The Speed Concept is Trek’s new triathlon superbike. How does it measure up, literally, in terms of geometry? Is this bike long and low, narrow and tall, and is it sufficiently adjustable?
by Dan Empfield, June 8, 2010
Prior to this year, the major bike brands, in particular those selling more than $150 million a year, were asea in the tri market, because of ambivalence and indecisiveness. Now, they’re focused. But can they compete?
Trek released their SpeedConcept to the public on May 22nd at the Tour of California time trial. This white paper from Trek tells their story of the bike before that grand unveiling.
This Plasma is the longest in the tooth of the three Plasma framesets. It’s still got plenty of life and relevance. Even so, it would benefit from a couple of design and spec upgrades.
Is this bike the last of an era? The bike aboard which Levi, Lance and Alberto won so many grand tour TTs prepares, perhaps, to slide off into history. The Equinox TTX 9.0 is part of that lineage.
After 20 years of ambivalence toward tri bikes and the tri market, Specialized has finally made a world class timed race bike. The Transition is, with some exceptions, a bike worthy of its headbadge.
Cervelo’s juggernaut P2 moved out of the $2500 neighborhood, selling this year for $280. Felt’s B14 nicely slotted into the P2’s hand-me-down $2500 category; it’s a great value for the money.
The Felt B12 is a worthy competitor to C’dale’s Slice 4 and Cervelo’s category killing P2, as well as the entry level Equinox TTX and Specialized Transition. But the closest rivel to the B12 isn’t Cervelo, it’s Felt’s own B14.
Over the past decade Cervelo simplified cable routing, added a chain stay adjustment screw, then came the move to carbon. Since then it’s been pretty clear sailing.
This bike is a case study in: Not only power, not only handling, not only comfort, but superior aerodynamics is largely tied to choosing a bike that properly fits you.
The Dean is a tri bike, made by a Belgian company, that inhabits a niche all it’s own – or, almost its own. Wonder what that niche is? Click and read.
Reviewed is this mid-priced Trek through the prism of a “Have It Your Way” Project One purchase which is, in our view, the best way to buy any Trek at this price or above.
