You can save a bunch of cash by looking at the Cervelo Dual. I love mine!!! It's a serious, solid, and fast tri bike with less fluff. About $1500. Then take the grand you saved and have it fit. Get some high end shoes, aero hydration stuff, an areo helmet. Also check out the mylar wheel cover at wheelbuilder.com. And still have enough left over to take you wife/GF out for dinner. You're going to need to keep her happy with all the training that you're going to doing.

http://www.all3sports.com/product_info.php?pName=cervelo-dual-ultegra-2007

The biggest difference between 105 and DA is going to be weight, which doesn't matter much racing in Florida. It only makes a difference on hills (and there have to be lots of them to make the weight-savings significant) or in races where you change pace a lot (which are rare outside of ITU Elite.....but man they're fun). Even then, the difference between 105 and DA is only 2 lbs. Also, shifting doesn't matter much in a time trial; most of the time you're just going to sit in one gear and crank, so go for the aero advantage over the shifting advantage...there's more to be gained with an aero wheelset than upgrading components for time trialing. I have a Plasma with 105 right now and have no troubles as long as I have the derailleurs adjusted properly.

The Plasma is a great bike--the only con really is that the integrated seattube makes it a pain in the ass to pack in a normal size bike box. (You have to take the chainrings off....if you're over 6', you might have to take the whole crankset off). If you're just driving to races, though, this shouldn't be a problem. It's when you fly that it gets to be a hassle. The Treks are both great bikes; the Kuota is, too. Specialized makes good road bikes, but their TT bikes aren't really designed with as much care....kind of just an afterthought to the rest of their line.

If you plan on doing HIM, one thing that would be good to consider is the fact that road vibration has the potential to eat up your legs for the run when you go that far (it does at any distance, really, but you'll never notice on a sprint). Carbon frames help to absorb road vibration, leaving you fresher for the run (more comfortable, too!)

The question really isnt carbon vs alum. Its about the fit of brand X vs Y. ONe question for you is that if this is a new generation E9 (black frame) or previous (red frame.) While there is nothing wrong with last years E9 (I ride an E7,) the newer Equinoxes are MUCH nicer.

I would go visit a shop that FIST fits. Only sad part is that they are all over in Clearwater. Get the numbers of an ideal position, then see which bike will fit you best. And ride ALL of em. I'm not kidding. Tri season is a few months off. You have time to ride em all. Only then will you truely see which bike is best. They all offer similar part spec and will all perform as well as any other bike. Its just a question of which one YOU like.

Just curious to know what kind of problems they were claiming that Cervelos were having. I have a P2SL and have had zero problems.

I followed the great advice I received on this site last year and visited 5 different bike shops before I bought my bike. I would have been happy with most of the bikes, many of which you mention, but the Cervelo fit the best.

It was tough to say no to the carbon on the Seduza, but I am very pleased with the performance of the aluminum. Good luck with your decision and take your time.

I have heard nothing but good things about Cervelo bikes from the forum which is awesome. I live in Tampa and I have not been able to find any dealers here which makes this tough. Any suggestions ?

I could not find a local dealer who would sell me a Cervelo under my terms. So I went with these folks (no tax and free shipping):

http://www.all3sports.com/index.php?cName=bikes-triathlon-bikes

The bike came in 3 days and was almost completely assembled. All I had to do was install the front brake and wheel. Then make sure all the bolts were tightened. I was on the road within 30 minutes.

I would happily buy another bike from all3sports. (I'm not affiliated with them in any way, except for being a happy customer)

Here is an example of how different bike companys equip their bikes within a similar price range. The article is a little dated but you'll get the point.

http://trigearreview.com/forms/Article.aspx?REVID=227

Hmmm. Tough one. If you get the Cervelo will you have someone local who will fit you and service it?

Component wise they're comparable. The Treks wheels are more aero but not as stable. The hand built Easton wheels on my Dual are as true after 4000 miles as the day I got them. The Trek Race X-lites on my road bike need to be trued all the time. I'm replacing them this spring with a set of Neuvation M28s. Will sell the Trek's at the next swap meet.

The cutout on the Trek's seattube looks pretty cool. Will that make changes faster or slower? The Trek has some carbon in their aero bars, the Cervelo does not. Trek comes in Black Cervelo in Silver. Buy the Trek locally you pay tax. Buy the Cervelo over the web and get free shipping and no tax (unless you're honest Abe and running for public office)

Not positive but I think the Cervelo has more adjustment in riding position with the spinning seatpost top (74-79 degrees)

I doubt you'll see your time dropping for that additional $700 in up front cost. What other cool stuff could you spend $700 on? Zipps? Aero helmet?

Not too many people have Treks (unless you live in Wisconsin) so you'll stand out.

In either case if you're going to be racing hilly courses you may want to ask for a 11-25 or 11-27 cassette.

Sounds like a fun decision to have. Wish I had money to spend right now.

Good luck. You probably can't go wrong with either bike. I love my Dual but would probably be just as happy with the Trek.

Solidad - what is your review of the BLUE bicycle? Did you get the T14? I was looking into them.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.:D

Well this thread has been quite educational, helpful and confusing. ;) I had my mind set on the P2C, but then started looking at the Duals because they're half the price and is just an incredible value....but upon going and inspecting them...I thought the P2SL would be a better investment, as I could see myself eventually replacing some of the Dual's components. But now I'm thinking, hmm...for another $500 I could just go with the P2C and am back where I started, although not as sure.

Whatever the case, it sure is fun doing the comparisons and thinking about it. Once purchased all the fun goes away and it's just mile after mile....thinking, man....I spent $3k to be .3 mph faster avg. than my old POS?

The big question for me is....I've never done 100 miles on an aluminum bike (only steel). And I've never run a marathon after that either. (I will be later in the year!) So I guess the one piece of data I don't have is - how brutal is AL on the long haul and how much better is CF? Also, I know CF tends to get a bit jankey after it's exposed to too much UV (although the Cervelo is fully painted, which kind of negates the problem, unlike, say, a Kuota which is just clearcoated). What's the life expectancy of a CF frame?

I don't agree, I own a Specialized transition expert and think it is the best bike I have ever owned. As for "not much care in its design", Peter Reid was integral in its design. 3 time hawaii winner helped design it...good enough for me. The transition just doesn't seem to have the "Bling" factor that alot of people go after. I'm heaps quicker on this bike than my last one. I loaned it to a friend to ride and he was impressed with how stiff it was.

I also like the Plasma, but as I will travel a bit to race, the integrated seat post took it out of the running. Friends of mine have had trouble with their seat clamps on the Cervelo, as they are only secured by one bolt and hence the seat has alot of force going through one point. This gives alot and they are always asking for a tool to tighten it. This may not affect lighter guys too much, the guys riding these bike are 85kg +.

Carbon V Alu - In terms of weight you will find they are usually quite comparable. Carbon is supposed to give a bit more under road buzz, but remain stiff. Interestingly, Specialized have made use of rubber wraps on the bars, forks and seat post to soak up vibration. An ingenius idea that really does work. Carbon is said to have a greater life as well (beyond 5 years), but I haven't had any problems with Alu bikes.

I also agree with Tri Gator, that the running gear doesn't matter too much. Particularly Ultegra-Dura Ace. Get a stiff frame that fits you well, a frame that fits you might not fit me as well, not all frame sizes are really the same across the brands.

I really thought I was going with the P2C, but the Dual is basically everything I want, $1200 less and comes with better rims. Plus it's less flashy, which is even better. The Dual is so good that Cervelo is discontinuing it! Dealers are being told that the supply for '07 will be drying up--I suppose Cervelo corporate has figured out that the Duals are cannibalizing their top end models. That is true for me. I go in for a fitting this week and will test out the P2SL, the C and the Dual....stay tuned, but I think I'll be going with the latter.

Just got an Excel Sports catalog in the mail last night. Noticed that they have the 2006 Cervelo Dual for $1500. That's also the going rate for the 2007s except that the 2006 has Dura Ace instead of Ultegra. The only other difference I could see was the wheels. The 06 has the Easton Vistas (which I love) and the 07 has Shimano R-550s (don't know anything about them). The silver frame looks sneaky fast too :)

The 2007s can be had in either DA ($1800) or Ultegra. The DA model has the Easton rims. tje $1500 Ultegra one does not.

Nice upgrade!

It looks like all3sports.com now only has the 56cm size for the Cervelo Dual...I have a call into them to see if that is the case.

UPDATE: Although all3sports only has 56cm sizes today, they will be getting a shipment of other sizes next week. I did buy the Cervelo Dual and saved about $250 from the prices I was seeing in the Chicagoland area.