Kestrel Talon SL

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Sponsor

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Lions to Peak to Peak to Ward

Bike Setup:
Dura Ace 7800, Easton wheels.

Summary:
Great bike of all trades. Stiff for climbing and can hold lines in descending, but also aero enough to shave some time off a normal road bike. Great bang for your buck.

Strengths:
The bike is VERY stiff. If you want a stiff and powerful bike, Go for it. The bike is very versatile, Aero for TT's and stiff for climbing.

Weaknesses:
Because if the thick yet aero seat stays, you feel every single bump on the road. It woud nice if they could something about that. The seat also needs some engineering work, the clamp simply does not hold the seat.

Similar Products Used:
Fuji Team issue, Specialized Tarmac, Pinarello Paris

Price Paid:  $2500.00

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Toronto to Boston, through the Berkshires

Bike Setup:
Full Ultegra SL group;
12-27 cassette for climbing, standard 53/39 double crank;
Mavic Aksium wheels;
Ritchey drop bars;
Cane Creek S8 headset;
Time pedals;
Cheapo seat and stem.

Summary:
I must preface this review by saying that prior to this ride, I kept an old school chromoly Miele Lupa that I purchased in grade 10 on the road. I just started doing tri's this year, and after 18 years on the Lupa, decided it was time for an upgrade. I did my due diligence, and after reading, amongst other things, reviews on this site, decided on the Talon. So this is the first time I've ridden carbon.

Being hands on and enterprising (read as cheap), I put it together from eBay. It was a fun experience, and I saved about $1500, not to mention that Kestrel has no distributors in Canada at present. I built it up with all Ultegra SL components and drop bars, so it is essentially a Talon SL Road. I used '09 Mavic Aksium wheels (nicely redesigned with 140g less weight this year).

I love the bike. It is very smooth, and even seems to smooth out more above 70Km/hr (I've had it over 80 so far and it is rock solid at high speed). At first, I found it a little squirrely in tight corners, but I've learned that this is because it is so tight and solid - I've learned to handle it so it is now just that much more fun. Although I'm doing triathlon this year, I enjoy long distance riding as well, and have done several centuries on it so far in good comfort, only partly because it now takes less time to finish. My first race was last weekend, and the bike was my strongest component!

Strengths:
Very light, rigid, smooth, and ridiculously stable, especially at high speed;
Looks amazing;
Accelerates fast;
Adjustable seat post (once I get it);
Very comfortable on long rides;
solid handling;
Internal cable routing is very nice ... but then of course a wireless computer is required as well.

Weaknesses:
I started with a round carbon post using the supplied adapter. Although that is a very nice feature, something is slightly out of tolerance, and the post creaks back and forth, especially during saddled climbs. I've tried shimming it several ways, greasing it, and it still creaks. It's driving me nuts, mostly because I'm paranoid of the frame cracking.

Price Paid:  $4000.00 at pre owned

Model Year:
2005

Favorite Ride:
steep down hills with a tail wind and a sunny day

Bike Setup:
48 cm frame, LOOK HSC5 SL carbon fork, ZERO GRAVITY TI brakes, USE ALIEN TI post, SELLE ITALIA SLR 135GM seat, SYNTACE F99 90MM stem, MAVIC KYSRIUM SL wheels, 10 SPD DURACE, SPEEDPLAY ZERO TI pedals, ITM MILLENIUM CARBON h/bar, TI QR, all ti bolts
All up, it tips the scales at 6.6 kgs/14.5 lbs

Summary:
Before the talon sl I owned a klein Quantum and 650c cannondale tri bike with a kestrel fork.
The cannondale was really responsive and a fantastic ride. I loved the tt postion and small 650c wheels.
Oversize ali bikes however are really hard on the body after long rides and New Zealand country roads are really rough. Changing from the cannondales ali fork to the kestrel fork made a world of difference to my arms but that was about it.
I bought the kestrel talon sl because of such an awesome ride quality I experinced from having change from the ali the fork.

Strengths:
This is the prefect bike and I will never buy another road bike unless it breaks and even then, it will be another SL. If they are not in prodution when I need another one, I will buy it already pre owned.

Weaknesses:
After 2 years of riding and racing and 10mins hard thought, I can't think of any, but if kestrel produced a Talon Sl 650c wheeled bike I would buy that instantly.

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale 650c and Klein quantum

Price Paid:  $1899.00 at Sabino Cycles

Bike Setup:
Shimano Dura-Ace, Reynold Stratus wheels, Fizik Arione saddle.

Summary:
I have owned or tried many high end bikes.

There is no other bike that inspires and feels more alive beneath me with each pedal stroke than the Kestrel Talon SL. I have owned it for 3 years now and it continues to wow me.

Some people view this as a only time trial or triathlon bike. This is a dream road bike that climbs, accelerates, and handles as well as any other.

Carbon used to be notorious for its lack of road feedback. The dead, dull ride is a thing of the past with the Talon. It feels more alive and responsive than any other frame I've owned.

Strengths:
aero, light, comfortable, stiff

Weaknesses:
Not the most plush ride. Although it is comfortable for a race bike, it is not for everyone.

Similar Products Used:
Trek, Serotta, Cannondale, Specialized, Bianchi.

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at Bloated Goat

Model Year:
2006

Favorite Ride:
Kestrel Airfoil

Bike Setup:
'06 Talon SL Ultegra Road
w/stock everything

Summary:
This is the second review I have posted as I posted the same review in the regular Talon Blog.

After riding a friends Kestrel Airfoil I was convinced of Kestrel's commitment and workmanship in Carbon Frames, but I did not want to commit to a tri specific frame as I enjoy riding group and climbs but can't afford to maintain 2 top shelf bikes.

The Kestrel fit the bill and the price of admission was barely within my budget. In fact, if I could do it again, I may opt for the regular Talon frame and put the saved $ in better components. The SL is overkill and the differences marginal if not indistinguishable to all but the most seasoned Tri Cyclist.

If it were stolen, I'd buy another

Strengths:
Good All purpose rocketship (Road/TT/Tri)

Climbs like a Billy Goat

Great Aero looks and design

Affordable gateway Frame for Tri aspirations while maintaining traditional strengths inherent in road geometries.

Lifetime Warranty means increased mental riding aggressiveness.

Much cheaper than a similarly equiped Carbon Soloist

Weaknesses:
Seatpost
Stock Seatpost looks out of place on the aero frame. Swap out for a Kestrel Carbon Aero ASAP.

Color Choices
Limited to 2 schemes which are boring in comarison to the older traditional Plain Carbon weave schemes. Kestrel schemes seem to be getting dime a dozen as each year passes. Older SL Frames from 03-05 actually look better, but since the warranty is non transferable, safety over looks.

Integrity
Not really a weakness but the Seat tube feels a little vulnerable to cracking but I haven't cracked anything yet and the warranty would save me if I did . . . knock on Carbon:-)

Website
Kestrel Website seems a little shy on info and heavy on style, wasn't very helpful through the buying process. Dealer sites were actually more helpful.

The Talon and the Talon SL diferences are so minute that Kestrel may want to eliminate one of them to lessen the confusion and wrestling decision between the two. It is targeted to a much smaller audience anyways unlike MTB's or straight road.

Warranty
Kestrel should be more clear with buyers in the pre-owned market by stating upfront that the warranties are NON-TRANSFERABLE.

Similar Products Used:
'02 Trek OCLV
'01 Klein Quantum

'02 Kawasaki Ninja