The most sought-after high-end bike
“For those who are anchored in the mid $2000s and need to buy a podium-worthy bike, stop shopping, you’ve found it” - Dan Empfield, founder QR, about the P1
The above quote refers to the P2SL. The P1 is the same bike, but at an even better price. 15 years of focus on only triathlon and road bikes is what made Cervelo the #1 triathlon bike company in the world. It is also what makes the P1 the only triathlon bike you can buy when you are just starting out in triathlon, without any reason to upgrade for the next ten years.
First and foremost there is Cervelo’s unique triathlon geometry, which simply fits most people very well, and FIT=COMFORT. Then there are the narrow and aero tubes, internal cables, and a functional rearwheel cutout. Pro level tt/tri performance for less than $2000.
Reviews
- Dan Empfield, editor slowtwitch.com and founder Quintana Roo - There are lots of things I like about Cervélo. Such as this bike’s price. The very first thing you notice is that it’s not $2499 It’s $2500. How cool is that? A company that doesn’t try to horse you around with a “-99.” You’ve got to honor that.
- And then there’s, well, the price. For $2500 you get a bike that you could put underneath three quarters of the pros in a grand tour, and it’d be better than the hoity-toity bikes their teams are given by their hoity-toity sponsors. Why? Because Cervélo knows how to make a bike, and the P2 SL is a mature, tested, retested, TT/tri bike that has ninety percent of what its sexy carbon monocoques have.
I mean, think about it. Great geometry, tubes with minor diameters of 28mm or so, faired rear wheel, micro-adjustable chainstay, aero seat post and tube (with a clamp that functions!), hardy, scratch-resistant paint, Dura Ace, and FSA’s show-stopping SLK MegaExo crankset.
So, the question is, what’s keeping you from buying it? We'll answer that for you. This bike is a victim of Cervélo’s carbon success. So many people are reaching up and grabbing that brass — er, carbon — ring at the $3600 and $4500 price points, that $1100 to step to the next level is just not enough differential. But for those who’re anchored in the mid $2000s and need to buy a podium-worthy bike stop shopping, you've found it.
Plus, there’s a little secret about the P2 SL that not very many people now. As of this writing, and unless things change, the P2 SL is actually a more adjustable bike than either the P2 or P3 Carbon. The P2 SL’s carbon post has more forward adjustability, and for those who ride in excess of 80° of seat angle, the P2 SL can get you into a place you may or may not be able to achieve with Cervélo’s all-carbon bikes (mind you, the P2 and P3 Carbon are have as much forward adjustability as anything in their respective classes, they just aren't quite as adjustable as this aluminum Cervélo).
The P2 SL is the poster child proving out our belief: carbon bikes are all the rage, but mid-$2000 aluminum is where the value is. Whether it’s a Felt S22, QR Tequilo, or P2 SL (and other bikes fit into this category), this is where bang and buck collide. Perhaps no bike is a better example than the one written about here.
