I am receiving a lot of emails from people that ask me about the most difference between Cervelo’s Bikes, the Cervelo P2C and Cervelo P3C. I am not an expert about bike frame, composite, geometry and other features that should be used as a direction to buy a new tri bike, but, I have a Pinarello FP4:13 since march 2008 and a Cervelo P2C that I bought last january.
Ok, First of all, I want to confirm that I had the same doubt about Cervelo P2 Carbon (P2C) and Cervelo P3 Carbon (P3C). It’s obvious that the price is a big difference between these cervelo models, but, it’s all ? Of course not, when I started looking a TT bike (because my pinarello F4:13 is a road bike) , I was looking for a good price vs. benefits. We cannot agree that Cervelo is doing a great job with a good marketing campaign and a good product, but I was scared when I saw that almost 40% of the bikes at the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii 2009 is Cervelo. I practice triathlon for a long time and already saw a lot of fashion bikes and bikes boom during my 14 years doing Triathlon as Trek and Specialized in 1996, 97, 98, Cannondale in 98, 99, 2000, Scott in 1997, 98, 99, KHS in 1995, 96, 97, giant in 2002, 03, 04, Kuota in 2004, 2005, 2006 and more but Cervelo is amazing.
Now, since last year we are watching a big movement from other competitors to change this Cervelo hegemony and they are doing it. Scott with Plasma, Cannondale with Slice, Fuji, Specialized, Kuota, Louis Garneau and others. Even Cervelo notice that and launch the Cervelo P4 last year. I feel that P4 isn’t in a good time because haven’t a big change from Cervelo P3C, but, it’s also an amazing triathlon bike.
But to finish this post, I want to say that reading a lot of forums, blogs and talking with other triathletes I choose the CErvelo P2C because the price is good for a Carbon Frame bike, with good components (Shimano Ultegra and 105), with integrated aerobars Vision and because of the famous Cervelo Brand. The most diference between Cervelo P2C and Cervelo P3C is that the P3 carbon frame have a little diference at the central tube and at the front. Other big diference is the components that in the most cases is Shimano Durace. The common price for Cervelo P2C is aprox. USD 2,500.00 and Cervelo P3C is aprox. USD 4,500.00. The bad news is that, if you are in a foreigner country as I am in Brazil, you should include the customs tax to import it and this price should be increased to higher.
Filed under: Bikes, Triathlon Gear, cycling, shopping, triathlon | Tagged: Bikes, carbon, cervelo, cervelo p2c, cervelo p3c, frameset, TT bikes | 4 Comments »