Buy TT or road bike??

[stoflap]

Buy TT or road bike??

 

Any advice on what to buy?

 

I’m a mountain biker that has entered for my first IM 70.3 in Jan 2012.

 

I`ve never done a road race and probably will only do the big races (1 or 2 a year) if I have the bike to do it. Should I go for a TT bike and fix drop bars for a road race or should I go for a road bike and fix TT bars for IM?

[Ha Ha Kieran]

Go for a aero road frame Can be used for both Just put on some clip-on TT bars

[Thug]

I'd go for a road bike and fit TT bars.

 

Funnily enough, 50% of the bike course in East London is not conducive to a TT bike because of the amount of climbing out to Berlin.

[Longbarn Killer]

T T bikes only offer one advantage and that is aerodynamics. The aerodynamics of the bike itself is minimal, but most of the aero advantage comes from the rider. The bike forces you to lie in an uncomfortable position in order to get this aero advantage. Your body (especially your back and neck) takes major strain if you are sitting in the aero position for hours on end

Further to this, the aerodynamics only offer an advantage at higher speed, so if you are a normal Joe Soap that slogs it out to finish the event, the benefits of a T T bike are minimal.

Whats more, T T bikes can only be used in non drafting events. They are not allowed in draft legal events or normal road race events. Non drafting events are far and few between, most triathlon events now days are draft legal, meaning a T T bike will not be allowed.

In short, unless you are one of the following, I would suggest a normal road bike.

1. A well honed, professional athlete who needs every advantage possible and whose body is conditioned to the discomforts of a T T bike.

2. You already have a road bike and think it would be nice to have a T T bike as well (I fall into this category).

3. You are rich and can afford to have T T bike that can only be used for 1 or 2 events a year.

4. You only plan to do non drafting events and you think a T T bike will look cool.

[T.XTERRA]

If you going to be focussing on the longer events like Ironman,challenge cape town etc would it not be better to get a TT Bike and just change the handle bars for the non draft races. I am no pro at bikes so advice welcome.

[Shane Bob]

I'd go for a road bike and fit TT bars.

 

Funnily enough, 50% of the bike course in East London is not conducive to a TT bike because of the amount of climbing out to Berlin.

i just thought i'd agree with you! i think that EL's HALF ironman is so much harder that the full one in PE

[Thug]

If you going to be focussing on the longer events like Ironman,challenge cape town etc would it not be better to get a TT Bike and just change the handle bars for the non draft races. I am no pro at bikes so advice welcome.

 

 

I agree that if full IM and CT Challenge are on the agenda, then a TT bike is the way to go. However, the geometry of the seattube is radically different between a TT bike & a Road bike which will prove extremely uncomfortable in the long run.

 

Pro Design make a seat post for a roadbike that mimics the geometry of a TT bike (IOW, pushes the seat further forward) which is probably the way to go if a TT bike is not on the agenda.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Thug

[stoflap]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

It`s probably going to take more than a couple of hours in the seat to get use to the position. And with this being my 1st IM, you would like to stay as close as possible to things your use to.

[Eldron]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

It`s probably going to take more than a couple of hours in the seat to get use to the position. And with this being my 1st IM, you would like to stay as close as possible to things your use to.

 

I reckon a "crossover" road bike will do it - the Felt AR range comes to mind - internal cables, wheel cut outs on the frame, aeroi seat post etc make the bike nice and aero. If you buy a two position seat post that gets you nice and forward on the bike ala TT frame position you should get 80% of the benefit of a TT bike and still have a comfy road bike you can ride all day and enter the occasional road race on.

 

TT bikes take a lot of set up and body conditioning/flexibility to ride >2 hours on.

[FC&P2C]

A TT bike has got a +-78degr seat tube than enable you to get your back horisontal without cramping you in. Thus is a tt bike as comfortable as a road bike but with a better aero position.

However if you only going to have 1 bike with you mtb back ground I suggest buying a roadbike. The conversion to drop bars from a tt bike is expensive and very time consuming.(mind you a forward facing seatpost and tt bars are not cheap either) And you will find that now you own a road setup you want to do more road events. Also remember that the Energade series is draft legal and tt bars are not allowed.

I think most people do their first Ironman event on a roadbike and then when you get hooked you can ad a tt bike to your collection.

[Longbarn Killer]

If you going to be focussing on the longer events like Ironman,challenge cape town etc would it not be better to get a TT Bike and just change the handle bars for the non draft races. I am no pro at bikes so advice welcome.

You can't just change the bars, you will have to change the stem (normally shorter on a TT bike) and even worse, the shifters too. Then there is the setting of the gears each time etc, etc.

 

I still maintain that a road bike is the way to go.

[Gunston]

Deciding what bike to buy must be the most difficult part of doing triathlons.

 

I decided to go with a TT bike because:

• 
   
  
• I'll be focusing on triathlons (olympic distance and up - of which 99.999% are non drafting) and not road events.
  
• My brain pointed to a road bike (as per all the arguments above) but my heart pointed to a TT bike. From past experiences I have learned to buy what I really want from the beginning otherwise I just end up buying it later anyway and waste a lot of money in the process
  
• A TT bike is just so much cooler than a road bike...
  

 

Dont think about it to much - go with your heart and it should be an easy decision.

[Zula]

I was in this position at the beginning of the year with IM70.3

 

At the time I had an entry level road bike and was thinking seriously of buying a TT bike. However, based on the fact that I would only do a max of 5 triathlons a year, a dedicated TT bike just wasn't the way forward for me. I thought long and hard and eventually settled on the felt AR4. Its an aero road bike which is 100% convertible to a TT bike. I bought the clip ons and a tri saddle.

 

I think the ar4 is the best dual purpose road bike in this regard. The design is identical to the TT bikes besides some geometry on the rear triangle. The best part though is that its one seriously kick ass bike to use as a road bike which is what I use it as for 90% of the time.

 

So ja, if you have a spare 30k for a TT bike that you dont mind riding 5 times a year get a TT bike, else get a aero road bike like a feltAR, Cervelo S, Scott Foil or the Spez Venge. I would stick to the Felt or the Cervelo personally.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Zula

[8848]

I had the same dilemma, ended up buying a FELT AR4. AR stands for Aero/Road. sort of teh best of both worlds. have used mine for IM 70.3, full IM, Argus, short triathlon etc. Love it! I put on TT bars for non-drafting triathlon.

 

you will not regret the AR4.

[Funkymonkey]

Deciding what bike to buy must be the most difficult part of doing triathlons.

 

I decided to go with a TT bike because:

• I'll be focusing on triathlons (olympic distance and up - of which 99.999% are non drafting) and not road events.
  
• My brain pointed to a road bike (as per all the arguments above) but my heart pointed to a TT bike. From past experiences I have learned to buy what I really want from the beginning otherwise I just end up buying it later anyway and waste a lot of money in the process
  
• A TT bike is just so much cooler than a road bike...
  

Dont think about it to much - go with your heart and it should be an easy decision.

 

Deciding what bike to buy must be the most difficult part of doing triathlons.

 

I decided to go with a TT bike because:

• I'll be focusing on triathlons (olympic distance and up - of which 99.999% are non drafting) and not road events.
  
• My brain pointed to a road bike (as per all the arguments above) but my heart pointed to a TT bike. From past experiences I have learned to buy what I really want from the beginning otherwise I just end up buying it later anyway and waste a lot of money in the process
  
• A TT bike is just so much cooler than a road bike...
  

Dont think about it to much - go with your heart and it should be an easy decision.

hahahahahha!!! Man you spoke just what I was thinking!! SHOT.... decision made!