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Submitted by
Sexy Grampa
a TriathleteDate Reviewed: January 11, 2012
Strengths: Comfortable yet fast
Aerodynamic
Well Made
Bicycle eye candyWeaknesses: Mavic equippe wheels are mediocre at best. At this price Craig's List them pronto.Bottom Line: I've now ridden this BEAUTIFUL bicycle for 2 1/2 years and believe it has to be one of the great bargains. Just the full DuraAce 7900 groupo is close to the purchase price. The bike is smooth, fast, very well made and aero enough (with Syntace aerobars) to do the 3-4 triathlons/year I compete in. You really have to get into the Cervelo S4 or S5 range to find a faster, more aero road bike and that costs $6000-8000.
Favorite Ride: Northern Michigan
Price Paid:
$2600.00
Purchased At: BikesDirect
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rick
a TriathleteDate Reviewed: May 21, 2011
Strengths: Fast, looks great in person
Light
Great Component Groupo
Great Price. The REd Group alone goes for over $2,000Weaknesses: Maybe the Askium Race Wheelset.Bottom Line: In Physics class, we learned the most aerodynamic shape is the tear-drop. Every tube on this bike that confronts the wind is tear-drop shaped - Head, Down, Seat-stays, Forks, Seat post. Actually, I bought this bike for my wife since I was so, so tired of waiting for her. Now, she is right on me without being winded and tells me to hurry up. On rolling flats we ride at 20-22 mph. This bike is also beautifully crafted compared to my Evoke SL. I totally wish I would have opted for this bike after seeing what a difference this has made.
Favorite Ride: Anywhere
Price Paid:
$2600.00
Purchased At: BD
Similar Products Used: Trek, Specialized
Bike Setup: SRAM RED Groupo
Mavic Askium Race Wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
volosong
a Recreational RiderDate Reviewed: May 4, 2011
Strengths: excellent groupo
aggressive geometry
lightweight, (thereby "fast")Weaknesses: front wheel "death wobble" at higher speeds
Sella San Marco Ponza TT saddle, (will swap out soon for something else)Bottom Line: Purchased from BD, quick assembly then to LBS for adjustment and check torque. On the first short test ride, I thought, "Wow! This is one SWEET machine." Second ride, a 15.2 mile loop with one short but steep hill 1/3 the way in ... on the downhill side at 33mph, as verified on Garmin 500, violent front wheel wobble occurred. Thought I was going down. Investigation of cause still ongoing. Never happened before on any previous bike over 50 years of cycling.
No word from Kestrel, even though I have made repeated attempts to contact through BD. They won't give out Kestrel's e-mail address, and the Kestrel web site does not have phone or e-mail info. Just a web form, which generates errors asking you to fill in the blanks marked with an * ... even though I did so.
It's a great bike, if it works correctly, but just don't hope you need to contact Kestrel ... because they don't want you to. I'll keep this bike, and use it once I mitigate the wobble, but will never, ever, purchase another Kestrel in this lifetime; or the next.
Five stars for "value", which, without a doubt, it is. Three stars for "overall" because after-purchase customer service is non-existent.
Favorite Ride: Godde Hill loop
Price Paid:
$3200.00
Purchased At: BikesDirect.com
Similar Products Used: 2010 Trek Madone 4.5 with 105/Ultegra mix
Bike Setup: RT-800 SL with full Dura-Ace 7900 config, changed 7900 cluster from 12-27 to 11-27, (by adding a 7900 11T and removing the 7900 16T), Vuelta Team SL wheels and hubs, Blackburn carbon H2O cages, Specialized spare tube seat bag, Lezyne Road Drive pump, San Marco Ponza TT saddle.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
asagers
a Recreational RiderDate Reviewed: February 18, 2011
Strengths: Aero frame is fast and responsive.
Love the SRAM Red Group set!
Value! I've yet to come across an "apples to apples" comparison with another bike for what I paid.Weaknesses: The Mavic Aksium wheels are a great training set, but not the lightest. Hope to upgrade to a carbon clincher soon.
Bottom Line: I purchased the 2008 RT800 (Sram Red setup) from BikesDirect.com in Oct. 2009. This was my first bike and was just getting into cycling. Not shortly after getting it set up and the first couple of hundred miles under my belt, an annoying creak was coming from what I thought was the BB area. To make a long story a little shorter, two different LBSs going through the bike and then finally sending it back to Bikes Direct, and no one could figure out where the noise was coming from. Chris @ Bikes Direct was great to deal with and covered the shipping of my bike back to them. They sent the bike to Kestrel who turned around and sent me a new 2010 RT800 SL! It was nice dealing with two companies that gave great customer service and backed up their products! I'm extremely happy with the new bike and haven't had any problems since getting it. Its fast, responsive, and comfortable. I'm riding 100-150 miles per week and will doing my 3rd century ride on it next weekend. Can't wait!
Favorite Ride: Red Rock Canyon Loop - Las Vegas
Price Paid:
$2700.00
Purchased At: BikesDirect.com
Bike Setup: Frame: 2010 RT 800 SL carbon
Components: Full Sram Red Group
Crankset/BB: Sram Red w/ ceramic Black Box BB
Wheels: Mavic Aksium
Tires: Continetnal GP Attack & Force Set
Handle Bars: Ritchey Pro
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite gel
Seat post: Kestrel RT series aero
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
rocrider
a Recreational RiderDate Reviewed: June 11, 2010
Strengths: Light weight, good looks and Dura Ace componentsWeaknesses: Initial annoyance with slipping seat post. Seems to hold with fiber grip paste.Bottom Line: This is a 2009 RT800 model. The RT800 is a great bike for riders who want a light bike with a fairly aggressive riding position. My average speed has improved about 2mph. in comparison to my 2005 Felt F80 aluminum frame bike. The full Dura Ace components,carbon frame/handlebars and Mavic Equippe wheels make this a good value. The frame is stiff and feels like I am getting more power to the wheels. The 172.5mm cranks on the 53cm. frame give me more power on those big hills. The bike has attracted compliments and questions from my fellow riders. We do not see many Kestrels around here.
Favorite Ride: Keuka Lake
Price Paid:
$3050.00
Purchased At: Funseekers
Similar Products Used: Felt F80 aluminum frame
Bike Setup: Factory stock. Full Dura Ace with compact crank and 11-25 cassette.
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