RIDE IT IF: flashy components and true tri geometry are your style. KEEP LOOKING IF: sharp shifts are your first priority.
Felt B14, $2,799 The Felt B14 nails every important characteristic of a triathlon bike and adds stylish components without out-pricing the competition. The frame was designed first and foremost for aerodynamics and rider comfort, and it boasts posh components that make heads turn. The B14 is built with Shimano Dura-Ace derailleurs, the Vision TriMax Pro aero crankset and Felt’s outstanding Devox aerobar. The B14’s only weak point is its shifters. Felt uses generic levers rather than the Shimano Dura-Ace option, which is found on nearly every bike at this price point, and these downgraded levers cannot match the crisp shift quality of the Shimano shifters. The B14 feels slightly stiffer underfoot than the P2 but the two bikes have very similar steering characteristics and nearly identical geometries. The P2 has gotten more glory and attention, but Felt’s B14 is every bit its peer.
Cervélo P2, $2,800
RIDE IT IF: you want the best speed-perdollar value. KEEP LOOKING IF: you value ride quality more than speed.
The Cervélo P2 is perhaps the most lusted after triathlon bike, and its popularity may have cost it some of its sex appeal, but it has been so successful for good reasons. Other bike manufacturers have emulated Cervélo’s pioneering tri bike designs but, thanks to the P2’s refined aerodynamic tubing, tri-specific geometry, stable handling and no-frills/high-function parts kit, it is still bulletproof at this price point. It isn’t the stiffest frame we tested, but every other aspect of the P2 ride experience is transcendent. I could hardly tell the difference between this bike and the P3 I have ridden for years.
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