A Proven Winner
One of the most beautiful and elegant time trial/multisport framesets around. The Kalibur is phenomenally light at a scant 1100 grams for a size medium; this figure makes the Kalibur one of if not the lightest production TT/multisport framesets available.
Impressive and threatening, the Kalibur is all business. Show up at your local TT or even at the IronMan World Championships and everyone will know you're not in the sport just for the fun of it. If you ride the Kalibur, you're out to win and you're in very good company: it's the bike hand-selected by 2X World Triathlon Champion, Norman Stadler and the TT bike of pro cycling team, KodakGallery.com/Sierra Nevada.
The Kalibur is a remarkable work of engineering. For its scant weight it nevertheless tests as one of the stiffest TT/tri rigs available. The lay-up of carbon in all tubes is meticulously CAD designed and hand placed for optimal rigidity and power transfer. Moreover, the over-size head tube provides for maximum torsional resistance meaning that the front end of the Kalibur is as stable and certain as the power you're putting into the pedals. Thanks to the built-up front end and the incredibly stiff fork, the Kalibur is not skiddish in the corners meaning its rider can worry less about high speed turns and descents and more about riding hard and fast. Not a lot of TT/tri frames can claim this!
Additional stiffness is provided on the drive side via Kevlar wrapping of the chain stay. Kevlar has the inverse properties of carbon meaning that, whereas carbon fibers will stretch but not compress, Kevlar fibers will compress but not stretch. In short, Kevlar and carbon work together to form the perfect union for optimized rear-end stiffness and, as such, maximized power transfer from the pedals to the drive train to the rear wheel.
In general a phenomenally light TT/tri bike serves little advantage for its rider. Most TT/tri race courses are relatively flat--when compared to road race courses--so the advantage of a pound or two in weight savings is often over-ridden for a more stout frame. The Kalibur, however, provides the best of all worlds. So, if you're looking at doing IronMan Lake Placid--a course with a considerable amout of climbing--or if the TT course you're eyeing has a fair amount of rollers or even a finishing climb (a la Fitchburg!), you'd be hard pressed to find a better ride.
One last favorable quality about the Kalibur: it rides beautifully. As a competitive athlete (and if you're riding a bike like the Kalibur, you're a competitive athlete!) you need to use your energy wisely. As we say at Cadence, "You only have so many matches to burn." A lot of matches can be saved by riding a bike that reduces bodily fatigue through vibration absorption. This is one reason why we are so bullish about carbon fiber frames: most carbon fiber simply absorbs vibration very, very well. This is especially true of the Kalibur. So, whether you're doing a 12K, 20K, 40K or 100 mile time trial event the Kalibur will do its part to reduce vibration and shock, and keep you focused on burning your matches for the finish line.