Kestrel Talon

Price Paid:  $1900.00 at Kestrel Direct

Favorite Ride:
Colorado National Monument

Summary:
I must correct my earlier review. Kestrel eventually made good on the cracked frame and offered me an upgrade (RT700) as a frame replacement. The RT700 is slicker 'n cat snot on a door knob. This is clearly the best bike I've ever ridden.

Price Paid:  $2100.00

Favorite Ride:
anywhere

Bike Setup:
fs, ht, ss, road, tt

Summary:
Problem, FUJI bought Kestrel and no longer owns up to the warranty. BEWARE of this existing owners. I had the same issue of seatposts creaping down and i even broke one because of it. There are hair line cracks from imperfections, basically manufacturing defect that is a 'known issue'. Fuji got rid of the guy that made kestrel who they are, Jim, that honored warranties. Now forget about it. I was pissed to see someone was offered in this review, a crash replacement $300 less than what they offered me! they told me $1200, i can get that for retail and GIVE ME ONE REASON TO BUY ANOTHER ONE! HAHAHAHAHAH FORGET IT!!

Strengths:
Good bike, good feel, and was a good warranty and good company.

Weaknesses:
Owners, beware of FUJI! FUJI IS THE DOWNFALL OF KESTREL! So sad to see a fine company bought buy @holes! If you are looking to buy one of these, do NOT assume that warranty is what it says.

Similar Products Used:
abici, colnago, torelli, specialized

Price Paid:  $950.00 at Used on Craigs

Favorite Ride:
Mt Diablo Summit RT

Bike Setup:
DA 10, FSA SLK, EC 90, Keo, Ksyrium SL, Conti 4000, Kestrel Aero Post.

Summary:
After having burglars raid my home and snatch a few of my prized bikes, plus other things...I had to find replacements. I spent the bulk of $$ on replacing the MTB (SC Blur LT2) and TT (Felt DA w/Zipp). The roadie..a recent De Rosa Avant was tougher to replace due to limited access/distrib. In the meantime, I hunted craigslist for a good used alternative with similar characteristics if not pedigree. I opted for the Kestrel talon after riding various frames and took advantage of the current recession and low balled an offer which the seller accepted.
Very decent bike..not a serious racer by any means, but fills the gap in my quiver when I need to spend time climbing and not on a TT frame. Still gets compliments from fellow riders even with a 3 yr old bike. I tried the Talon SL, and that was sloppy in comparison..lighter but definitely "softer".

Strengths:
Descends well, climbs OK, comfortable with good energy transfer to the road. No fatigue after long climbs.

Weaknesses:
Aging design and fiber technology. Weight. Can get it to flex and feather a gear change with an all out sprint....
Fuji as new owners will certainly undermine the pedigree and the premium normally paid for these bikes. The "new" bikes are now a couple of grand off of MSRP.

Similar Products Used:
De Rosa Planet, De Rosa Avant,De Rosa king Colnago C-40, kestrel evoke, Talon SL

Price Paid:  $1900.00 at Performane Bikes

Favorite Ride:
35 mile local loop

Bike Setup:
Ultegra 10spd group, FSA SLK crank
Neuvation M28 Aero wheelset, Michelin Pro Race 3 tires, Selle Italia SLR carbon seat, Kestrel carbon seatpost, Deda Bar and Headset

Summary:
I've owned my Talon since 2001 and clocked over 8000 miles on the frame. Its strength and smoothness allied to good speed and stiffness have been key reasons I like to ride this bike on my regular weekly solo or group rides. Being a big guy 6'1 and 210 lbs this bike's core strength while being fairly supple are the main reasons I'd buy another. The only upgrade I've made is to buy Neuvation's excellent M28 Aero/ceramic bearing wheels replacing the Spinergy wheelset I bought with the bike. Its is a bit heavy by latest standards but climbs and descends well, and feels stable. It can wander off line on major potholes or cracks but most roadbikes I've ridden do so. Key to enjoying this bike is a good setup, and regular servicing. The internal cable routing, and comment on frame cracks in other reviews have not been an issue on this bike. Still it is a 2001 frame, so perhaps standards have slipped? The paintjob in red still looks great, which is amazing after the use its had. The Kestrel team know how to build quality bikes at a great price

Strengths:
Smooth riding, good power transfer and acceleration, stable in fast descents, strong and durable, still looks great after 7 years!

Weaknesses:
Can feel sluggish on hills given weight, newer framesets do get lightness/comfort balance better.

Price Paid:  $1200.00 at eBay

Favorite Ride:
Colorado National Monument

Bike Setup:
Ultegra components
Ultegra wheels
Stock setup from Kestrel

Summary:
I was so proud of this bike when I first got it. It was nice and shiny, and red, and slick, with cool decals. You know the feeling.

I had a friend of mine, a former professional racer who trained as the Olympic facility in Colorado Springs, help me fit and tune the bike.

After three rides the seat tube on the frame showed multiple cracks. I hauled it back to the LBS for warranty replacement. They said it was an assembly error on my part. I left the seat post too long, and it slid down into the seat tube, cracking the frame.

I remember my first ride, the seat post crept down a couple inches. I hadn't tightened the seat collar enough (or, just being a new bike, it naturally came loose on the first ride).

Kestrel clearly admits that this was a design flaw in the Talon frame that they have since fixed. But the Fuji warranty team has determined that it's not their problem. They just bought Kestrel, but apparently won't assume Kestrel's problems.

So, Fuji offers me a crash replacement for $900.00. That's about twice as much as I'm going to pay for my Pedalforce frame to replace this piece of $hit.

Further review issues:
-the frame is bonded, not monocoque
-the frame is made in China, not USA
-the seat tube was engineered for Kestrel's aero seatpost. However, they ship it standard with a FSA round post tube, along with a funky little plastic adapter to make the round post fit a triangle hole. It doesn't hold the seat post very well. You either risk over tightening the seat collar (thus cracking the frame), or under tightening the seat collar, and having the seat post slide too far into the frame (thus cracking the frame). Either way, the frame is going to crack.

The bike rides nice. At least it did on my first 3 rides before the frame was ruined. In fact, it rides like a dream and climbs like a lizard up a cliff. I loved that bike for the three hours I rode it.

Bottom line: Fuji is not going to honor the Kestrel warranty. When you buy a Kestrel, you are buying a Fuji. Don't confuse the two. Kestrel was a premier boutique frame maker in Santa Cruz, California. Fuji is a reseller of cheap Chinese frames who recently bought the Kestrel brand to buoy their cheap image.

Strengths:
Paint job
Cool looking aero tubes

Weaknesses:
Bonded, not monocoque
Fuji all-hassles warranty

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