Kestrel Owners Roundup 2006

Kestrel Owners Thread

Returning member with a new name.
I had a late nineties Kestrel 200ems in white until a week ago. A slight mishap with a rock cracked the top-tube half its circumference. No hope for it.

I bought a 2005 red Kestrel Evoke Frameset and I'm waiting for it to get here right now.

I am transferring all my parts over to the new frame

It will be equipped with the following components:
2005 red evoke frame and fork
Stock CC headset
XRP carbon wing bar
XRP carbon Stem
deda blackstick seatpost
Fizik Arione Saddle
Ultegra STI 9 speed shifters
Ultegra front Der
Ultegra rear Der
Ultegra 12-27 cassette
Ultegra Brakes
Neuvation R28 SL Wheels
Hutchinson Carbon Comp Tires
Polar S720 Speed/Heart monitor
FSA triple Crankset 50/39/30 172.5
Sram Chain
Serfas Carbon Cages

I ride for Fresno State Cycling. www.fscycling.csufresno.edu

By the way my dad has a 200ems record 10, zero gravity brakes, mavic SSC SL He started my brother and I on kestrels.

And by brother rides an older 200ems ultegra triple in cranberry clear.

WE love kestrels

How do other owners feel about their kestrels?

don't have one, but I think the stock headset is crap on the kestrels

other than that, I have heard they are very good! Congrats on your new frame. Their handlebars are also very nice! Never quite trusted myself with a carbon fiber bar though. Don't think I ever will. Oh well!

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It all comes down to choice.

[QUOTE=free_rideman]don't have one, but I think the stock headset is crap on the kestrels
QUOTE]

I heard the same about the headsets. What exactly is "crap" about them?

What would be a good mid priced replacement? FSA?

I think they don't keep tight, and get very dirty inside. FSA makes really nice ones! I have a internal one from them. I love mine. Check with kestrel and ask them what type it is. They have many styles, make sure to get the right one.

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It all comes down to choice.

I assembled the Evoke with most of my components from my 200 ems. I needed a new seatpost though due to the weird size required for the evoke frame. I bought a Deda Blackstick from competitive cyclist.com for $130 USD. The bike is awesome. It feels like it transfers alot more power than the old frame did. It has a little bit more "Springy" feel than the 200ems. Sorta like getting a new car. It just feels "taut". I am very happy with it. By the way when I dropped it off at my local bike shop all the bike goons in the shop said it looked "Bad ASS". So thats good.

I rode it 25 miles yesterday around town and 35 miles today into the foothills near my house. It seems to be great.

The biggest improvement has to be the stiffness in the BB area. When out of the saddle on my old kestrel 200 ems the front deraileur cable would move slighty and I could hear the deraileur rub on my right downstroke. The new evoke seems to completely solve this issue due in part to more carbon reinforcement and a revised cable angle through the frame instead of around the seat tube on the old frame.

Just my thoughts for now.

Also if anybody wants to see pics of the new evoke here they are

http://www.traftonbuilders.com/Evoke.htm

I'm trying to decide between three bikes. All are Kestrel, I have ridden all three. I tend to ride longer distances, centurys, sometimes a double century. My training rides are typically 30 miles +. I'm not fast usually average in the high teens over a century. I'm 5'7" and 180lbs so I'm not a lightweight. In my test rides all three felt decent but I don't know what they will feel like after 40 miles. Any help would be appreciated.

The bikes are:
1) 2006 Talon
2) 2007 Evoke
3) 2007 RT700

The talon is the cheapest but all three are within $400.

-Dave

I used to have a 200ems that was a really nice all day bike. My evoke is one fast SOB but it does seem a bit too stiff and racy after about 40-50 miles. I've seen alot of talons at local and out of town centuries and such. No clue on the RT700. It has been described as a compromise of both. Sounds pretty good to me. I am the guy with the race bike that I don't race. I dont really care for the talon's looks and its generally outdated personality. I would go for the RT700 to get the newest tech, performance and looks.

Four double centuries a custom serrotta would be my only choice

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"Kankles are my secret weapon"

76 raleigh grand prix fixie beater
75 raleigh competition fixed gear cross
05 kestrel evoke

.........----- __o
......------_~\<,
_______(_)/ (_)__

Well, I can get out of the LBS for any of these bikes setup for $2200 or less. The custom Seratta that is Ti and Carbon is like twice that price and I'd get killed by my wife.


I thought the Evoke was more relaxed than the Talon or RT700. Am I wrong? I was thinking the Evoke might be the best choice for long rides.

-Dave

I have a Red NOS Kestrel 200 for sale :
http://www.triwa.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1310
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bikes/preview/100004959

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Cheers,
George.

Used to ride a talon for about 6 years, recently moved to a Cervelo P3

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Martin Williams
Musician, Teacher, Cyclist

I have an Evoke and an Edge. Love them both.

The evoke is one of my favorite machines that I've owned in my life. Not just favorite bike, mind, but machine: it just seems gloriously right, almost alive, and has taken me places I never expected to go.

Love the Edge, too. The ride is very plush and it's the bike that got me back into riding after several years away. I don't put the miles on it that I do on the Evoke, but in a few months I'll be moving a couple miles out on a dirt road, and the Edge will probably get a lot more use.

I was under the impression that the Evoke is the distance bike, and the talon a little heavier but more aerodynamic.
Kestrels don't seem to be particularly loved by the bike world at large, don't know why, don't care much: mine work well for me.