I don't have an opinion on the Kestrel. However, I have an '08 5.1 and I love it. It's extremely comfortable and stiff enough. I ride mine about 200 miles a week and haven't had any issues. My LBS is selling '09 5.2s for $2,969.00 and 4.7s for 2,049.00 right now so you may be able to haggle a bit on the price.