daanbr78

I am contemplating between two bikes. The Caledonia 5 and the Soloist.

They would have to fit in next to my Cervelo P3 which I ride on solo training rides training for Ironmans.



The new bike is for the every day ride. Some long, some not so long (between 60 and 200km). Sometimes solo, sometimes with friends. Mostly flat, sometimes climbing.



Is there really much difference between the two bikes? Would I be much faster on the Soloist than the Caledonia 5 (due to rider position)? Or is this negligible? Would the Caledonia really be that more comfortable on the 100km+ rides than the Soloist? Or is this negligible too?



I’ve been trying to find answers but not been finding many.



Are there any pros or cons for either of the bikes that you can think of (please feel free to share your subjective opinions, no need to be scientific ;-))

Is there anything to say regarding which bike should compliment the TT bike best?



Many thanks for your opinions!

thin_concrete

This would probably be see more activity in the Road Cycling forum. I had a P3 that I absolutely loved (still kicking myself for selling it) and my BIL has a Caledonia that he’s a huge fan of. Cervelo makes a stout bike and the new Soloist is getting good reviews. I personally wouldn’t see much of a difference in speed over the course of 100km between two bikes, but I would expect the Caledonia to be more comfortable. So it comes down to comfort and groupset. If you’re still racing then the Soloist is probably better for training. If you’re looking for road biking away from training, then the Caledonia looks like a winner.

PeteHski

For longer rides I'd take the slightly more relaxed Caledonia-5, especially if the roads are a bit rough. How fast you go is going to be 99% down to your fitness. On a 200 km ride comfort is going to be the most important performance factor by far. Now maybe the Soloist would be comfortable enough for your needs, but I suspect the Caledonia would be that little bit less fatiguing (especially if your roads are not the best). I haven't ridden either of these particular bikes, but I find endurance road bikes a lot easier to ride challenging centuries than more focused race bikes.

GhostRider62

The geometry between the two are not that different in terms of rider position. Comparing the SOloist to the Caledonia in my size (61 cm), I can get the correct stack and reach figures on both. But, I could get a little lower on the SOloist if desired due to its lower stack. If you are used to doing 112 miles on the P3, you might find the Caledonia too relaxed although I doubt it. Maybe test both if possible.

The big difference is the longer wheelbase and head tube angle on the Caledonia, it would be more comfortable on Pave or lousy roads compared to the Soloist and certainly easier in terms of concentration.

In terms of aerodynamics, it is a lot slower than the S5 and a little faster than the R5.

DaveSSS 

Is there some need to be fast on an "every day" ride? There can't be much difference. Use stack and reach to get your desired fit. Frame size numbers or letters are meaningless these days. The Caledonia has a taller stack height, for a more upright position. Frames that are meant to use integrated handlebars will have little choice of stem angle. I bought my first frames with integrated bars a few months ago. I knew how much rise I get from a -7 stem angle and bought a frame with an appropriate stack to avoid a big spacer stack.

GhostRider62

Yes and you are also wrong WRT stems on these bikes, they are not integrated with the handlebars. That fact is one reason the Caledonia appeals to me.

Jrasero

Soloist hands down for me, really the best of both worlds

Iride01 

In the 54 and 56 size frames the Soloist is only a 15 mm lower frame stack. Frame reach only changes by a mere 5 mm greater for the Soloist Since most new bikes come with 30mm of spacers under the stem then a slammed stem on the Caledona will be pretty much the same as the Soloist with 15mm of spacers under the stem.

Between the two bikes, I'd consider more just the components you want and color. If you can try the bikes out and have them drop the stems to the bottom then you'll know if you are going to like being that low. If you don't then why buy the lower stack bike if you'll never need that ability in it.

If there is a significant difference in weight that might be a consideration if you do a lot of climbs.

ratell

The differences are going to be pretty slight. The Caledonia 5 is probably the more aero bike because of it's handlebars. The soloist is probably a little lighter. The main difference is going to be the longer wheel base on the caledonia and the lower bottom bracket. If you want to race and pedal through corners soloist will be better. Otherwise, most of the difference between the two bikes can be had by slamming the stem on the Caledonia and making some weight weenie upgrades. I would buy the bike you think looks cooler.

PeteHski

I would look closely at the details on each bike. Things like seatpost compliance, bars, wheel sets and tyre clearance. I would guess the Caledonia is slightly more biased toward comfort in these areas given their positions in the model line up.