# Windsor Knight vs Royal Windsor Triathlon - any opinions?



## girlwithglasses (Jul 12, 2010)

I'm looking at getting a new bike after moving and having to leave my beloved Windsor Fens back in sunny California. I very much like the Fens, but getting the same bike again seems a bit lame, so I've been looking at some of the other BikesDirect cycles. In particular, I've been considering the Windsor Knight (http://bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/knight_x.htm; $900) and the Royal Windsor Triathlon (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/rwt_tri.htm; $800). Does anyone have any thoughts about which would be a better bet? I'm probably never going to do a triathlon, but presumably the RWT would be perfectly serviceable for general road riding. I haven't ridden a triathlon bike before (and my LBS only has three road bikes--the rest are all MTBs and cruisers); is the geometry and riding position going to be a huge shock to the system?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom!


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## ProphetBanana (May 28, 2010)

If it helps, the Windsor Knight looks good, has decent wheels, and comes with ultegra components. If you liked the bars, seatpost and stem on the fens, you should easily transition into the Knight.

You'll def. notice the lighter wheels and will come to appreciate the crisper shifts, but above that, the frame shouldn't be radically different from the Fens. Then again, I have a silver Fens and love it. Mine comes out to 22 pounds with toe clips, saddle bag and bottle cages.

I'm sure the knight would be 20.5 pounds for a 56cm including pedals.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Oct 13, 2009)

I have the Knight, and have put about 1500 miles on it thus far. It's a great bike, and I'd not hesitate to buy it again. I use it primarily as a daily commuter, but also do longer 50+ mile rides for fun. Aside from the crap stock saddle (replaced with WTB Speed V), it's comfortable all day long. For $900, it's a pretty great deal for the components you get. The triple crank is nice on the long climbs and the bike seems very stable at high speed (my top speed is 49mph). If you can afford it, I'd spring for the Windsor Kennet ($1100) which basically has a complete Ultegra (20spd) group but adds a Mavic Aksium Race wheelset.


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## K_Barger (Jul 19, 2010)

I have a Knight as well and am very happy with it. Looks like it has better components than the Royal Triathalon. Also if you buy the Knight you can always compete in any race from Time Trials to Tri's to Distance races. If you buy the Royal Triathalon you will only be able to use that bike in Tri's due to its competitive frame. You can always add clip on aero bard for comfort if thats a deciding factor. 

Also the Knight weighs 18.2 pounds stock.


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

To those of you who have the Knight- do you mind sharing your height/inseam and the size of bike that you ordered?

I am looking at purchasing a road bike from BD, but I want to be sure to get the correct size. Any tips on sizing a bike? Thanks!!!


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Oct 13, 2009)

5'8" - 30.75" Inseam - 54cm frame

I was at a Trek dealer looking and riding a Trek 1.1 which was about the same price. They had a 52cm in stock, which I rode but was just a bit small for me, mostly in top tube length. I looked at the geometry on Trek's site and it compared pretty closely to the Knight on all measurements so I bought a 54cm Knight. I would say it's just about perfect, although a 52cm would have been more upright and better for commuting. But for longer rides, I'm glad I chose the 54cm because it's a bit more stretched out and aerodynamic.


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks for your reply... I've done the online fit calculators and they all say that I should be on a 57cm bike. I'm 5'11'' with a 33.5" inseam. The problem is the bike only comes in 56 OR 58 and not a 57.. So would it be best for me to go with the smaller 56 or jump up to the larger 58?


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## K_Barger (Jul 19, 2010)

I'm 6'1 with 34" in seam and ride a 60cm. I would reccomend going up instead of going down. You can always adjust stem, saddle, handle bars and seat post to adjust smaller but hard to add size to your bike. Go to your LBS and test ride some 56s and 58s and see what fits you best.


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