Advice on TT bikes and whatnot...

[veggieburger]

My 210lb body doesn't enjoy going uphill, and back in my younger years I wasn't a half bad time trialer on a regular old 10 speed.

Does anyone here ride TT specific bikes?

First of all, I'm perplexed by sizing. Since my elbows will essentially sit on the stem cap, I assume I'll have to shorten up the top tube by a few centimeters? (currently on a 58 tt)

Secondly - do you find the aerobars and bar end shifters make that big a difference??

Lastly - any advice on an affordable TT bike?

Thanks all.

[RBaker2778]

My road bike has around a 56 cm top tube. On a TT bike, I ride a 54 top tube. (Same stem length) This is certainly not gospel, so you should have a proper fit. This just happens to be what works for me.

Riding in the aero position makes a huge difference. You gain a good amount of speed, and conserve some energy.

IMO, a TT bike is all about the proper fit/position. Weight isn't nearly as much a factor as a proper aero position.

[wasfast]

In a vast generalization, most end up with a smaller size than their road bike. On a TT bike, it's better to be too small than too big. Because of the adjustablity of aerobar setups, you can make very large changes easily, especially front to back. Having the head tube short enough is also necessary to get adequate saddle to bar drop. You can go up but down if more challenging.

Adjustable stems like the Look Ergostem are really great for setting up your position.

Affordable means different things to everyone. One of the best frame values is the Planet X Stealth Pro TT frame. I have one of these and really like it.

http://www.planet-x-usa.com/pPCTTFRMST/Planet-X-Stealth-Pro-Carbon-TTTriathlon-Frameset.aspx

It's made by XDS CarbonTec but rebranded by many companies:

http://www.xds-carbon.com/products_view.asp?cp_id=96

For around $900, you get carbon frame, carbon fork (and steerer), headset, carbon aero seatpost.

[deechee]

My road bike is a 53TT, tri is 52TT.
Tri position is not the same as TT since we have steeper seat angles and can bring the saddle much more forward (-5cm of BB rule for UCI).

In tri position, my elbows are just a hair ahead of my knees. I'm much more compact in aero.

Do aerobars make a difference, yes, but not really in the hills or technical courses (I'm thinking of the car race track in MtTremblant, QC). Although I have seen guys who can climb in aero amazingly, and Dan Empfield says you should stay in tri position as long as possible.

Remember overall though, your hip angle is different in tri, and you have to practice generating power at those angles. Its not the same at all with road position. Single leg drills are muuuch harder.

Affordable? Well, I got my cervelo one for 500$ so that was my affordable baby. I picked up a used CXII for cheap too, and that's my racer now. A smudge heavier but damn is it comfy, and super stable. (Although still a bit squirrely on the rollers compared to my road bike.)

[rugbysecondrow]

I used to have a Tri bike, but opted to just use my road bikes. Tri bikes are faster, but I really don't like riding them and I don't want a bike that I will only use 4-6 times a year. Also, because of the hills and curves where I live, I like a road bike more for the races anyway. Lastly, I don't like having my hands in a separate place than my brakes. With cars that pull out, debris, other riders etc, I prefer to have shifter, brakes and hands all in the same place.

If I were in a dead flat area, could see cars for miles around...maybe, but not where I live.

They are a bit faster though, although if you stay in the drops the whole time, you will have pretty good times.

To clarify, my races were Spring and Olympic distance...can't speak for IM or Half...it might matter more for those.

[veggieburger]

Tri postition is not the same as a TT position? Oh brother, I really need to research this more.

I agree, having a speedy bike that I'm going to ride only 5 or 6 times/year doesn't make a great deal of sense, but if it's dramatically faster....maybe. We'll see.

And having the hands so far from the brakes causes me a bit of anxiety too....especially when one of these bikes finds its way into a pack of riders. :no:

[Karin Kirk]

Veggieburger,

Are you looking to do road TTs, triathlons, or just to enjoy a quicker ride?

[veggieburger]

Road TTs, maybe a tri or duathlon.

[wasfast]

Tri positions tend to be a bit more upright compared to TT. The important thing is to have a position that you can sustain for the duration of whatever event you're doing. Having an aggressive, more aero position doesn't help if you have to sit up and use the cowbars.

There's a series of fit articles by Dan Empfield on slowtwitch that will help you get an idea of position. It sounds like you may benefit from a fit session on a size cycle BEFORE you buy something.

The articles start here:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/F_I_S_T__Tri_bike_fit_system/index.html

"Faster" is all relative too. A TT bike with all the "stuff"( skinsuit, aero helmet, deep carbon front/disc rear, shoe covers) and an optimized position will net you roughly 1-2mph in a flat 40K. Some will say more but that's my experience. Whether that's worth it or not depends on your definition/expectations. The position accounts for 80%+ of that.

I delved into this 3 years ago when I wanted to start doing TT's again. It turned out much more complicated that I expected and I've ridden for years. The fit thing for me is an ongoing experiment.

[veggieburger]

Great article - thanks!!
:banana:

[Karin Kirk]

You can get a lot of the aero benefits by retrofitting a regular road bike, so you may not need a specific TT bike.

Aero bars help a lot, they are measurably quicker, but of course you need to work on your position too. It's very possible to have the aero rig but a non-aero position.

On my road bike that I converted to TT use, I made the following changes:
-added aero bars
-lowered stem
-moved saddle forward and down
-tilted saddle slightly down

Then I practiced a bunch and I nearly always rode with an allen wrench to tweak things.

If I were going to do more TT's I would continue the changes:
-a new saddle (a tri saddle) which makes the position more comfortable
-cowhorn bars instead of drop bars
-wheels
-more practice! The position is certainly not fast if you aren't comfortable and can't generate power. Joe Freil's book has some excellent TT interval workouts.

Have fun!

[wasfast]

Agree on the road bike if you just want to test the waters. The biggest downside with a road frame is the head tube is pretty tall to get enough saddle to bar drop. You can use a adjustable stem to help some. You can buy a low end adjustable stem (+/-60 degrees) on ebay for less than $20.