Cervelo's Soloist SLC-SL
Holding my line
As a sales and marketing professional, I spend the better part of my days bemoaning the ever increasingly aggressive, in-your-face, hustling, how-dare-you-not-buy my product style of sales and marketing that has proliferated our culture of consumerism. As such, I find myself rebelling from buying the overly marketed products of our culture so that I may, in fact, "show them".
Well, on this 12th day of Crankset Christmas, I'm here to tell you that even the strongest willed fall to the oh, so powerful forces of tantilizing marketing. Do I officially still hold my line if the marketing is deemed brilliant? Please don't answer that.
As you have surely figured out where this is going, I am the proud new owner of, you guessed it, a Cervelo Sololist SLC-SL. Okay, 4 months new anyway. I had every intention of posting the review some 4 months ago not long after sharing with you my terrible story of losing the Madone 5.9 with carbon Bontrager's (sniff, sniff) to a Paris Hilton-esque Jersey girl on the streets of Moorestown, NJ. It was that fateful day that I lost my year old, tried-and-true from Waterloo and the normal function of my right patella as she turned in front of me on the upside of my interval workout that night. The sad tale has given way to much physical therapy and now, the carbon beast from our Canadian friends.
Pedigree
Not that I would compare myself to talent of Amber Rais but I found some common ground with her when I read Granny's awesome interview and she claimed that she never considered herself a "sprinter" until, well, she starting sprinting. Funny how these things work. Rest assured, for the sprinters in our reading audience, you might want to read on. Your "Graceland" has arrived.
My first reaction when test riding this rig was "its noiser than a rusty bus". And let me tell ya, it hasn't gotten quieter. Reason? Gerard Vroomen and Phil White begged and pleaded their buyers to stop asking for a lighter Soloist. They asked "how do you perfect the perfect bike?" Their contention, as aero builders, has always been: aero, stiffness and then weight. True dat I say but come on? We all know in 2007 we're racing to the bottom of weight, are we not? So in 2006 they unveiled the pefected, perfect bike: The Soloist sans 200 grams. Also sans internal cable housing which rattles the little metal cable against that fat tube like a beer bottle rolling on a field of cymbals.
Now that I've gotten all the mud outta the way, let's get down to it. This rig is everything it's marketed to be and more. It's just that simple. Every review, every interview and every thing you've heard is factual. It climbs like a koala bear, slices wind like a samurai and sprints like Smarty Jones. I've heard the notion that it corners like a grocery cart with one bad wheel but I just haven't experienced that. In fact, the bike is considered superior in the crits by many. Granted, the stiff-as-kryptonite frame leaves litle margin for error but all in all once you've bonded with her, she responds like any good dance partner.
Sprinter's Delight
If there is one discipline that it reigns supreme however it's the sprint for certain. While I'm no McEwen, I'll tell you that my power range was fully tested on this rig. In fact, while my fitness suffered from the wreck of May, I know this bike had far more in IT, than me when pushing its limits. For kicks and giggles, I upgraded to Zipp 303 carbon clinchers which essentially removes the governor from the engine. Additionally, I personalized the SLC with my all time favorite FSA K-Wing bars and Fizik carbon railed Airone. The bike is full Dura-Ace gruppo, which proved not to be a casualty of the otherwise, snuffed out Madone.
In summation, I would tell you that if speed and power is your game with the ocassional 14%, eleven miler thrown in for good measure, this is your rig. And if Santa is still determining where you fall on the list, you best hope it naughty because this rig was built for riders that are anything but nice.
A very Merry Christmas to all and to all a good ride.
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