The Specialized Transition Expert is Specialized's mid-line time trial bike. The S-Works bikes sit atop of Specialized's line and other, lesser grade Transition models are below. All of Specialized's time trial/triathlon frames are essentially the same with the componentry mixture setting the bikes apart. Here are the components as delivered on the stock bike;

FRAME: Specialized E5 AEROTEC, fully manipulated aero tubing, compact Transition design, internal brake and derailleur guides, replaceable derailleur hanger
FORK: Specialized FACT carbon aero Transition Speed Zertz, carbon legs, crown, and threadless steerer
HEADSET: Specialized Mindset Plus, 1 1/8" integrated threadless, sealed stainless steel cartridge bearings, carbon 20mm cone with two 5mm alloy spacers
STEM: Specialized Pro-Set lightweight stem, 3D forged alloy, 4-bolt 31.8mm bar clamp, 4- position adjustable
HANDLEBARS: Specialized Zertz Transition bullhorn bars, 31.8 clamp, with Profile Designs Carbon Stryke aero bars
TAPE: Body Geometry, cork ribbon
FRONT BRAKE: Shimano Ultegra
REAR BRAKE: Shimano Ultegra
BRAKE LEVERS: Tektro RX4.1 aero levers
FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano Ultegra, 31.8mm clamp, bottom pull
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano Ultegra, short cage
SHIFT LEVERS: Shimano Dura-Ace, 10-speed bar con shifters
CASSETTE: Shimano Ultegra, 12-25t
CHAIN: Shimano Ultegra, 10-speed
CRANKSET: FSA SLK MegaExo, 2-piece carbon crankset
CHAINRINGS: 53x39T
BOTTOM BRACKET: FSA integrated, exterior cartridge bearings, alloy
RIMS: Mavic Cosmic Elite
FRONT HUB: Mavic Cosmic Elite, 18 hole, Mavic QR
REAR HUB: Mavic Cosmic Elite, 20 hole, Mavic QR
SPOKES: Stainless 14g aero
SADDLE: Body Geometry Transition Pro saddle, microfiber cover, full nose padding, cro-mo rails
SEAT POST: Specialized Transition carbon, aero seatpost with Speed Zertz
SEAT BINDER: Specialized CNC, alloy

Since I didn't need the Mavic Cosmic Elite wheels I sold them on ebay ($330.00) and slapped on the Mavic Kysrium SL's that I already had. I also put on a pair of Speedplay pedals from my rolling stock. I paid $1600.00 for the complete bike. This represents a good discount off of the $2400.00 list price and my dealer explained to me that Specialized was in a hurry to dump the 2006 line of aluminum time trial bikes because the 2007 frames will be made out of carbon fiber. This is a trade secret so please don't tell anyone. I don't really care. After selling the wheels I have a really nice TT bike for under $1300.00.

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FRAME

The frame is made from aluminum. Specialized likes to impress you by calling it Aerotec E5 Alloy. The "E5 Alloy" comes from the fact that Specialized's aluminum is a blend of 5 different elements. No customer can understand the significance of this, if any. It's just marketing B.S. for aluminum. Aluminum is stiff and light and can be shaped easily, all pluses for a time trail frame. The downtube, seat tube and seat stays are all designed to provide an aerodynamic advantage, that's the "AEROTEC" piece.

Here is what the Specialized marketing people wanted you to read about this frame;

"The Specialized-designed Transition triathlon frame found on the Elite, Comp, and S-works models represents the best in modern aluminum manipulation technology. Our engineering department designed this ultra light race frame to have an extremely low drag coefficient, by radically butting, swaging, and shaping each tube to be optimized for aerodynamics and ride quality.

The NACA-designed elliptical downtube and seatstays are proven to reduce drag and deliver true aerodynamic performance. The aero downtube is an angled ellipse shape for minimum drag, but tapers to an oval for maximum stiffness at the BB junction. This unprecedented attention to shape manipulation sets new standards in weight, BB stiffness, aerodynamics, and ride quality.

Our engineering and technical prowess has been combined with Iron Man-winning geometry, designed with guidance from Tri legend Peter Reid, balancing rider position, center of gravity, and wheelbase. The headtube angle was slightly relaxed, the fork rake increased, and the trail increased to give the rider more stability at speeds. The chainstays were shortened, and the front-center was increased to keep the rider's weight centered over the bike for additional stability. The seat tube angle is 76 degrees for forward-biased weight placement, and the head tube is shorter to allow the rider to attain the critical aero position. Even details like our unique internal cable routing add to the aero advantage."

As a primer on bicycle aerodynamics it's important to understand that for any aero advantage at all, the depth of the object that is hitting the wind must be at least twice the dimension of the width, or frontal area. A 2:1 ratio. At this ratio and above the wind turbulence is lessened, reducing drag. Let's take the Transition's seatpost as an example;

The post on this bike is 1" wide and 2" deep. Even though a quick glance seems to indicate that the post is extremely aerodynamic it just meets the minimum 2:1 ratio. The forks, downtube, seat tube and seat stays all have ratios higher than 2:1. The aero seat stays are pretty snappy looking, too. This frame does in fact offer an aerodynamic advantage over traditional frames. Score one for Specialized. To read more about aerodynamics and bicycles see HERE.

For even more aerodynamic advantage the brake and derailleur cables are routed into and out of the frame, so-called, "internal routing". No lengthy cables catching the wind. Although I think that the cables near the front of a bike catch more wind that those that run along the top and down tubes. Still, I suppose it's a feature.

Note in the picture below how the downtube goes from thin and aero to thick and beefy (note also the exits for the cabling);

More important than profile and weight in frame design are dimension and geometry. That's because a rider's position on a time trial bike is much more important than the bike itself. The rider must be low, narrow and most importantly, comfortably positioned to be able to generate maximum power over time. Before dropping the cash on a TT bike I recommend that you take numerous test rides with a set of allen wrenches. Ride, adjust, ride adjust. When you find a bike that allows you to feel comfortable and powerful you'll know it. Don't listen to the sales-guy telling you how great and aero you look, or how flat your back is. If you feel good and fast and your chest is still open enough for proper breathing you've probably found an adequate bike. That being said, most TT bikes that you might buy today offer enough adjustments to get your body where it needs to be. A frame's seatube angle of 76 degrees sounds great, but proper saddle tilt, height and fore/aft are much more important. Don't get caught up in specs. Specs make for good reading, "feel" makes for good riding.

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COMFORT

To get a rider comfortable on the Transition, Specialized offers a variety of nifty items. The fork, seatpost, Profile Design aero handlebars and FSA crank are all made of carbon which can dampen road shock and buzz. The handlebar tape is thick cork ribbon which can also absorb road buzz. The Specialized Body Geometry Transition Pro Saddle (whew!) is designed to both reduce pressure on your naughty parts at the rear of the saddle, as well as offer padding up front. Padding up front is important because when in the tuck position more of your weight will be forward on the saddle. Specialized also makes a very big deal about their Zertz technology. Zertz is another fancy marketing word. These Zertz things are basically bits of rubber that are wrapped around the fork legs, seatpost and handlebars. Since road buzz begins at the road/tire interface and moves up the frame to the rider, Zertz are placed between the road and the rider and supposedly absorb some of the buzz. Click HERE to read more of the marketing bla, bla, bla about Zertz technology. Keeping in mind that 'Zertz' sounds a lot cooler than 'rubber bands'.

Zertz rubber band Lots of adjustability and padding. Zertz band at bottom of photo

Finally, the cockpit design will allow riders of all shapes and sizes to find a comfy position. The arm rests are almost infinitely adjustable; fore/aft, up/down angle, side-to-side angle, and width can all be adjusted. The rest pads are thick and firm. The bullhorn bars can be twisted up and down. The aero bars move, in relation to the bars/pads; fore/aft, up/down, narrow/wide and can twist in or out. It will take a while to get all of these adjusted just right, but when you get there it will have been worth all of the trouble.

The final piece of gear that adds to your comfort are the bull horn bars. Look at the picture above, right. See how the bar flattens a bit under the arm pads? The rounded section of the outboard portion of the bars flatten towards the inboard area. This gives you lots of places to grip the handlebars that vary the pressure points. You'll have no excuses for getting numb hands or fingers.

All of these adjustments are to meet one single goal; comfortable aerodynamics. Aerodynamics is the most critical aspect of cycling speed but you must be comfortable in an aerodynamic position for anything longer than a 10 mile ride. I've included some links at the end of this review that you can read to learn more about aerodynamic positioning.

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EQUIPMENT

As you can see from the parts list above, Shimano Ultegra stuff is featured. Ultegra offers most of the advantages and features of Shimano's top of the line Dura-Ace stuff. Weight, fit and finish are not quite to Dura-Ace standards but the price is significantly lower. I found the brakes to be every bit as good as the Dura-Ace stuff that I'm used too but we'll see how long it stays that way. One nice thing about Dura-Ace is it's durability and longevity. I think that the positioning of the brake levers at the end of the bullhorn bars makes it easier to apply pressure than when the levers are on the curve of normal road handlebars. That might be why the Ultegra brakes felt just like Dura-Ace.

Shifting with Ultegra was much stiffer and louder than with Dura-Ace but not so much as to detract from the overall feel of this bike. I don't ask much from the drivetrain (front deailleur, rear derailleur, chain, cassette), get me from one gear to the next without any trouble - the Ultegra stuff does it's job.

I've never ridden with carbon fiber cranks and the FSA SLK MegaExo are a nice introduction. Like Ultegra, they are not FSA's top shelf cranks but they offer most features of the expensive stuff; stiffness and light weight. They also use a two piece crank with exterior cartridge bearings which offer increased life and even load bearing. I don't detect any arm flex, and the carbon arms, in addition to looking cool, may be absorbing some road buzz.

The Zertz handlebars are light and comfortable but I would change the stem. It's just a heavy block of aluminum. Lots of inexpensive and lightweight carbon stems are available. The Tektro brake levers offer great feel and are easy to modulate, which is probably why I could compare the Ultegra brakes so favorably. The Profile Designs Stryke handlebars were very comfortable when I finally got them adjusted to the correct position, along with the arm rests. And the Dura-Ave bar end shifters are quick and accurate.

Specialized use their own proprietary integrated Mindset Plus headset. I would much prefer to be able to replace them with a Chris King headset, but I'll just have to live with it.

All in all a very nicely equipped bike. Since I can't change the headset the stem is the only thing that I will consider replacing.

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RIDE

Each time I take this bike for a spin I'm favorably impressed with how it feels so light, stiff and fast. In cruise mode I can run two gears higher than normal. I had to stop a number of times during the initial rides to make micro adjustments to the cockpit and the saddle. You really need to ride a few miles, as opposed to riding around the dealer's parking lot, to get a good feel for a bike. Once the position was dialed in I made a point of riding through varied terrain so that I could test it out on flats, uphills, downhills and on twisty roads. Other than the steepest uphill sections I found that I could stay in the tuck position quite comfortably and was able to generate plenty of power on all roads.

I found that the multitude of available hand positions can make a long ride seem shorter because I was comfortable and relaxed. In the tuck position you can grab the bar extensions high or low, out far or in close. And the multi-shaped bull horn bars offer lots of grip points. It did take a while to get used to the bar end shifters. I found myself trying to push the brake levers inwards for shifting.

The fit and finish are remarkable for a bike at this pricepoint. I don't trust any bike dealer to properly set-up bikes and this one was no different. I needed to tighten the stuff bolted onto carbon (dealers appear to be afraid to over-tighten and therefore leave things a bit loose), and the stuff bolted onto aluminum was too tight. After those adjustments the bike exhibits no rattles, squeaks or other noises that lessor bicycles can make. The bike feels very tight and well put together. I can put it best this way; it felt very much like a $2400.00 bike. It's list price.

The Transition Expert offers a very smooth ride. Neither twitchy nor sluggish. One thing I do notice is that there is very little buzz on the pedals. Is this due to the Zertz stuff throughout the bike? Is it the carbon crankset (this is my first carbon crank)? Or is it that in the tuck position some of your weight is shifted off of your feet and onto the saddle and handlebars? I suspect it's the latter but in any event the ride is remarkably smooth and comfortable.

The fork, being aero, has more carbon fiber material than what you find on most road bikes. This additional carbon fiber allows the fork to absorb lots of road buzz and shock. The front end of this bike is extremely comfortable. Even on rough roads you will be able to maintain your aero position and apply power evenly.

I do note that direction changes require more input than what my Colnago requires, but that's probably not a fair comparison given that the Colnago's list price is about three times that of this bike. On fast downhills the Colnago really shines with picking a line and then sticking to it as if on rails. This Specialized does not have this quality and requires more attention. Certainly not enough attention to classify it as sluggish, just not as refined as the Colnago.

Even a short spin on the bike will confirm the stiffness and lightness of it's aluminum frame. Some parts of the frame may be thin and aero, but the bottom bracket and headtube junctions are beefy, minimizing frame flex during out of the saddle accelerations or when grinding uphill. I've detected no frame flex whatsoever. The lack of flex in the bottom bracket and headtube make this bike feel lighter than it is. All applied power goes to forward motion. A terrific trait for a time trial bike.

The saddle is very cushy compared to the Fizik that I usually ride and I've never been a fan of anything but firm saddles. However, this Specialized model has me convinced that for time trials a cushy saddle is the way to go. Bent over in a tuck position puts a lot of pressure on a very small area at the front of your pelvis. Ride like this for an hour on a firm saddle and you'll be looking for a Viagra prescription. But this cushy saddle effectively spreads the contact area out a bit and really adds to the overall comfort of this bike's ride. Do you lose some efficiency with a less than firm saddle? Probably. But you gain it back in spades by being comfortable for a longer period of time.

At 18.8 pounds as I have it set up it's not by any means a bike for you weigh weenies out there. But keep in mind that a light weight bike is not that important when it comes to time trials or triathlons. Getting up to speed and maintaining it with comfort and power is. As I mentioned earlier, finding a bike that fits you like a glove while putting you into an aero position is the goal with any TT bike.

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OVERALL AND RATING

Overall I find the Specialized Transition Expert to be a high quality time trail bike at it's price. I find no significant compromises on frame build or equipment selection. It's extremely comfortable when properly set up and is light enough for hilly courses. I did swap out the stock wheels and have heard that they are heavy and a bit sluggish so check them out if you plan to use them on this bike. The bike is stiff and fast. Isn't that what we are all looking for in a time trail/triathlon bike?

Elvis Kennedy's Rating:

Overall: 8.5
Ride: 8.5
Fit/Finish: 8.0
Value: 9.5
Components: 8.0


Here are some links if you'd like to learn more;

Specialized
Bike Fit for Time Trial/Triathlon
Time Trail Body Positioning
Positioning for Aerodynamics

And some more photos;


Carbon FSA crank


Beefy bottom bracket and outboard bottom bracket bearings


Bull horn handlebar brake levers



Aero downtube widening for stiffness


Dura-Ace bar-ends shifters




Whadda you lookin' at?