Fifty Plus (50+) - New Cervelo P2C Time Trial Bike

Last year I posted that I was going to get a TT bike. About a month ago, I pulled the trigger and purchased the bike. It is equipped with D/A throughout and Easton Carbon TT bars with Carbon brake levers. The cranks are 54/42 and the cassette is a ten speed D/A 11/23. We took a stock P2C and stripped the frame. I retained the stock wheels that came with the bike for training. I rode the bike with the stem flipped down and it is okay but for training and until my neck stretches a bit, I flipped it up. I can also adjust the handlebar height by the spacers. The ride is a total rush and with my TT training and races on the tandem last year, riding the Cervelo is no problem.

For wheel selection, I chose the Zipp disc Sub9 and the HED.3c. I may be one of the first to get the Sub9 since Zipp started shipping it last Thursday. http://www.zipp.com/Products/Wheels/tabid/85/CategoryID/2/List/1/Level/1/ProductID/136/Default.aspx?SortField=ISBN%2CISBN According to Zipp, the Sub9 can generate a negative drag coefficient at certain wind angles.

The HED.3c is very interesting technology. Each spoke is shaped like an airplane wing with a leading and trailing edge. It is optimized to reduce drag in at certain angles of yaw into the wind. http://www.hedwheels.com/default.asp?chapterid=5&langid=1

Tires are Tufo tubulars 195.

Cervelo set up for training.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2008%20Cervelo%20TT/PICT0011.jpg

Easton carbon TT bars with Polar CS 200 wireless HRM with cadence.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2008%20Cervelo%20TT/PICT0013.jpg

Drive train

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2008%20Cervelo%20TT/PICT0014.jpg

Race setup

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2008%20Cervelo%20TT/PICT0015.jpg

Sub9 Zipp disc

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2008%20Cervelo%20TT/PICT0016.jpg

HED.3c

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/2008%20Cervelo%20TT/PICT0017.jpg

My wife and I are racing on Saturday in a 9.7 mile TT as individuals and then within a few minutes race another 9.7 mile TT on the tandem. It has been very windy lately and hopefully the wind will die down for Saturday. My wife is angling and suggesting that she race the Sub9 / Hed setup and I race on the Eastons. Go figure.

Sweet! Nice component specs (especially the gearing!).

I recently got a P3C, and raced it for the first time last weekend. Awesome fun, but I'm still working on getting my position set up right on the bike.


Maybe I'll see you guys at Dunlap (https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?id=2536) (June 1st), or the district TT championships at Sattley (http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1576634&assetId=78abf8cc-3b98-4d3b-be9c-771e0dd8942b) on the 8th.

BTW - it looks like you can tuck your disk in closer to the frame by shortening the horizontal dropout adjustment screws. That should help a bit with aerodynamics.

Damn you Hermes..............there is drool on my monitor.......................:)

Pretty soon we will be able to out Denver the Fox with a TT subforum on 50+

Its good that you have a lot of adjustability in the bar height, it seems to change with your TT practice and fitness more than a norman road bike.

Sweet! Nice component specs (especially the gearing!).

I recently got a P3C, and raced it for the first time last weekend. Awesome fun, but I'm still working on getting my position set up right on the bike.


Maybe I'll see you guys at Dunlap (https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?id=2536) (June 1st), or the district TT championships at Sattley (http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1576634&assetId=78abf8cc-3b98-4d3b-be9c-771e0dd8942b) on the 8th.

BTW - it looks like you can tuck your disk in closer to the frame by shortening the horizontal dropout adjustment screws. That should help a bit with aerodynamics.

We are registered for both Dunlap and Sattley. We will be racing on the tandem. The tandems go off last in these races. The next sanctioned race for me as an individual will be Esparto. I will also do the remaining Beat the Clock TTs as an individual and we may try our hand as a team time trial.

You need to get on that thing in a wind tunnel!! We're selling a spot via a silent auction at our next TT. Want me to put in a bid for you??????

You need to get on that thing in a wind tunnel!! We're selling a spot via a silent auction at our next TT. Want me to put in a bid for you??????

We might want to start with the simple things first like flipping the stem down. I think the bike has already been optimized in the wind tunnel. It is the rider that needs a lot of work.

Interestingly, there is a wind tunnel in San Diego and one can buy a one hour spot for approximately $1000 for an hour. For now you can hold off on the putting in a bid and let me at least get a couple of races under my belt.

Hi Hermes,

Very nice! :)

I was considering that frame but opted for a Bianchi (http://www.pbase.com/cleavel/image/90967796/original.jpg) instead. It's probably not as aero as the P2C but I have a soft spot for Bianchis. :)

Good luck at your TT this weekend. Our district championships are on Saturday. 27 racers in the 50-54 age group. :eek: My goal is to average over 25 MPH (23.5 mile circuit).

Hi Hermes,

Very nice! :)

I was considering that frame but opted for a Bianchi (http://www.pbase.com/cleavel/image/90967796/original.jpg) instead. It's probably not as aero as the P2C but I have a soft spot for Bianchis. :)

Good luck at your TT this weekend. Our district championships are on Saturday. 27 racers in the 50-54 age group. :eek: My goal is to average over 25 MPH (23.5 mile circuit).

Your Bianchi looks really cool. I love the curves. I do not know if you noticed the third brake that I have on the right aerobar. It controls the front brake and is made by HED. My wife and I were practicing team technique and you can safely stay on the bars and control speed while drafting.

I was hoping to get some practice riding in today or tomorrow but the wind has been awful. It is hard to hold the bike standing still in the high gusty wind with the disc.

Good luck to you in the district. That will be a very tough group.:thumb:

Well, gollleeee. To both of you with TT bikes. They look fast standing still.

Well, it's OK if you like that sort of thing. But I wouldn't want to do a century on it. :D

Very nice indeed, you guys are really into it. Every time I see stuff like this I wish I had started earlier. Congratulations

It has been really windy here. The winds died down a little today so I took the bike with the new wheels out for a practice ride on the TT course. It was really fast and different than riding the course on the training wheels. The wind was starting to gust a little and the effect was more pronounced with the rear disc.

For the race tomorrow, if it is really windy, I will use the training wheels. It should be okay early in the morning. I may take it a little easier tomorrow until I get more time with this setup.

Nice bike Hermes! Did you choose the P2c over the P3 for cost reasons or was there some other factor?

Nice bike Hermes! Did you choose the P2c over the P3 for cost reasons or was there some other factor?

Fit first, cost second. The P3 head tube was 2 cm shorter which meant that I would have to raise the bar with a rising stem which would look weird. The P2c fits perfect although I did flip the stem for now. I decided to put the money into the wheelset which I think gives more bang for the buck. The Sub9 disc with tire and D/A cassette weigh 1350 gm compared to a Zipp 404 tire and cassette weigh 1100 gm. Aero performance of a disc at nearly a deep dish wheel weight.:thumb:

My wife and I are racing on Saturday in a 9.7 mile TT as individuals and then within a few minutes race another 9.7 mile TT on the tandem. It has been very windy lately and hopefully the wind will die down for Saturday. My wife is angling and suggesting that she race the Sub9 / Hed setup and I race on the Eastons. Go figure.

So Hermes is racing on the Sub9/Hed setup and I am racing on the Easton Tempest tubulars. He goes off at 7:01 and I go off at 7:04. If I catch my three-minute man, he is in trouble. :lol:

So Hermes is racing on the Sub9/Hed setup and I am racing on the Easton Tempest tubulars. He goes off at 7:01 and I go off at 7:04. If I catch my three-minute man, he is in trouble. :lol:

And that setup was the lady's choice. I would be delighted if she caught me.:D

Sounds like there is extra motivation for both of you! Good luck!

Sounds like there is extra motivation for both of you! Good luck!

BTW she is racing with the men because we are doing two TTs - one as an individual and one on the tandem over the same course about 45 minutes apart. A few women who are also riding with the men are doing team TTs after the individuals. The women's individual TTs follow the men. Notwithstanding that, she will be several guy's 1/2/3/4 and 5 minute woman.:lol:

Your Bianchi looks really cool. I love the curves. I do not know if you noticed the third brake that I have on the right aerobar. It controls the front brake and is made by HED. My wife and I were practicing team technique and you can safely stay on the bars and control speed while drafting.

I was hoping to get some practice riding in today or tomorrow but the wind has been awful. It is hard to hold the bike standing still in the high gusty wind with the disc.

Good luck to you in the district. That will be a very tough group.:thumb:

Hi,

I did not notice the third brake lever but I have seen them on a couple of bikes locally and in photos on pro bikes. I plan to do a TTT in June and it would be great to have a third lever for that race.

Good luck to you and your wife with your races.

Hi,

I did not notice the third brake lever but I have seen them on a couple of bikes locally and in photos on pro bikes. I plan to do a TTT in June and it would be great to have a third lever for that race.

Good luck to you and your wife with your races.

Jtek Engineering make all the parts and pieces for HED. They sell them through jtekengineering.com.

Wow! It's a fantastic looking bike, Hermes:thumb:

The red, black and white color combination must be the new colors this year. There have been two new bikes with these colors posted in the past couple days. Maybe I should add some red to mine.