InsideTri.com is ramping up the gear reviews. Check us out each Tuesday, as our tech guru tells you what products rock ... and which ones flop. Read here or click on the blue GEAR REVIEWS button on the right side of the home page. Now, how 'bout that Cervélo Dura-Ace TT/Tri Kit ...

CERVELO DURA-ACE TT/TRI KIT

Ergonomics: The Vision aero bars that come with the Cervélo parts kit are fantastic when they fit properly, but I am torn about their appropriateness as a factory-spec'd bar. On one hand, the bend is more comfortable for most people than the aggressive S-bends that are so common today. On the other hand, the fore-aft placement of the pads and the extensions cannot be adjusted. This creates a problem.

The rider cannot change the effective length (distance from the rider to the handle bars, or "reach") of his or her bike without buying a new part. A bar with adjustable pad placement and extension length would allow customers to tinker with their fit to find the most comfortable position. Instead, the rider has to match the length of the bike perfectly for it to fit. This is a big problem for people who buy their bikes from an online retailer or a shop that doesn‘t specialize in triathlon. When the Vision bars fit the rider, they are great, but they reduce the number of riders that fit the bike out of the box.

The Selle Italia saddle that comes on the Cervélo parts kits is barely serviceable. It provides a lot of room to move on the nose, but isn't truly comfortable in any position. I suspect Cervélo chose this saddle simply to fill the spot cheaply, not because it is a worthy saddle.That isn't such a bad thing since most people are very picky about their seat and will replace any stock saddle.

Drivetrain: The drivetrain of the Cervélo parts kit closely resembles a true Dura-Ace kit. Even though the cassette and chain are downgraded to Ultegra components, performance does not suffer in the slightest. The Ultegra chain and cassette do not slow the bike or compromise shift quality in any way. Neither does the FSA MegaExo Carbon crank. Although the Shimano Dura-Ace crank feels stiffer when sprinting, the FSA crank is much more affordable and sacrifices only a little to the Dura-Ace model. The Dura-Ace shifters and derailleurs work in unison to execute crisp, dependable shifts.

Wheels: The Cervélo kit uses mediocre training wheels. Although the Shimano R550s aren't exciting, they are an appropriate choice. Aero wheels are very expensive and nice road wheels would significantly increase the price of the bike but wouldn't improve TT performance.

Braking: The Vision Base Bar is plugged with Dia Compe 188 brake levers. Although these levers have a confidence inspiring grip surface, they have no return spring to pull the calipers open after braking. This is especially problematic because of the woefully ineffective brake calipers. The Cervélo Mach 2 brakes don't provide a firm grip on the rim. The brake pads have "dirt scrappers" that squish into the wheel and the brake arms feel flimsy under load. The Mach 2 brakes also have weak return springs that don't effectively snap the calipers open after gripping the rim. This results in slow and inaccurate braking response when the rider pulls on the brake levers.

Dura-ace Brakes

Brakes may seem like an insignificant component on a triathlon bike, but brake responsiveness is critical. Triathletes do not ride in packs (supposedly), but fearlessly carrying speed into corners saves seconds. The Cervélo Mach 2 brakes don't fill me with confidence.

Overall: I can't feel the difference in shift quality between a Dura-Ace and Ultegra derailleur. Sporting cream-of-the-crop Dura-Ace components is fun, but the performance gain over the Ultegra set is minimal. Bargain basement components, however, seriously impair the ride quality of the bike.

From a performance perspective, Cervélo made an error when they chose to spend big money on derailleurs and pinch pennies on the brakes. Selecting Ultegra derailleurs and (heaven forbid) 105 brakes would have improved the overall performance of the bike without increasing cost. I suspect that Cervélo chose Dura-Ace derailleurs and in-house brakes because of the bling factor. The Kona bike count has shown this was very effective from a marketing perspective. In terms of performance, it was the wrong decision.

Even though I take exception with this choice, the Cervélo kit makes the company's phenomenal frames economically feasible for many riders who otherwise wouldn‘t be able to afford them. The Kona-winning frame built up for $3,000 is a pretty astonishing value.

RATING (out of 10)

Ergonomics - 6 - The bars are not adjustable, but the fantastic Cervélo geometry helps to cover up this flaw for some riders.

Braking - 3 - Safe to ride, but that's about it.

Drivetrain - 9 - Cervélo saved dollars in the best possible places. Much cheaper than all Dura-Ace, not much compromised.
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Aaron Hersh is the Technical Liaison at Colorado Multisport in Boulder, Colorado. He has been competing in endurance sports for the last seven years. Hersh has a B.A. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, focusing on biomechanics.

**All photos courtesy Aaron Hersh

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