Personally I think that the large majority of triathletes would be better served on a road bike especially for a HIM or IM. You mentioned people putting up 26/27 mph splits but that is a very small group of people and if you look at the big picture, most riders are not going to be anywhere close to that.

So why do I think that more people should just ride road bikes instead of tri bikes?

For one thing, if you look around at people riding during the race (something I had the chance to do at a recent event when I was not racing and just supporting some club mates) you will see that the majority of people are either A) not even down in their aero bars or B) their aero bars are so high that it is not much different than if they were just riding on the bars on their road bike. If people do not use their bars or they lose their aerodynamic benefit by having really high positions then how does the tri bike benefit them?

Next you can say that riding a tri bike due to its geometry can "save" your legs a bit for the run. There is truth to that but again if you train hard enough and build up your strength and pace yourself right you will be fine on the run no matter what kind of bike that you ride. It is more about the training than the equipment.

So in the end you can buy a tri bike and if you WANT to buy one then that is 100% ok and I do not think people need to justify what they ride. If someone can afford a $10k bike then more power to them. If someone rides a 1983 Huffy then more power to them again! But if you are asking whether or not it is "worth" it in terms of time savings then I would say no. Just stick with your road bike (maybe even upgrade that a bit if you want to) and enjoy the experience!

First, don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

I can think of two people on this site that can legitimately say they avg. 26-27 over any significant distance: UFTriGator because of his post about the speedo; tsilcyc because he has posted results from his races (and xc800runner's run pace). So, unless someone posts results or you can verify USCF Cat status, don't believe the hype. And if you are already averaging 21-22, as you claim, then this isn't exactly slow. This is FOP IM bike speed my friend, probably top 5% overall, so you must be doing something right already and changing the bike probably isn't going to make that much of a difference.

Yes and no. Yes, it can make a difference for someone who makes a signifiant upgrade in bikes (noob on an entry level road bike to a pro-quality bike). But if you are already averaging 21-22 on a top-end roadie then I say "No" because it won't bump up to 23-24+ just by changing bikes. I suspect that you have reached your pinnacle and a new bike represents the point of diminishing returns. You are right to conservatively suspect that a new "slippery" (I hate that term) bike might save you 2 minutes in an HIM. I'll acquiesce. So the real question is how much $$$ is that 2 minutes worth? A new bike that you are talking about is in the $5,000-plus range. So, only you can determine whether 2 minutes is worth $5,000.

There is an over-abundance of hype when it comes to bike porn. One bike (wheel set, helmet, etc.) is NOT faster than another. That is a physical impossibility because the bike is an inanimate object. You are the engine and your training determines how fast you are on the bike. Do not be seduced by the thought that you can buy speed or take a technological short cut. Eddie Merckx said it best: "Don't buy upgrades. Ride upgrades."

Excellent points. It amuses me how everyone, seemingly EVERYONE has zipp wheels this, and aero water-bottle that. I just want the secret! I guess if the old school dudes can do an IM in 9hrs on some terd bike anyone these days would completely laugh at, it's not about the bike. There is always 5 or so jackasses at every race that give me a hard time about the road bike, and I tell them aerobars are for whimps, figuring in the Tour those guys ride 33mph no problem. I should be able to pull 24 on a road bike w/ the proper training.

btw - my avg speeds are based on oly distances. HIM is slower, but I'm planning on killing myself to get the strength up to 21-22 at IMCa in April and then at IMWI.

I am considering fancy wheels... but I'm afraid its more out of lust than anything else. *flash back to middle school* I just want to be like the big kids!

A couple of things:
Not all TT bikes are $5000+. I have a carbon Felt B2 and in 2007, it retailed for $3400. It's a pretty sweet ride and didn't completely break the bank.
I think that one of the benefits of getting a carbon TT bike is the comfort factor as well. You're going spending so much time on your bike to train, the carbon has a lot more give on it. And sometimes, for me, I feel like getting into an aero position is like getting into a comfy couch. That being said, there is no way I could stay aero for 5+ hours-I dont know how anyone does which is why taking the hills, you should get out of aero. But for the most part, on flats and going down hill, it does help. You have to use it though (do you ever see people with aero helmets who ride with their heads down-with the point sticking up in the air? It's a complete waste.)
I can't say though that it has made my times faster-it's a difficult thing to quantify because there's no way to determine whether I would have posted the same bike split on my road bike.
One additional thing which I'm sure you know: People "kill"
themselves on the bike of an IM all the time. In the 2 IMs, I've done, guys fly past me and post some really nice bike splits. Unfortunately for them, that is the end of the day and I easily pass 500 or so of them on the run. A fast bike split could be great or it could be a disaster.
Good luck!

Though I agree with the general thrust of it, i think trisooner overstates his case. You can get a tri bike for $2500-3500 that has the aero improvements necessary to see the benefits of the position. They are real benefits, but they are small in the grand scheme of things. As everyone says, train hard first.

I say: if you're serious about tris, get on a tri bike. But don't stress about it...

I've ridden a road bike, a road bike with clip-on aero bars and a tri bike, and I'll have to say that for me there's no debate, the tri bike is not only faster, it's more comfortable and easier to run off of. A tri bike will make you more aero, and also if it is fitted properly (for distances like IM you don't want to be in a super-aero crouch) it will be more comfortable, taking strain off of your wrists, hands, forearms, and shoulders. It uses your leg muscles more efficiently, and slightly differently than a road position, leaving you much fresher for the run. There's no doubt that an aero position will gain you some speed, road racers all use them in TTs, they just can't use them in big pelotons because it's not safe to be on the twitchier aero bars with no access to brakes.

My IM bike average was 19.6 (that is with regular wheels and no aero helmet or anything), but in shorter races I average around 22. On my road bike I was closer to 19 - 20 average for most races. My tri bike cost me $3k, it's a titanium Quintana Roo.

There is a good article on slowtwitch today about Chrissie Wellington's bikes as she worked her way up through the ranks, including what she's riding now.

Ain't the bike..it's the motor.

My personal expereince with using a road bike on Sprints and Olympics I always got passed; but when I decieded to purcahse a TriBike(non carbon) for my 1st HIM I felt so much faster. I firmly believe that the position of the tri bike is a position where you are almost pedaling in a backwards motion instead of a traditional downward road bike position. So I believe that I am faster on my tri bike. It is true that the engine matters but so does your equipment.

Also try holding up your body position for 110 miles; your shoulders are going to be dead at the end of the race...

Purchase a entry level tri bike; you can get one for under $2K

You said a mouthful right there, friend!

There is no better guide than personal experience. You're riding well right now. When you've done an IM, you will know if you warrant an upgrade. You are no doubt going to dust a lot of people in your AG on your roadbike in the upcoming IM who are riding expensive TT aero bikes.

Old Steel is the way to go! heh.

By now folks hereabouts must be tired of hearing how I rode my 20yo Bianchi in 3 IMCs and finished in front of people with $7000 bikes with powercranks and all the refinements (see the pic below)

l-r BBB, tribro, BIgMatt, PoC, larry, Toni

of course, now I can ride my new Cervélo I won at last year's IMC, :D then we'll see if my tune has changed! Ask me again in 3 weeks!

Geoff

Just a comment on the Christie Wellington article. If I understand it correctly, she is riding a tri bike but has a roadie bar on it which is interesting-although she's changing that for Kona.

Oh, and if I had a freakin sweet road bike like an Sworks Tarmac I'd stick with it. Slap some clip-ons on there and go for it. (T2 Cobras... have I mentioned those before?:-)

Based on your current speed you're clearly doing something right. Save the money for swim lessons.

I actually find the aero position on my tri bike to be much more comfortable as a regular riding position than being on my road bike. I'm just completely used to it and sitting on a road bike feels a little odd to me now. It's because I can completely relax my upper body in the aero position whereas I keep more muscle tension riding the road bike.

DO IT NOW!
(don't think about it)
GO DO IT!!!

and then post pics
:)

Summer is almost over, bummer 8-( in reality how many races would you do this year with it?

the local bike shope has a VIP sale with some awesome deals every year if money is the issue... that how i ended up buying my P3C.

send me PM if you are interested and i can give you the scoop

Now we're bustin out latin?

In matters of taste there is no dispute

There's always the motto of my alma mater "Mens Agitat Molem", loosly translated as Men Agitate Moles.

Yeah... the problem is if I don't graduate I won't be able to get the job needed to pay off the student loans. Life is evil that way.

That's the spirit!

Carpe diem.

PoC

I have been telling myself the same thing. Cant wait to graduate (in 2 years, might not be able to wait that long)

Practically speaking, this is what a lot of athletes do (and what I currently do) and I think its effective up to a point. There are issues that I am dealing with and some things that others have told me about. If this is the route you go wth your current ride, I'd recommend you going to a bike shop with an experienced Triathlon fitter and have them look at you on your bike to see if it works.

The issue is that a triathlon-specific bike is designed with a shorter top tube (e.g., the tube along the top of the bike) and a lower head tube than a road bike to allow for the extra length and height of aero bars. This is to allow the rider to maintain a lower upper body position.

Riders who install aerobars on a road-specific bike usually end up with too much distance between the saddle and the handlebars and you could find yourself stretched out too far to reach the bars comfortably or sitting too far forward on the saddle when using your aerobars. That’s the feeling I get when riding my Klein with the clip on aero bars.

I think it can be done somewhat effectively (but how much does this compromise mean to the rider?) There are manufacturers out there who try to accommodate those who want a road bike primarily but with the ability to change easily to a slightly more “triathlon-geometry” when racing (think of the very cool Cervelo Soloist Team).

I'm between a phd in computer science/medical technology and a jd. I have an undergrad in cs, finishing up a mba, and figure I either want to do more highly focused technology stuff, or go in to intellectual property. As your quote says, I'm not making it easy on myself.

Yeah, I'm kinda sic that way. It makes sense why I like this sport so much too. The near mind numbing pursuit of something that is perpetually eluding ones grasp. It's true, me and school have a deep relationship. My feeling is, like travel; money spent on education is money well spent.

latin is not required for engineering school so i'm going to look at matt in a speedo.