TT Bikes should be banned?

[RoosterCogset]

Interesting read
https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/...inst-tt-bikes/

[Clean39T]

While we're at it lets ban:

• Carbon wheels
• Clinchers
• SRAM
• Carbon frames
• Shimano
• Tires wider than 25mm
• Road tubeless
• Any form of dirt in a road race
• Chainrings smaller than 39T
• Cogs bigger than 25T
• Hills steeper than 13% in a road race
• Skinsuits
• Radios
• Powermeters

What did I miss?

/s

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Really though, I could get behind a "Merckx TT" format for professional racing.

[Jaybee]

I could get behind a Merckx format too. The arguments about reducing costs and specialized training time, and especially that the bikes themselves are dangerous are pretty compelling. We already have arbitrary standards about what is “too aero” and the sport seems to like to hold on to tradition, so why not dial it back to curly-bar bikes only? Just so Specialized can sell Shivs to mid-pack triathletes?

[echappist]

Now, if they are going to ban TT bikes, fine. I'll just optimize my road bike for the IAB position. How are they going to ensure that riders don't drape their hands above the stem? After all, this is legal in standard road race. And is this any safer than riding on TT bike extensions (I do get that lower speed means less energy in a crash)

While I get the general gist of the article (and agrees with it to a certain extent), the following was rather annoying

The BikeRadar website claims the advantage a TT bike gives you is 60-70 watts at 40 km/h, that is, it takes 270-280 watts to ride a road bike at that speed and 220 watts to ride a TT bike. Translated into seconds, a TT bike gives you 9 seconds per kilometre advantage. This is six minutes in a 40 km time trial. Insane. Although I don’t believe the TT bike’s advantage is that staggering, it’s obvious you’d be stupid to race a time trial on a road bike if everyone else is on a TT bike. That much is clear.

While I concede that the savings might not be in the 60-70 watt range for the speed we are talking about (40 kph), it's easily within the 45-55 watt range.

My road CdA is ~0.265; TT CdA is ~0.205. Plug that into any website that gives speed as function of CdA, and assuming normal road conditions and tire wear, and the difference in power is right around 50 W.

Belief has no place when it could be refuted by hard evidence.

Granted, it takes work to get a CdA that low, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. I should add that my road CdA is also on the low side, b/c it's a mix of my standard road position and the IAB.

[Mike V]

Why not make TT with no rules. Let them innovative.

[bicycletricycle]

If everyone ride fixed gear bikes it would be better

[shinomaster]

Pretty good article, probably too much money at stake for the bike companies to ever go back like he says.

[thirdgenbird]

My initial impression is that I like the idea of making some regulations a bit more loose. Weight and setback as an example but then making it a one bike rule. I don’t mean literally one bike, I’m fine with spares, but I mean one setup. Riders would have more freedom to select what they want to ride, but once you start the race no spec changes. You need to pick one frame design, one model wheels, one cassette ratio to get you all of the way through the event.

I am not pretending to insinuate that I’ve thought through all of the consequences of this, but it would be fun to see how teams and individual riders balance the entire route with one spec selection. I would think it would drive innovation with looser spec rules and it could make big changes in day to day standing more common.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Mike V

Why not make TT with no rules. Let them innovative.

Because then we end up with recumbents.

[shinomaster]

I can think of so many TT crashes over the years and it's all because of the stupid position like he says. Ok, maybe some wet weather too, but you see crashes that never would have happened on road bikes. When I was first getting into cycling in 1990 watching the TT stages in the tour was pretty exciting partly just to see those crazy tt bikes. What would Indurain show up on this year? It does add to the spectacle and excitement.

[parco]

How about fixed gear bikes for the time trials?

[William]

Why not make TT with no rules. Let them innovative.

Bring it back!!!



W.

[EDS]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I could get behind a Merckx format too. The arguments about reducing costs and specialized training time, and especially that the bikes themselves are dangerous are pretty compelling. We already have arbitrary standards about what is “too aero” and the sport seems to like to hold on to tradition, so why not dial it back to curly-bar bikes only? Just so Specialized can sell Shivs to mid-pack triathletes?

The Shiv marketed to triathletes is very different then the UCI legal version as of course UCI rules have no bearing on the bikes used in triathlons (at least, the no drafting variant).

For the record, I do not own a tri or TT bike. I do have a single speed specialized tri-cross that these days is mostly reserved for riding with my kids.

[shrimp123]

Originally Posted by Mike V

Why not make TT with no rules. Let them innovative.

YES.
i think we need to remove "rules" in games and include "education" into training. pro-sports has become one big commercial advertisement.

every sport i have ever liked is being spoiled by athletes (naa lets just call them contenders) subverting the rules. If there were no rules and only educated ones were competing, it would be more enjoyable - for both the athlete and the audience

[William]

Originally Posted by shrimp123

YES.
i think we need to remove "rules" in games and include "education" into training. pro-sports has become one big commercial advertisement.

every sport i have ever liked is being spoiled by athletes (naa lets just call them contenders) subverting the rules. If there were no rules and only educated ones were competing, it would be more enjoyable - for both the athlete and the audience

I remember a time when honesty was built into the culture

Remember when they tried that for the Olympics that one year in 1988? Maybe just certain sports should have no rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdG-iTilWU





W.