Bike Geometry
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108 days
zagfan posted 9 weeks ago.
I just finished my first tri and used a road bike. I have the Profile Fast Forward seatpost to go with a set of clip on Syntace C2 aerobars. The geometry will use more of your quads, saving your hamstrings for the run. It will also get you in a more aggressive position (aero). Great way to go for the triathlete on a budget.
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fpugsley posted 9 weeks ago.
I wouldn't worry about changing your geometry for your first race. Just go out there with what you are comfortable with. I rode my road bike for my first couple races before I had a TT bike.
That's just my two cents.
523
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233 days
jsk85 posted 9 weeks ago.
I am on my 4th tri season and am still on a road bike w/o an adjusted seat angle. I have raised my seat post and gotten clip-on aerobars (profile carbon strike) and it works fine for me. I am planning on finally getting a tri bike for increased comfort in longer rides next season since I'm ramping up my distances. However, I can usually roll b/w 20.5-22mph in a sprint/oly distance race depending on conditions which is plenty competitive.
I also tend to be one of the top 10-15% in the run in my races, so I'm not wearing out the hammy's too much with this geometry. just make sure you train right and practice running right off a longer bike ride a few times...it takes getting used to no matter what geometry you ride
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208 days
phillytri posted 9 weeks ago.
Lots of people use road bikes with aero-clip ons...personally, I would not recommend it - just stick with the road bike and save the $$$ till you can get a tri bike.
I started out with a road bike + aerobars...the problem I had is that in order to really be efficient you need to a) shift very, very often to maintain a steady cadence and b) stay on your aerobars (except when you are going up hills). If you put aerobars on a road bike you use energy to come off of them to shift, which takes you out of the aero position anyway, and / or you shift less, which makes you much less efficient. I know some people will disagree, but my feeling is you either have your shifters on the bar ends or you just save up some extra money for a tri bike. The one exception is a really flat course (think IM Florida), in which case a road bike with aerobars might be okay...
Geometry makes a difference, but again I say just save your money and put it into a real tri bike for next year...I put a few bucks into my roadie to get it "ready" for tri season, then I sold it a few months later and just got a tri bike anyway...
523
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233 days
jsk85 posted 9 weeks ago.
phillytri wrote:
I started out with a road bike + aerobars...the problem I had is that in order to really be efficient you need to a) shift very, very often to maintain a steady cadence and b) stay on your aerobars (except when you are going up hills). If you put aerobars on a road bike you use energy to come off of them to shift, which takes you out of the aero position anyway, and / or you shift less, which makes you much less efficient.
I think I will go ahead and disagree...you do need to shift often to keep a steady cadence and stay efficient, but with practice there's no reason it should effect your aero position for more than a second or two at a time. I mean, you just leave your left arm down and aero and move your right handover and flick the lever. It requires a slight rotation of the body and movement of the arm and it's over...without any noticeable loss of speed. It's much more aero than reaching for a water bottle which you are likely going to have to do at some point.
I agree you'd be faster on a tri-bike overall, but if you have a roadie...clip ons are anywhere from 50-200 for most, which is an order of magnitude less expensive than a tri bike (decent entry level being ~$1500). Plus you can likely recoup half the aerobars cost by reselling them when/if you upgrade to a tri-bike. So you're looking at a net cost of like $75, which is plenty reasonable as a temporary "fix" until you can save up for a tri bike. And it's obviously more aero than a road bike w/o them since you narrow your front side
352
Member
67 days
trigirltina2 posted 9 weeks ago.
I have both Tri and road. What are your future plans in the support? People with sponsers have multiple bikes. My coach has over 300 bikes that he rents to people. (his is a sickness)
Stick with what you have. Aero is speed and geometery is important.
How far can you ride in the position? I have a friend that wrote something for new teammates. I will find it tongiht and post up. Help on the run... that is about cadence. Keeping the cadence up will save the legs for the run. Peddle slow and could have a bad run.
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609 days
Mike20124 posted 9 weeks ago.
jsk85 wrote:
but with practice there's no reason it should effect your aero position for more than a second or two at a time. I mean, you just leave your left arm down and aero and move your right handover and flick the lever. It requires a slight rotation of the body and movement of the arm and it's over...without any noticeable loss of speed
I agree. I have a road bike with profile t2+cobra clips ons and I am preparing for my second IM in this configuration. I can very easily and quickly shift gears in aero. There are lots of things to spend money on with a family and mutiple bikes aren't in the budget so I make do.
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66 days
BugahaRob posted 9 weeks ago.
Thanks for your help, and if anyone has a TT bike lying around I'll take it off your hands.
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trigirltina2 posted 8 weeks ago.
Try Craigslist too. lots pf people put bikes there for sale.
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olivestri posted 8 weeks ago.
In the learn something new everyday catagory - actually it has been a few things today - all this time, I thought "tri bike" meant triathlon bike. As I've gotten more into the tri world, I begun to realize that the style of triathlon bike racing is probably most similar to a time trial.
So what's the deal are there triathlon bikes? Or, when we go bike shopping are we looking at time trail bikes?
In terms of which bike to ride, I've got a touring bike with relaxed geometry. Good for hills but probably not for speed. I ready some tri guy talking about trying to maintain 30mph on a flat. Best I could probably do on the flat is 25mph.
Am I just slower or am I giving up 5 mph based on bike style? I probably would beat'em anyway, but as I am trying to reach the finish line I hate to think I am giving up 5 mph just because I can't afford a new bike yet??
523
Member
233 days
jsk85 posted 8 weeks ago.
olivestri wrote:
In the learn something new everyday catagory - actually it has been a few things today - all this time, I thought "tri bike" meant triathlon bike. As I've gotten more into the tri world, I begun to realize that the style of triathlon bike racing is probably most similar to a time trial.So what's the deal are there triathlon bikes? Or, when we go bike shopping are we looking at time trail bikes?
In terms of which bike to ride, I've got a touring bike with relaxed geometry. Good for hills but probably not for speed. I ready some tri guy talking about trying to maintain 30mph on a flat. Best I could probably do on the flat is 25mph.
Am I just slower or am I giving up 5 mph based on bike style? I probably would beat'em anyway, but as I am trying to reach the finish line I hate to think I am giving up 5 mph just because I can't afford a new bike yet??
It's probably a little of both...the faster you go, the more drag you generate, so there will be a bigger difference in relative speed with the same power output from someone on a "relaxed" geometry bike and someone on a tri bike. It all depends on body position, however I think that 5mph might be more of an effect than you would get unless you had terrible body position, so they may just be a stronger biker than you.
And yes, technically you're looking at time trial bikes, but the terms nowadays are basically sononomous. If you say one or the other you're going to get shown the same thing. And while 95% or more of the time anyone looking for a TT bike is likely a triathlete (w/ triathlons growing popularity especially) there are other people who are roadies who want to compete in TTs or tour races, or there are just TT specialists too. Any of them looking to do open road time trials will be looking at the same style bike as a triathlete
Hi all. I'm training for my first (modified olympic) triathlon in late August. Unfortuneately, my subsidized grad student loans probably won't cover a time trial bike, but I've seen that they have those angles seatposts that are supposed to simulate the time trial geometery (to a degree). In this vain, I have two questions:
1. Does the geometry really help? What are the benefits? Increased speed? Better for the run? Do you think there's a huge advantage to riding with time trial geometry as opposed to the normal road bike geometry?
2. Has anyone used this angled seatpost thingy? Does it work?
I appreciate your input and apologize for the use of the word "thingy".