[jwarf]

How stiff relative to the CAAD9 for example? Woud it make a good crit bike or are the aero advantages not evident in the business park crit? How about cornering? Thanks.

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[waterrockets]

In a business park crit, the only evident advantages are going to be related to handling. Take the two of them out and corner at the limit. Navigate some chicanes. Whichever one feels better to you will be the better crit bike. Stiffer may or may not feel better.

[ed073]

cornering will depend more on you than either of these bikes. Both will suit criteriums

Remeber you have to train on the thing for 6 + hours a day, so the stiffest, twitchiest bike out there might literally become a pain in the @rse after a couple of weeks.

[MIN]

I rode both in a recent test ride. The Caad9 is torsionally stiffer (good) but the Cervelo is vertically stiffer (not good.) You feel more road imperfections with the Soloist while the Caad 9 is relatively more subdued. I thought the CAAD9 was an all around better frame. It's not to say that the Soloist was a bad bike by any means. It's just that the differences were more evident in a back-to-back test ride.

Keep in mind the Soloist is a bit longer than the same sized CAAD9 in the TT.

[asgelle]

I rode both in a recent test ride.
Same wheels, saddle, bars, stem, and tape?

[MIN]

No, but that is reflective of the reality of buying bicycles. I don't live in a fantasy world of scientic controls but I do recognize the value of your statement.

[jwarf]

Thanks for the info, that helps.

[dutret]

Remeber you have to train on the thing for 6 + hours a day, so the stiffest, twitchiest bike out there might literally become a pain in the @rse after a couple of weeks.

who trains 6+ hours a day for business park crits?

[DannoXYZ]

Yeah, stiffness DOES NOT translate into faster in any way. A lot of times, stiffness results in you getting bounced around on bumps; not a good thing if you're in the middle of a corner at maximum lean-angle. Same with wheels, I prefer box-section tubulars for crits because they're vertically compliant, yet more laterally stiff than aero clincher rims. They'll soak up road-imperfections and give a glass-smooth ride, while giving solid feedback and response in a sprint.

[ed073]

who trains 6+ hours a day for business park crits?

Bike racers.

Isn't this the racing forum?? :/

[waterrockets]

Bah. I race, and I train 6 hours a week. ;)

[wfrogge]

The Cervelo Team Soloist for me is a good crit bike. Stiffer isnt always better but yeah its one stiff arse bike.

[Snuffleupagus]

Bike racers.

Isn't this the racing forum?? :/

:beer:

They doubt the import of 8 hour death marches. Heretics.

[TheKillerPenguin]

charlatans.

[531Aussie]

I've got one and I reckon it's plenty stiff, but I have stiff wheels and a stiffish fork

[Trsnrtr]

Yeah, stiffness DOES NOT translate into faster in any way. A lot of times, stiffness results in you getting bounced around on bumps; not a good thing if you're in the middle of a corner at maximum lean-angle. Same with wheels, I prefer box-section tubulars for crits because they're vertically compliant, yet more laterally stiff than aero clincher rims. They'll soak up road-imperfections and give a glass-smooth ride, while giving solid feedback and response in a sprint.

Bingo. Wish I'd written that.

[DocRay]

Yeah, stiffness DOES NOT translate into faster in any way. A lot of times, stiffness results in you getting bounced around on bumps; not a good thing if you're in the middle of a corner at maximum lean-angle. Same with wheels, I prefer box-section tubulars for crits because they're vertically compliant, yet more laterally stiff than aero clincher rims. They'll soak up road-imperfections and give a glass-smooth ride, while giving solid feedback and response in a sprint.

This is true of some aluminum frames, but a good carbon frame will be torsionally stiffer, which is important for cornering. I'm a lot faster in my corners since swapping the CTS for an R3 (all other parts identical).
Aero rims make little sense in a crit, the box-sections deal with bumps, without having the frame do the flexing, which means more control.

As for CAAD9 versus CTS, the CAAD is stiffer, all around (tour tests also say this). But either is a perfect crit bike.