kip2714

Any opinions out there on the Kestrel Talon? I've been test riding several makes and models over the last several weeks and am now giving serious consideration to an '04 Kestrel Talon (red). I haven't found any bad reviews, but then again I haven't found a lot of reviews period.

The only things I didn't like about the ride was the occassional rattle over rough pavement due to the internal cables and the bike seemed a little heavy on ascents compared to some other carbon rides. It was very fast on the flats and descents.

I appreciate any input before I put my money where my mouth is.

tspinning

Hey! i stumbled upon this bike on ebay and bought the 57 without a test ride.... yea some may say stupid, but once i got the bike and set it up, it fit like a dream... anyway i absolutely love it, the ride is smooth, and the acceleration, well its fast. I just started roadin' this summer and have fallen in love with the sport, its hard to find time to go out on the mtn. bike now that i have this. The only thing to look for is (beside the paint chips if any...hard to color match) is the seat post bolt/ hex whatever, on the non-drive side the frame may look to be slightly cracked where the bolt goes, this is not a frame defect but does look a little scary, i have contacted kestrel and (as have others i discovered) and this is not a problem just the way the join is made to be "flexible"...well aside from that the bike is amazing, i got mine with substandard bars and stem to save some money but will be upgrading to k's house brand next season.... also, mine came with ultegra, and its been bombproof so far, only a few hundred miles but i have never been on a bike that makes me want to go a few hundred more like this, good luck in the choice, if it fits and the price is right, this bike is awesome. (im 6'1 and 170lbs) and the bike turns heads on and off the road, many complements on this red roadster, let me know how you decide either way!

edit: havnt had any rattles yet, i would however recomend a wireless computer, the tape on my tubes looks cheesy in my opinion... wish the LBS would have mentioned it when i asked about wireless advantages, its a little thing but on a $1500+ bike its the little things that matter

timmhaan

i fell in love with kestrels when i saw them at a bike show last year. i love how the cables are routed through the frame (although i wouldn't be crazy about the rattle), and their unique look. i met a lady who rides a talon and she said it's been one of her favorite bikes. although she swapped the shimano components for campy. anyway - i haven't heard a bad thing about them myself.

Moonshot

A friend has the talon and his cable would rattle around in his frame. I'm pretty sure it was because the brass cable stops were missing. Once he put those on the rattling stopped.

Someone else seems to mention that the brass cable stops need to be removed because they adversely affect the shifting of the rear derailleur. See this thread.

ht001

I've been considering the Talon and the Giant TCR 1. I too have had little luck finding a lot of reviews on the Talon, but what I have found is all positive. When I rode the Talon (also Red!) I didn't notice the rattling sound. In fact I found the ride to be nothing but plush.

Comparing these two bikes, which are pretty much the same price, they are very similar in ride quality, although I feel like the Talon rides ever so slightly stiffer than the Giant. Also, there are some nice upgrades (particularly on the '05) on the giant which make it a strong contender. Then again, the fact that the Talon is so much less ubiquitous make it attractive.

Have you looked at other carbon bikes that you are also considering? Let us know what you decide. I for one will be very interested in why you choose what you choose too...

bianchi_rider

Kestrel is sweet, would be better if they were celeste tho

HJR

I looked really hard at both the Talon and the Cervelo Soloist. I agree about the plushness of the Talon. Really comfortable. The Soloist was not uncomfortable, but I felt it accelerated faster and it climbed much better. During my research I did find some people who questioned the epoxyed chainstays versus a monlithic frame, but otherwise found mostly positive things. One other concern I had was that the reversible seatpost on the Talon was roundly criticized. Where the Soloist was well received.

I would say, besides fit, which is number one, try to understand your needs. If it is all road riding you do, the Talon is a great bike. If you are looking at doing any tri's and racing at all consider the soloist. I've done two already and love my decision.

Bobsled

Have you considered Kestrel's relatively new Evoke? Sweet.

EVOKE

shokhead

4500 bucks and it is sweet. Hard to find lbs but supergo does carry them.

Bobsled

I'm sure you can buy an Ultegra equiped bike for less. Wrench Science has the frame on sale for 1,600 bucks right now. LINK

tspinning

ok, so great point about what you plan on doing with the bike, i bought mine thinking i would return to UNH this year and do many distance rides but would also race with the cycle team, well this didnt work out, and maybe better or worse who knows, but as far as lond disance comfort comes along i loove my choice, i was also lookin at trek 5000, or 5200, Leader (on ebay), and a few others on the bay at the time, i even considered used but was scared of what i wouldnt know about the bike till it showed up at my door, i got my bike at a great price which is why i didnt consider some other similar c/f bikes by other makers, i paid well under 2k for my whole (ultegra) bike.... new...yes! again, im goin back to work, man bank jobs are nice, type ya later

shokhead

1600 frame
500 wheelset and tires
675 Ultegra 9sp group
325 for handlebar,stem,headset,seat and post.

$3100 more or less.

Jim Bonnet

looks to me like you can get d/a 10 speed for around 3300 with a generic kit build on that evoke. pretty sweet

g3ck0

spinning: looks like there's a bullet stuck in your bike fromthe second picture!!!

borg

I recently purchased the Kestrel Evoke without a test ride, but rode the Talon quite a bit. I was considering the Talon SL for the lighter weight. I think the Talon is a great bike. The only disadvantages I saw were that I don't like the internal cable routing because it adds complexity, and the seatpost is designed for the aero post...although with the insert accepts round posts fine. The Evoke solved all these problems for me, but is probably not quite as stiff. Someone mentioned the TCR, and I will comment that I really liked bike as well. I was looking for reasons not to like the TCR but really none came up. In the end the coolness, uniqueness, and the Ketrel name of the Evoke won me over and I'm not dissappointed.

kip2714

Thanks for all your posts. I'll let you know what I end up doing. I'm also considering a Litespeed Solano.

Presently, I ride a 2000 Specialized Allez Sport with a 105 groupo. It can be a rather harsh ride and after having put in a lot of time on the saddle this year, I'm sore. I would like to put some added focus into Time Trialing this next season as well as some charity rides with mileage between 60 and 160 miles. So, I want something that performes well in a TT environment as well as something that is much more comfortable over the long haul. I believe the Talon fits the bill, but for a few hundred more, I could be riding Ti.

If anyone has a similar interest in both TT and Distance rides, I would love to hear what you think.

shokhead

I like the Solano and its a brite yellow for 05,nice.

Steelrider

Talon and just about any Ti bike are pretty different animals, so IMO it just breaks down to what you're looking for. I just ordered a Talon and although I don't do tri's, I understand it's pretty popular as a tri bike - especially in the aero config. And I don't know that there are any big differences between TT's and the bike leg of a tri, particularly considering most amateur events don't allow drafting.

Hope you enjoy whatever you end up with, but FWIW, I think the Talon is a pretty outstanding value at under 2K for Ultegra and reputable, high quality cf.