Which brand/model triathlon/TT bike for non-triathlon road use ?
 

I don't do triathlons. But I have N+1 fever. I do solo rides with long flat straights, uninterrupted by curves or hills. I read about a guy on this forum who did a fast double century on a triathlon bike, and I train for doubles. I've read that tri bikes , properly set up, can get you 1 mph or faster on flats. I have aero bars on my road bike right now - road fit, not aero fit - for another position on long rides, and I find resting on my forearms really comfortable.

Perhaps all this is a stupid reason to buy a tri bike. No matter, I have money. So if I'm going to spend $2-4K on a tri bike for the above purposes, is there a particular brand that is better for intended "general road use?"

It appears that the Cannondale Slice is fairly lightweight, and I'm thinking that would be good since I will encounter hills now and then. I also see that with electronic shifting, I can have a second set of shifting controls that allows me to shift gears when I'm not on the aero bars. Any thoughts or gear recommendations would be much appreciated.

There are lots of good brands. If you don’t plan on doing tri’s, check the geometry. Tri bikes often have very forward positions including steep seat tube angles. Mine is close to 78 degrees. Part of that is to use quads more and save the hamstrings for running. That might not be ideal for double centuries.

I can tell you from my experience that the speed difference between a Tri/TT bike and a road bike with clip on aero bars (more optimised for aero as best as it can get) doesn't net that 1mph difference. It is more like 0.5mph or so at best for me at least.

But if you ride a regular road bike with drop handlebars it definitely might net you that much or slightly more of a speed difference (unless you ride in the drops the whole or most of the time).

I personally think in your situation consider buying a aero road bike that is convertible to a Tri or TT position is ideal instead. Example is a Felt AR that can be converted for road or Tri positions.

Thanks, can you explain further regarding why an aero road bike set up with aero bars for Tri position is better for my needs than just getting a tri/TT bike?

My road/tri bike--2013 Giant Propel Advanced SL used twice so far in IMFL with 112 miles non stop, is much more comfortable OVERALL for riding and has better handling characteristics compared to an all out tri bike. Not in the "AG podium classification" so figured I really didn't need a tri bike.

Your money, your comfort, so test ride a bunch and decide for yourself.

I spent a long time trying to decide between an aero road bike with aero bars (Specialized Venge) and a TT bike (Trek Speed Concept). I use the bike for triathlons and I ended up going for the speed concept, but you see some very fast triathletes that use aero road bikes. All professionals that I know use TT bikes, but I know people who have qualified to the IM World Championship using road bikes.

I think the seat post angle difference is overrated. With the right frame, you might be able to push forward the seat of an aero road bike enough to replicate the seat post angle you would get with a TT bike. So, IMO, that is not going to make a huge difference if you get a good fitting.

Some things that do make a difference:

- TT frames are more aerodynamic than road frames

- On a road bike you'll have more versatility, just because you can ride on the drops, the tops, or the hoods

- There are no TT bikes with disc brakes (there is one from Cervelo, but it is really expensive)

- Depending on the model there might be significant differences in stiffness and weight

- Some TT frames are not UCI legal if that matters to you

If you are really in an N+1 situation where N is really large, I would get the TT bike. It will be fun to ride something different.

My setup was such that I got as low and forward as I could go on my road bike (at the time) to get in as aero position as I could get on that bike. When I finally got a dedicated Tri/TT bike my net speed difference wasn't that much.

The big speed difference between the two bikes is the aero bar position...which you are already mimicing on your road bike. Hence the net speed difference not being as much as you'd think.

For example on some of my regular riding routes on my road bike with aero bars I was 1-1.5mph avg speed faster than without the aerobars. When I first got my TT bike I took it for a test spin on a regular route and only netted 0.5mph faster. Wind conditions not being exactly the same but not dramatically different either. But this is with aero wheels also (semi deep dish HED Jet 5 wheelset).

These days I run a deeper setup on my TT bike (HED Jet 9+ front and a HED Disc+) but only ride this bike for short distance TT's. Would like to do some 40k TT's but haven't had the time to get the fitness levels to feel I could take that punishment. Used to do short distance triathlons but having a kid along with injuries have reduced my time that I've taken a break from that. I'll pick it up again when my kids are older eventually.

The speed difference will be EXTREMELY dependent upon how good your fitting is for the TT bike. There is no way to overstate the importance of a good fit.


I was accustomed to racing up to 8 hours at a stretch while in the drops on a road bike. Last year, my relay tri teams won two of two overalls while I was riding the road bike -- but I was passed by a few who rode dedicated TT/Tri bikes. That's when I decided to look for something different.


Aero bars -- I never got more than .5 mph benefit compared to riding the same bike in the drops. I suspect you COULD do better, but my positioning on the aero bars was never as powerful or as aero as I would have liked. Aero bars were a non-starter for me.


TT/Tri Bike -- I tried a few bikes and ended up with a BMC TimeMachine02. The biggest difference between it and other TT/Tri bikes was fitting/positioning. With my current fit, I can put out very close to the same power on the TT/Tri bike as I can on the road bike. This is a huge deal. It was true of NO other TT/Tri bike I tried. Coupled with that, my aero positioning allows me to average between 2 and 2.5 mph faster on the TT/Tri bike than on my road bike in the drops. The bike flies. (Granted that the bike itself is more aero and I'm riding Jet Black Plus 6 / Jet Black Disc wheels for a little extra help.)


I'm confident the new bike will help me win a few more relay tri's next year. It's a LOT faster. And, for Strava users. . . when the segments are flattish, the bike is a KOM machine.

I think you are jumping the gun here a little and missing the forest for the trees.

Tri or Road, find one where the geometry is good for you WITH a professional setup.

If you think you will race someday in a sanctioned TT event, and you don't want to buy two bikes, make sure you get a bike that is within the TT rules. If not, like I said, just get whichever one fits you the best.

i used to race Triathlon, and kept the bike. as much as i love my road bikes, I still cannot get away from my Quintana Roo for too long. I must say the fit is more crucial to me on my TT bike than my road bike. I ride a 58 road and a 54 TT bike. You can grab some great Tri bikes used, at decent prices. I also have my TT bike on the trainer right now as I like having the dedicated Aero bars to lean on and watch Netflix. My quintana roo has a very adjustable seat which allows me to change the seat tube angle a decent amount. I like being able to train using different muscles. If you have the means, buy a dedicated TT bike, you will not regret it.

@Flounce, how do you set up a road bike with aero bars for a road fit rather than an aero fit?

Professional fit FTW.

[QUOTE=Flounce;20007913]I don't do triathlons. But I have N+1 fever. I do solo rides with long flat straights, uninterrupted by curves or hills.

Perhaps all this is a stupid reason to buy a tri bike. No matter, I have money. So if I'm going to spend $2-4K on a tri bike for the above purposes, is there a particular brand that is better for intended "general road use QUOTE]

Cervelo P2 would be more than "good enough" for those straightaways.