Road Bike vs TT/Tri Bike

[Captain Clean-up]

Hi guys.

 

So I'm looking at getting my first TT/ Tri bike, but I am very confused with size compatibility.

I am 185 tall and ride a 56cm(L) TCR compact.

Ive heard that for a TT bike i should be looking for a size down, but have come across people that have said otherwise. I also believe that there is a great difference in how individual brands size their bikes. As of yet, I have found no real helpful comparison chart (Road vs TT) anywhere...

 

Any 2 cents would be hugely appreciated

 

Cheers

[Eldron]

My advice (based on a long and 3 bike route to finding the right TT bike) is this:

 

Start with the same size but test ride them all - TT bikes are far more difficult to size than road bikes.

 

I tried the one size down route but ended up with a bike that was too short - when I used a normal size stem there was knee/elbow interference - when I used a stem long enough to clear my knee/elbow problem the bike felt unstable.

 

Seat to bar drop is also an issue on some TT bikes with extended seat posts.

 

The basic rule is test ride test ride test ride....