# Soloist Team Ride Quality?



## garbec (Mar 3, 2006)

Whats the feedback on the ride? I see lots of positive feedback on the speed and power transfer from the stiff frame, but then it seems to be opposite ends of the spectrum regarding harshness and compliance. Some saying it's an un-aluminum almost carbon like smooth ride and quite compliant, others saying it's pounding and uncomfortable. I realize it's a personal preference and the bike is not designed for cruisey distance rides, but which is it? 
I've had one out on a couple of short test rides and the position wasn't completely dialed in. I'm impressed with the power transfer, but haven't been out long enough to get an idea of what it will be like on longer rides. Looking at the tube shapes and welds, I could only imagine that it's a rough ride for the longer hauls. Any feedback would be a help. Thanks.


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## 7.62 (Oct 13, 2006)

I can't give much feedback since I've put only 33 miles in about 3 rides (it's been smokey out). But so far I have nothing bad to say about the "harshness" to the ride. I don't find it rattles me at all. Actually, I find it to be rather smooth. I'll know more tomorrow when I ride a little longer.


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## garbec (Mar 3, 2006)

Keep me posted. I hope it clears up for you guys out there!


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## HBPUNK (Mar 25, 2006)

theirs nothing almost carbon feeling about it, it rides like a truck. This is a pure race bike: Fast and stiff as can be, stiffest bike I've ever ridden, doesnt give much at all. I sold mine because of its lack of sucking up the road.

It was the fastest bike I've ever ridden, perfect geometry for me, best looking bike but you feel every pebble on it. The carbon version if probably the perfect bike for me but I cant get myself to shell out that much money and it not work out, I may in time though.

I couldnt imagine having this as an everyday bike


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## thedips (Mar 26, 2007)

HBPUNK said:


> theirs nothing almost carbon feeling about it, it rides like a truck. This is a pure race bike: Fast and stiff as can be, stiffest bike I've ever ridden, doesnt give much at all. I sold mine because of its lack of sucking up the road.
> 
> It was the fastest bike I've ever ridden, perfect geometry for me, best looking bike but you feel every pebble on it. The carbon version if probably the perfect bike for me but I cant get myself to shell out that much money and it not work out, I may in time though.
> 
> I couldnt imagine having this as an everyday bike


TIMES 100.... 

if you are carbon spoiled this bike isnt for the faint of heart.. it is rough..aluminum ride rough... its not a weight weenies bike... its stiff its fast.. the geometry might not agree with you... its stable, the handling is direct. at high speeds it holds nice. i actually feel like i am in control of the bike, with the combination of direct feel to the road and stability and handling.

i had to upgrade the seatpost/ stem handlebar to smoothen it out.. but when you do that... it rides amazing... 

the customer support is amazing for the bike, you can literally reach gerard vroomen and the staff on their website, very knowledgeable, they dont seem to design/sell bikes on hype. everything very well engineered and thought out.


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## 7.62 (Oct 13, 2006)

Like thedips stated, if your use to CF, you may not like this bike. I rode 37 miles today which included some slightly rough sections of a bike path. Honestly, I really didn't have a problem with harshness some of the guys are talking about. Maybe it's just me, but I still found the ride comfy overall today. 

It's best to just test ride one or demo one from CC.


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## garbec (Mar 3, 2006)

No - I'm coming off many years of Cannondales - CAAD 4, CAAD7, CAAD8. I do about 8 races a year, 2 time trials, 2 road, and 4 crits. I've always set up my road bike with clip on's for the tt's. However, I also ride with a pretty fast group a couple days a week and those rides a typically in the 4 hour+ range. I like the concept of the bike and the price. When I started shopping I thought my next move would be to carbon to gain a little comfort. 
I know and ride with the guys at my local LBS and as soon as I told them I was ready for a new rig they pointed me towards the Cervelo. These are the same folks I've purchased my C-Dales from. 
The point is, I spend much more time riding for fun and my health than I do racing. I'm not getting any younger and I'm wondering how much is in this comfort = speed phylosophy.
Thanks for your input - keep them coming. I'm test riding later this morning and I'll let you know how it goes.


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## thedips (Mar 26, 2007)

garbec said:


> No - I'm coming off many years of Cannondales - CAAD 4, CAAD7, CAAD8. I do about 8 races a year, 2 time trials, 2 road, and 4 crits. I've always set up my road bike with clip on's for the tt's. However, I also ride with a pretty fast group a couple days a week and those rides a typically in the 4 hour+ range. I like the concept of the bike and the price. When I started shopping I thought my next move would be to carbon to gain a little comfort.
> I know and ride with the guys at my local LBS and as soon as I told them I was ready for a new rig they pointed me towards the Cervelo. These are the same folks I've purchased my C-Dales from.
> The point is, I spend much more time riding for fun and my health than I do racing. I'm not getting any younger and I'm wondering how much is in this comfort = speed phylosophy.
> Thanks for your input - keep them coming. I'm test riding later this morning and I'll let you know how it goes.



for everything you just said there.. i would send you down the CERVELO path as well... someone coming off racing and CAAD... then this bike will not be that far of a leap for you.. and personally i think it would be great and fit your needs more.. for its price range its very appealing .. its those weekend warriors who come off the stock mid range carbon bike or steel bike , who really cry for some help...


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## Zwane (Jun 30, 2006)

I love this bike, it's setup for racing but still comfortable for 7hours in the saddle. Arione, bontrager ACs at 100psi and stella azurra keep me comfy. As much as i try and restrain myself, i know it's going to see some winter use too


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## garbec (Mar 3, 2006)

Test ride fell through yesterday - but I pulled it off today. The bikes a rocket! Compared to what I'm used to it's plenty comfortable. I'm going to check out a Super Six this week and decide which way to go. The Super Six is a little pricey, so I see myself hedging towards the Soloist. Thanks for all the input - it's much appreciated.


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## 7.62 (Oct 13, 2006)

Yeah, I found it comfy too. Even with over 135lbs of pressure in the tires.


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## tyjacks (Oct 21, 2006)

I've got about 650 miles on my 2008 Team Soloist. It disturbs me how people get on here and talk about the harsh, stiff ride and feeling every pebble, GUY's THIS IS A RACE BIKE, NOT A CADILLAC. If you want a cushy ride try someting else. This bike is far beyond the average weekend riders capability anyway, mine for sure. There is no way unless you are a pro, Elite or CAT1 rider you can assess the full capabilities and benefits of the Soloist. This bike is by far the best all around machine for under $2300 dollars, now it's not perfect but you'd be very hard pressed to find anything this high performance for the average rider. Simply put, it's a wonderful piece of machinery.


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## kervelo (Mar 19, 2007)

Does anybody have comments on the ride quality differences between 2006 Soloist Team and the latest 2008 model? The main difference between them is of course the seat post: the old model has the aluminium post, the new version has the carbon post. Does it have any effect on the ride? I am not interested of the component differences between the two bikes: I will build the bike from the frame.

I am currently riding the 2006 Soloist Team and have been thinking of buying another. The old bike would then serve as a rainy day bike.


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## bbgobie (Aug 13, 2007)

kervelo said:


> Does anybody have comments on the ride quality differences between 2006 Soloist Team and the latest 2008 model? The main difference between them is of course the seat post: the old model has the aluminium post, the new version has the carbon post. Does it have any effect on the ride? I am not interested of the component differences between the two bikes: I will build the bike from the frame.
> 
> I am currently riding the 2006 Soloist Team and have been thinking of buying another. The old bike would then serve as a rainy day bike.


Or you could just purchase a carbon post for your 06 and be done with it.

Some people have commented it makes a world of difference. I have no experience with the aluminum post.


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## italics (Oct 31, 2007)

I ride an '07 Soloist Team that I bought in late '06, put thousands of miles on it, and I love it. I tested dozens of bikes before buying it, most of them CF, and just felt like the Soloist was the best bike -- that it cost so much less than the others was icing on the cake. 

The earlier poster was right -- it's not a Cadillac and not meant to be. It's fast, and that's what it's supposed to be. It's stiff by design. It's not going to swallow up the road for you, but it's not going to hurt, either. I ride centuries on it and I race on it and I put lots of base miles on it. If you want comfort, buy a La-Z-Boy, or a dual suspension mountain bike. If you want a great road bike, buy the Soloist.


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## messyparrot (Sep 17, 2007)

I testest out a Madone and the Cevelo Soloist, they are two totally different beasts.

The Cervelo "feels" fast, twitchy and totally unlike the carbon Madone i would have loved to have had enough $$ to buy both.

The Madone would have been my commuter bike and perhaps long ride bike but the Cervelo is for fast fun times!


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## bruni94 (Dec 20, 2006)

*cervelo soloist*

I have the 06 version stock and have done 2 centuries on it with no problems...I also have a 04 trek 5200 and 94 custom steel..all weightabout the same and the difference is in speed the cervelo is way faster ( +2mph ) the other two are triples that I use for hills....I am 6'1" 190 lbs and ride a 58....comfort level on the carbon and steel is slightly better but not by much....


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## garbec (Mar 3, 2006)

Finalized the sale today. A 51 Soloist is being primed at the shop as we speak! Thanks for all the input!


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## garbec (Mar 3, 2006)

I'm just about to hit 700 miles on the Soloist Team and I couldn't be more happy. After a few weeks of tweeking my position, I can report that I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I feel very dialed in. Thanks to all for your feedback.

I realize comfort is a very subjective issue and it has much to do with what a person is used to and how they set up their ride, but I have to say, I think this bike gets a bad rap from the people who call it a harsh ride. It's by no means plush and not designed to be, but I'm ammazed after every ride how un-harsh it is.

Has anyone ever mentioned how fast this bike is?.....


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## _velodoc_ (Dec 26, 2007)

Make no mistake about it, this bike is for racing! Stiff, superior handling, and fasst!!! I had a Madone 5.0 before my Soloist and the Soloist is stiffer and accelerates just as good, in fact, I think it "pops" out of corners much better than the Madone and handles the surges in crits well. It climbs good thanks to the stiffness. 

I race a lot of crits which is why I wanted something more durable than carbon (crashes).

If you are looking for something that you will do long cruising rides you may not like the aluminum ride, it's a little rough and can tend to chatter a bit in the rougher corners b/c of the stiffness coupled with all-alum material.
There's always trade-offs no matter what you ride. You just have to figure where your priorities are with what you plan on riding it for.

Hope that helps a little

:9:


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## mf9point8 (Jul 17, 2006)

I have had mine for a little over 4k. Its not as uncomfortable as one would think. I did 15 miles of dirt path in the middle of a ride, it was fine. As others have said, you may loose a little comfort to the stiffness/handling but hey...


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## thedips (Mar 26, 2007)

i finally did a 75 mile ride with alot of climbing... actually it was more comfortable than i thought.. i did have some cramping and what not but that woulda happened on any bike... my butt was kinda sore because of my saddle.... but other than that no complaints specific to the bike....

i would agree with others.. you either get used to it... or forget about it...


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## Mountain Elephant (Feb 25, 2008)

Have 100 miles on the bike in 2 rides - it is a smoother ride than my 20 year old steel. I have never ridden carbon so not spoiled but can't see a problem with the harshness of the ride. Do have a carbon post n it though - might help.


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## MaddSkillz (Mar 13, 2007)

This bike is really getting me to thinking. I currently ride a Specialized Allez Elite. I'm looking to make the jump to something nicer, not so sure this is the route I should take but it's in the price range I'm considering. I was looking at Specialized Tarmac Experts, but I just don't know!!!! Ugh.


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## thedips (Mar 26, 2007)

how funny i see this post .. i just recently decided to sell my bike.. time for a new change.. if anything i will come back around to a soloist.. but probably carbon.... i might regret my sale... honestly beside the bike being just a touch small for me... i love everything about it.. its solid.. well built.. responsive.... and just seems to want to go faster..


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