Originally Posted by burnthesheep

Of course the story isn't about the washing machine bearings. The media just ran with that. It was about the egg and the superman. But he didn't go to wind tunnels or own a power meter or own a Powerpod CdA meter. Stopwatch and an outdoor track often times. My point was that Obree was not a rich man or a super well funded athlete.

Cliff notes: I just don't think cost is a fair argument for a barrier to racing TT's in the US. People will always arm themselves with more expensive kit that's more efficient.

There's a Kilo for sale right now local to me for $500. I've seen plenty of older tri bikes go for $300 around here. Clip ons are legal and $25. I've run pretty good times back before I had a TT bike on clip ons. It gave up a little comfort and speed to my current 13 year old TT bike, but I was out there.

There's always going to be the guy with the 2021 Trek Madone Project One with some 88mm deep Enve wheels with the most expensive tubeless tires and a brand new San Remo suit with a brand new Specialized Evade helmet at a road bike only TT. That setup would easily be 30w to 40w faster than somebody on a round tube road bike with box section wheels and all-season clinchers with a normal kid and helmet.

I know all sorts of folks who either own both a road bike and a cyclocross bike OR also folks who own one bike they swap wheels/tires on for doing both. I don't see how the multiple bike thing is an issue if you look at TT the way you look at cyclocross. You can do off-road stuff like cross and gravel alone on one bike. Or you can choose to buy another bike and do road and off-road. Or you can own a single bike that isn't optimized for either.

Same for TT.

Somehow, cost hasn't prevented triathlon in the US from having seemingly good numbers. Folks do local more affordable triathlons all the way up to big spend full Ironman events. Then you've got kit for a swim, a bike, and running! And folks use all manner of bikes in triathlons. I don't know what would happen to their numbers if they went road-bike only. I do feel like draft legal is less popular than regular triathlon. Drag legal is road bikes with just the little stub bar on the front.

I just wholeheartedly disagree that cost is a problem and still contend that in general road bike racing in the US isn't that popular and that no matter the rules people will always arm themselves to the teeth with kit.