UKC

As some will be aware, I'm relatively new to serious cycling but did a triathlon this year which included a 62km bike section.

I averaged 30.5km/hr on a Specialized Secteur with aero bars. My aim is to increase my average speed to 35km/hr for next year's race and I realsie that most of this will come from training.

But how much difference could I realistically expect from a pure TT bike over a full carbon upgrade for my road bike?

In reply to Removed User:

Will you be faster on a TT; probably. How fast is hard to say due to the amount of variables.

The best solution would just to train more and harder. My TT bike did to make me significantly faster this year, the significant more training did (mostly on my road bike).

Should you buy a TT bike, well depends on what your plans are for the future and how much you are willing to spend. TT bikes are not cheap. Depending on the work you do, you can work more to buy an expensive bike or not buy an expensive bike and train more.

Remember It’s not the guy with the nice bike that is bad ass, it’s the dude that over takes everybody on his old steel frame bike.

Cheaper solutions would be a aero helmet and having a aero hydration system. (you already got the aero bars, which otherwise would be #1) Frame and wheels are some of the most expensive upgrades.

In reply to Removed User:

Rule 4 dude.

E

In reply to tjin:

Thanks. My preference is to upgrade the road bike and train like f**k but all of the fast boys and girls were on TT bikes. You mention the helmet, does that really make that much difference?

I enjoyed the Tri and will do it again next year but TBH I think I'd like to get into the road cycling more. That said I could do that on the Secteur.

In reply to Enty:

Yep. But rule 12 has an impact

In reply to Removed User:

Some say the helmet give you as much of an advantage as the TT bike. But ofcorse depends on lots of variables. (the bike, wind, you, etc)

And no it's no about rule 4. It's not all about the bike. Those rules are for cyclist, not triathlete. Don't be the guy, with his fat tummy sticking out in the back of the race, riding the latest super expensive bike. We will make fun of you.

(btw the cycle rules: http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/ )

In reply to Removed User:

If we're talking rules - Rule 42 and forget the TT bike and do proper races.

E

In reply to tjin:
>

Thanks but I won't be that guy. Part of my drive is that I go into a different category next year and if I can take 10 mins out of my overall time I'd have a chance of winning that category. I think the 10 mins will come from the bike.

In reply to Enty:

This is my biggest dilema. I think I'm more interested in the road bike races although I've never done one.

In reply to Removed User: Pimp your road bike, train hard. That way you'll improve your TT performance and still have a kick ass bike and good fitness for proper races! Simple.

In reply to Removed User:

Under the clinically accurate scientific testing of me having various loops I do which I have done on both my road bike and my tri bike, my tri bike is about 1.5-2.5mph faster depending on how hilly the route is. (I'm doing 18-19mph on 5 hour rides on my road bike and 20-22mph on my tri bike over the same distance or a bit longer.)

As much of a factor (for triathlon consideration) is that my legs are in a better state to run after a ride on my tri bike due to the set up - so there is a double win. I did however spend a lot on a reteul fit and it got moved significantly from how the guy in the bike shop set me up.

In reply to Removed User:
You mention the helmet, does that really make that much difference?

Yes, yes it does. Watch this: http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/features/feature-cycling-aerodynamics-part-...

The following link is the last in this little mini series but below the video are links to the rest of them.

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/features/feature-cycling-aerodynamics-part-...

They are very interesting indeed.

In reply to Removed User:

So I just dropped in to my LBS and he said I was likely to get as much gain from a decent set of wheels and a $200 helmet as i would from a $4000 bike which is what I would need to make a significant diference.

He then showed me a set of SRAM S60/40 for $1500 CAD.

So the maths makes sense but do I look a complete tool on a Specialized Secteur with $1500 wheels and a TT helmet?

In reply to RBonney:

Thanks, but I can't see the videos in Canada

In reply to Removed User:

>"So the maths makes sense but do I look a complete tool on a Specialized Secteur with $1500 wheels and a TT helmet?"

Take a leaf out of Graeme Obree's book, go fast, a let other people worry about the shape of your handlebars.

In reply to Removed User:

Not if you finish on the podium

E

In reply to Removed User: Ok, a normal ventilated helmet produces 5% less if the holes are covered (so effectively not ventilated) and a pointed TT helmet is obviously even more aero than this, though annoyingly they didn't say by how much.

In reply to Removed User:

Give yourself a goal which you have to hit before you buy yourself a TT bike. e.g. hitting that 35km/hr average...if you do that, buy your TT bike and then you'll go even faster (maybe).

I promised myself I wouldn't buy a TT frame until I've beaten the hour for a 25 (ignoring the small issue of affording the thing). I suck at short distances like that so it's a good incentive to get better...although I am about to buy a new road bike and convert my existing road bike to a TT bike, then upgrade the frame once I'm allowed, so I guess I'm cheating a little

In reply to Removed User: This report, though it's a few years old and if I recall doesn't look at a road bike with tri-bars - may make interesting reading. Bear in mind that if you aren't hitting the same speeds as in teh test then the aero gains will be significantly less. I'm sure I've seen a test somewhere where specialized also looked at the advantage of an Aero Helmet but I can't seem to find it right now.

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/pdf/road%20vs%20TT%20research%20FINAL.p...