Why don't cyclists use TT frames
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trithis04 posted 2 years ago.
Lighter? Yes. Furthermore, one word: Drafting. The shape of the frame's tubing will supply little benefit when you are riding admist 100 or more people blocking the wind. Although, a few bike manufactures have thought of your point. Maybe you want to brake away from the pack? Cervelo for example, has used their aero down tube from TT modes on the Soloist road frame.
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Triguy98 posted 2 years ago.
Besides frame weight, another issue is handling. To compensate for the handling characteristics of being on the aero bars, bike makers tweak the head tube angles a bit, making for a very different steering feel.
There is also the raw positioning difference one will experience between a properly fitted TT/Tri bike and a roadie. TT/ Tri bikes tend to have VERY low head tubes to allow the rider to be low in front while in the tuck. The bars are so low that the base bar height often is similar riding in the drops on roadie bars. Very low, and not comfy in the long run.
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jmruns430 posted 2 years ago.
I could be completely wrong about this but aren't there also road racing regulations about using TT bikes as well?
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JamieM posted 2 years ago.
I think there are. I know that there are certain regulations about the position of the nose of the saddle relative to the bottom bracket and I believe there are rules regarding the geometry of the frames as well.
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oldfartrunner posted 2 years ago.
Thanks to Shawn Farrell of USA Cycling, I got a hold of the UCI and USF regulations. They are pretty straight forward. You can use aero bars on time trials and pursuit events only. UCI (mostly meant for pros) limits the front of the saddle to no closer than 5cm to vertical line from bottom bracket spindle and cannot have solid wheels for mass starts. But USF have neither of those restrictions.
Unfortunately, until there is an integrated brake / shift lever for bull horns you probably need to have drop handle bars if you want use your tri bike without aero bars at USF mass riding events.
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wesmeyer11 posted 2 years ago.
oldfartrunner;53426 wrote:
Unfortunately, until there is an integrated brake / shift lever for bull horns you probably need to have drop handle bars if you want use your tri bike without aero bars at USF mass riding events.
Actually, they now make aero bars with a brake lever integrated on the pursuit bars. I think VIsion makes one... Some of the CSC guys were running them at the TT stages for the TdF.
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oldfartrunner posted 2 years ago.
What do you mean by pursuit bars? Are you referring to the aero bar clip ons? I am trying to get away from the bar end shifters at the end of aero bar clip ons. I have not seen any aero base bar (bull horn) end shifters. If you have to take off the clip on aero bars for a mass bike ride and you have bar end shifters on the aero bar clip ons, changing out shift cables and brake cables and handle bars is a pretty big deal. Besides I don't find the reaching for the shifters from the aero bars on my hybrid bike is not that big of a deal.
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Triguy98 posted 2 years ago.
There are a lot of people out there who simply slap their STI shifters from their drop bars onto thier bullhorns. Supposibly the brakes are a bit harder to work due to some leverage ussues, but people still do it.
I would just save up and get a real roadie if you ar elookinf for something to race on. New STIs run in the hundreds of dollars and a new roadie with lower end components can be had for ~ $700
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thehitman posted 2 years ago.
Cervelo's soloist has both an aero frame and an adjustable seatpost (73 to 76 degrees). With the carbon soloist weighing in at about 15 pounds, it has many of the characteristics of both a time trial bike and a traditional road bike.
http://www.cervelo.com/bikes.aspx?bike=SLC2006
thehitman
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Cannondale just came out with their TT bikes for 2007 and they have a seat post that adjusts forward and back to accomdate an effective 78 degree angle for Triathlon or 73 degrees for TT use. Seeing as how cyclists normally have 73 degree seat angles anyways why don't they use the faster TT frames. I understand they can't use Aero bars but why not the frames. Are tubular frames lighter? Do Cyclists know something I don't so that I should get a tubular frame and find the new seatpost to get the forward seating position when I bike/run in training or competition on a tubular frame?