Faster avg. on new bike?
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tri-ac posted 1 year ago.
if you can cut measurable weight (ie something you could feel picking the bike up, not just milligrams here and there); or change from not-at-all aero to aero; or go from nobbies to slicks; then yeah, you'll probably see some improvement in your time
...but it's really all about the engine
Adam
Tri-ac
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ston_ar posted 1 year ago.
I would say if you like the bike and it fits well go for it. It may not make you any faster, but you'll feel faster, which always helps my training.
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Red5 posted 1 year ago.
"It's not the arrow but the Indian" :)
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Bryan
Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.
I don't know what Specialized you are riding right now, but as long as it is not a Transition, you can expect to improve several minutes just from switching from road geometry to tri geometry. With the steeper seattube of tri bikes, you put more pressure on your quads and hip flexors and less on your hamstrings, which will save your hamstrings for the run when you need them most. A road bike incorporates quads and hamstrings, which will not let you start your run as fresh. I've read studies that had people improve their 10K run off the bike by up to 5 minutes.
As far as aero benefit, the tri bike may allow you to get a better aero tuck, which is much more beneficial than the actual frame. Actually, the aero benefits of the frame are far less than many factors: body position, wheels, and helmet. Your biggest benefit will still be the change in geometry, though.
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-Matt
Not fast enough.
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Ironmom posted 1 year ago.
I picked up some speed by moving to a tri-geometry bike with a much, much better fit. My old tri bike was first generation, without the new steeper seat tube angles, a much flatter profile (it actually had Scott DH bars on it, if that dates it!!). My new tri bike which I got 3 years ago is a true tri bike, plus I had it professionally fitted. One thing I noticed was how much more comfortable I am, in a position that easily generates more power than on my old bike.
One more thing, not that I recommend this: I got my new tri bike because I accidentally drove into our garage with my old bike on the roof rack. Because my old bike was expensive in its day (one of the first carbon fiber frames), I got a huge chunk of the new one paid for. So, a big benefit for feeling like a total dork ;)
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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Ironmom posted 1 year ago.
Okay, I just looked at my bike splits on the same course on two different bikes. The year I crashed my tri bike into the garage, I hadn't bought my new one yet, so I ended up doing this race on a road bike with some clip-on aerobars. The 30-mile bike course took me 1:32:30. The next year I did it on my new tri bike and it took me 1:29:30, but I'll add that they had resurfaced the road in terrible chip-seal and it was much windier that day, so I'd say the time savings was maybe even higher than that. Some of that can be accounted for by training, but I'm sure some of it was also the bike. Not a huge difference, but still signifigant.
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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Triguy98 posted 1 year ago.
If you are on a tri bike now, and it fits correctly, you dont really need a new bike. You wont gain any measurable time going from one tri bike to another. If your position isnt the best, see if you can get that corrected on your current bike first.
Reasons for buying a new bike:
You are riding a roadie in mostly flat or rolling courses.
Your current bike doesnt fit.
You have a load of money laying around, are tired of your current bike, and are positive that a new bike will take you from a 17 hour IM time to qualifying for Kona in one year. :rolleyes:
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
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catulu posted 1 year ago.
Thanks heaps for the responses trifuelers. I think I'm better off getting a good bike fit and working on the legs a bit more. I agree Red5, it's the Indian not the arrow.
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kkocan posted 1 year ago.
Yes, the engine is 99%, followed by fit. With those understandings, I know from riding a specific loop I did once a week that going from my road bike with Tri bars to when I bought my tri specific bike i Gained about 35 seconds on a 38 minute or so ride. Also, the Tri bike was more comfortable in the aero position.
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Desoto TTT
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Homebrewermike posted 1 year ago.
According to MIT wind tunnel tests you account for 75% of the drag and your bicycle accounts for 25%. A properly fit bicycle where you're able to maintain an aero position for the longest period of time will give you way more bang for the buck than saving a little weight via a carbon bike.
Lance Armstrong could kick 95% of our butts on a Schwinn Varsity. :rolleyes:
this mp3 is a good listen and will give you some practical things to think about.
I am curious to see how much imporovement people here have made in their average speeds after purchasing a new bike. I am currently riding an entry level Specialized and am thinking of going carbon for my half ironman race. After reading this article http://www.triathloncoach.com/articles/bikefit.html , i have become more reluctant on pulling the trigger on a purchase. It says basically that all the talk about stiffness and aerodynamics is marketing hype and a new bike won't make you faster. Has that been the case with people here?
I currently averege 28km/h and want to get faster. Would it be worth spending the money on a new bike? Or should I just keep working on myself?