Originally Posted by TimothyH (Post 18430434)

The guy who first decided to market flat black bikes should burn for eternity.

Please decide whether you want it to be a road bike or a tri bike. Nothing wrong with either but please decide on one or the other.

At least the logo on the tires line up with the valve stem, unlike some of the other bikes on this page. Extra credit given for no visible wheel magnets.

I want the sofa. Please get that sharp chain ring in the orange bag away from the leather.

Originally Posted by TimothyH (Post 18430434)

The guy who first decided to market flat black bikes should burn for eternity.

Please decide whether you want it to be a road bike or a tri bike. Nothing wrong with either but please decide on one or the other.

At least the logo on the tires line up with the valve stem, unlike some of the other bikes on this page. Extra credit given for no visible wheel magnets.

I want the sofa. Please get that sharp chain ring in the orange bag away from the leather.

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18430398)

2016 Kestrel Talon 105 with full Ultegra, Chinese 60mm rear 50mm front wheels, aero saddle "bag", top cap mount bottle cage.
I need to slam that stem though...

http://i.imgur.com/uAsM9GX.jpg

"naked", right after assembly, no bottle cage, saddle "bag", and wheel upgrade

http://i.imgur.com/AU21AFQ.jpg

Originally Posted by TimothyH (Post 18430434)

The guy who first decided to market flat black bikes should burn for eternity.

Originally Posted by kkapdolee (Post 18430698)

That black and red color on the Kestrel is pretty hot.

You mentioned Talon 105 with full Ultegra. Why did you get a 105 just to switch to Ultegra? Did you like the color better? How much extra did it cost to go full Ultegra with carbon wheels?

Originally Posted by oldnslow2 (Post 18430499)

Not all matte black bikes are "Aero" bikes.

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18430506)

I decided that I wanted an aero ROAD bike and that's what it is. The geometry is road bike, not tri or TT and so are the handle bars. I don't know what tells you that the bike is having an identity crisis. It's 2016. Aero road frames are a thing. Come out from under the rock. But maybe at the speeds you ride, aero doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by TimothyH (Post 18431175)

I didn't say anything about aero bikes. Those are your words, not mine.




If you can't take a little criticism then don't post your bike in the hot or not thread.

A aero road frame is something. The cap mounted bottle and XLAB style bag are not road things. That sofa tho. :thumb:


If you guys keep it up then I'm gonna post my fixed gear bike. :p Don't make me go there.

Originally Posted by VW611 (Post 18431408)

You did align the valve stem with the label. The stem cage is weird and will probably slow you down. The saddle is pointed down too much and there's too much rise on the stem and handlebar for someone who looks like he wants to go fast. If that's your fit, then great but you definitely cannot play the part with that setup. It's a NOT for now but has potential.

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18431427)

Thanks. My position is pretty upright. Flexibility is a non issue. Stem is getting slammed tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18430821)

They wanted $200 more for the Ultegra version, which included the same Oval Concepts crank and Tektro brakes as the 105 version. I would have upgraded the brakes and crank on the Ultegra model, which would cost about $250. So that's $450 over the base 105 model for full Ultegra. Buying the 105 model, selling the whole take-off gruppo, then purchasing a full Ultegra gruppo cost me $300. $150 cheaper to get the 105 models and upgrade it. The included wheelset on the Ultegra model, at ~1700g, is 200g lighter than that on the 105 model, but I wasn't planning on keeping the stock wheels on it anyway. Plus, the Ultegra model is blue and orange. I think the black and red looks nicer.

Originally Posted by Xherion (Post 18431452)

Hot bike. Can you enlighten me if you needed to take out the bottom bracket adapter to fit the Shimano cranks? I have the same crankset and haven't been able to find out any info on the adapter and what shell Kestrel uses on their frames?

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18431328)

I get it. You don't like the sofa or the bike. Honestly I don't like the sofa either, that's why it's in a storage room. And the saddle bag, I can't stand bike mounted man satchels. They don't belong on road bikes. I've never seen one that isn't ugly. XLAB doesn't make anything like the Aeroclam that I have mounted. They make ugly satchels like every other brand. So it (the Aeroclam) is definitely not tri, TT, or "XLAB style". OTOH you have a point regarding the bottle cage position. Its not there to be aero, like it is on tri bikes when placed between the aero bars. Actually it probably adds more drag than having it on the down tube since I don't have aero bars. But its there because I hate reaching down to grab my bottle. I'd rather reach for the bottle in my middle jersey pocket than on the downtube. I looked at handlebar mount cage holders, they all looked dorky. This was the cleanest way to mount it somewhere easily reachable.

I've spent a bit of time going back and looking at A LOT of HOT bikes on this thread, but it seems every time I came across one of your replies, it was always negative. Come on, you must think some of these bikes ARE pretty HOT.

Originally Posted by TimothyH (Post 18431513)

I like the sofa and actually have two XLAB satchel style (as you put it) saddle bags. You are absolutely right about the look of some of the bags out there - many look like rebranded ladies handbags or canvas tool boxes from Home Depot. I miss my Pedro's Blowout Bag.

Now that you have pointed out the brand and I looked at it online, I think the Aeroclam is pretty cool. We can argue whether the XLAB Aero Pouch 300 is "like" the Aeroclam and it might be semantics but I think it is similar in appearance.

Originally Posted by TimothyH (Post 18431513)

Not all negative. I thought the Litespeed with level top tube in post 21749 was hot and said so. The Super Six EVO in post 21762 was hot even from the factory and I told the owner that it was sexy. There are many nice bikes but few are truly hot, that's all. If you put your bike out there on the HrN thread then you have to be ready to take some criticism. I'm sorry if my comments upset you but you can't get all bent out of shape here. You have an extremely nice bike and there is a guy near me who rides a truly hot Talon.

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18430398)

2016 Kestrel Talon 105 with full Ultegra, Chinese 60mm rear 50mm front wheels, aero saddle "bag", top cap mount bottle cage.
I need to slam that stem though...

http://i.imgur.com/uAsM9GX.jpg

Originally Posted by TenSpeedV2 (Post 18431643)

Lukewarm. The bike is hot. That cage contraption that you have going on, that is a complete fail. Try a side entry cage for the frame, something like the Specialized Zee cage. Should clean that mess on the handlebars up rather nicely. Is that saddle angle really how you ride?

Originally Posted by Danny01 (Post 18431667)

Yeah that's how I rode for the last 5-6 rides. Boys felt better, but I felt like I was sliding off here and there.

Originally Posted by kkapdolee (Post 18431679)

Quick question. I see people talking about slamming their stems. What does that mean?

Originally Posted by raisinberry777 (Post 18431688)

That there are no spacers between the headset bearing cover and the stem.

For example:

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...07/slammed.jpg

It's usually seen as more 'racy', and therefore more attractive.

Originally Posted by oldnslow2 (Post 18431794)

I've read that you should have a minimum of a 5mm spacer on the top and bottom.

Originally Posted by kkapdolee (Post 18431679)

Quick question. I see people talking about slamming their stems. What does that mean?