I owned and raced this bike at the end of 2002 and the first half of 2003.  So, it's been a while since I've ridden a P2K.  My wife still remembers it as the most attractive bike I've owned - and I've owned quite a few.  She refers to it as the "pretty blue bike".  Don't let her technical description fool you, she knows more about bikes and has a better eye for bike frames and components than most.  I think she has developed those skills to keep tabs on my spending - there's no slipping on a set of carbon cranks and saying "no, those have been there since I bought the bike, dear". 

As usual, I'll tell you what I think right up front - I really liked this bike.  So why, you ask, did I only keep it for a short time?  Well, I'm a big fan of local bike shops (LBS).  I bought the P2K from a LBS that had been very helpful to my cycling and I wanted to buy a bike from the shop before I moved from that town back to my home town.  I was in the mood for a dedicated tri bike and bought the P2K.  Of course, upon moving I found a home in a new LBS that was not a Cervelo dealer, so I bought a different bike from the new LBS's stable to support the local effort.  Plus, I have an addiction to gear that I am really not ashamed of at all. 

Why not a P3?

If you've read any of my reviews or columns, you may have noticed that I'm not afraid to spend money on a bike.  So, you might wonder why I didn't opt to climb one more step in the Cervelo line to the top - P3.  Oddly enough, I looked at Cervelo's wind tunnel data and decided that the minimal difference in aerodynamics versus the extra $500 or $600 bucks just didn't add up for me.  I'm sure my squirming around in the saddle, standing up for butt breaks and the like would more than offset the increased aerodynamic performance of the P3.  Plus, that was the money difference between decent wheels and Zipp 404's.  I also seem to remember that the P2K was actually a bit lighter than the P3 and the roadie-weight-weenie side of my personality may have made an appearance as well.  If money is absolutely no object, then I'd probably go with the P3 because sometimes the downside to buying something that is almost top of the line is that it is "almost" top of the line.

Riding the P2K 

True to my usual form, my P2K was assembled on a Friday morning.  After a 30 second spin around the parking lot, I loaded it up in the car and headed out to race it on Saturday.  The first real ride on the P2K was right after exiting the swim about 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  My LBS did a fine job bolting everything together and the set up was pretty good considering we just transferred measurements from the Cannondale CAAD4 road bike I'd been riding and then made a few "forward geometry" adjustments.

Now, both my Cannondale CAAD4 and the P2K were made from aluminum, but that is where the similarity ended.  While the Cannondale's ride quality was reminiscent of being hit repeatedly with a hammer, the P2K felt smooth and comfortable - surprisingly so for an aluminum frame.  It felt stiff in the bottom bracket and rear end, tracked beautifully and seemed to slice through the wind (some of which could certainly be attributed to the Zipps).

My opinion of aerodynamics is that I believe the wind tunnel data, but I'm always a little suspect of exactly how much of that benefit transfers to us mere mortals.  The P2K is obviously a very aero frame set.  Cervelo has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of aerodynamic development.  If aerodynamics in a bike frame matter to you, you must certainly consider Cervelo when shopping for a tri/time trial bike.  Aerodynamics, though, is fickle and not as bankable a commodity as some other aspects of a frame.  That said, I absolutely believe the P2K's aerodynamic design enabled me to get more speed out of a given effort.  Again, it is a combination of the frame, fork and wheels, but there was definitely a difference from what I'd been riding.  On top of all that, the construction of the bike is top notch.  Forget the aero part for a moment, the frame is very good.  I often considered installing drop bars and STI levers and using the P2K as my road bike.  It performed better than the Cannondale and was infinitely more comfortable.  For a frame so narrow (it just about disappears under you when you look down) it has impressive lateral stiffness and the seat post allows an effective seat tube angle range of 74 to 79 degrees.

In general, I am not a fan of internal cable routing.  It surely improves aerodynamics but typically results in poor shifting in smaller frame sizes, difficult builds and other maladies.  However, Cervelo is the gold standard in this area.  It still isn't the most fun thing in the world to work on, but they do a fine job with the integrated cable stops and the routing of the cables.  I've worked on 650c Cervelo's in the smallest of frames and had little problems getting the shifting dialed in.

The P2K also features horizontal rear wheel drop outs for custom positioning of the rear wheel into the cut out of the seat tube.  In addition to the geometry of the bike, this aids in making the P2K (and P3) UCI legal - just in case you make it into the Tour of Georgia this year.  More practically, it allows you to adjust the rear wheel position for different tire sizes for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

Bottom Line 

There is no doubt that $1200 is no small amount of money for a frame set.  However, the P2K performs on par with bike frames costing considerably more (including it's sibling the P3), making it a relative value. 

It is a beautiful bike - in fact, the 2005 graphics and paint schemes make the P2K one of the more attractive tri bikes on the market.

For those that care (like me - not that I'll ever race a UCI event, but it matters for some reason), it is one the few UCI legal frames that can be configured into a steep geometry without buying anything extra - and it is designed specifically to be that way.

There are lighter, more comfortable frame sets but not in the P2K's price range - not even close.

If you're in the market for a tri bike in the $1900+ ready-to-race price range, you really should consider the Cervelo P2K.