center of your cranks- but try to be precise.

oh, another note- your reach dimension is trending short given your saddle height. That makes sense. If your reach is short and your saddle height is the same as mine, or within a few millimeters, you may have a short torso and long femurs.

If- and that is a fairly big "if" still... this supposition is accurate, it makes sense that you may sit shallower from a bike fit perspective. That may account for discussions surrounding a 76 degree seat angle.

Here is the thing though- triathlon bike fit isn't done in a "vaccum". A big part of how a triathlete is fit and positoned correctly is not for cycling, but for running.

You may have read about the Garside Study- the sometimes (unsuccessfully) disputed case for running more efficiently off a steep seat tube angle.

Regardless of femur length, you can still sit steep, which is a more relaxed position, more "open" between torso and femur, less bent over and generally more comfortable.

I latch onto this because a lot of fitters don't go steep enough with clients. Steeper is more relaxed, more open between torso and leg, easier to sit in and more comfortable.  

They make their positions too relaxed and cramped. When I hear seat tube angles around 80+ degrees I breath a sigh of relief. That is a nice, relaxed, open angle between femur and torso. When I hear anything south of 78 degrees effective seat tube angle on a tri bike I start to wonder....

marcag - 2011-09-23 4:22 PM

DanielG - 2011-09-23 3:56 PM Chrissie rides a Cannondale Slice. What else is there needed to know about it?

 

Didn't she also win her first IM on a P2 ?

Chrissie would win with high handle bars, banana seat and a basket. It's not about the bike.

Tell that to Crowie!

Went to LBS and rode the Trek Speed Concept 7.2, a little more than I wanted to spend.  The guy at the LBS liked that bike given my numbers and after watching me on the trainer.  He also just liked the bike Nice bike and and ok feel.  I definitely think price and fit the Cannondale Slice 4 is better.  I had to order the Slice 4 and pay in full but the LBS will return 100% of my spend up to 3 weeks after riding if we cannot get a decent fit/feel.  If I return we will work on the Trek or the cervelo P2C.  

Thanks for everyone's comments.  I guess per everyone here it is all about feel, budget, and coolness