It's the position, not the bike.

You could easily set up your tri bike so that the saddle and base bar position mimic the hoods position on your roadie (not that I'd recommend it).

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Huh? No, there is NOT a lot to consider . . . a tri bike is better for a triathlete. You need to get properly fitted on your tri bike. Unfortunately a lot of "bike" shops are not good at this. Best bet is the catch Dan at a roadshow next year. You should be able to get very comfortable on a tri bike.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

Surprised Fleck hasn't chimed in already with his thoughts on the subject

http://stevefleck.blogspot.com/...on-on-road-bike.html

If your position on your tribike is uncomfortable and unsustainable for the duration of the race, then your position is wrong. So many people think that lower means more aero and it is just not true. Are your neck/shoulder problems due to the front end being too low? If so you'd probably be better off pedestalling your aero extensions and elbow pads. Keeping narrow is important too. Take a look at Jeese Thomas bike position. He rides a little more upright than many pros (old injury, I think).

I jacked up my back in a mountain biking crash several years ago. Afterwards I couldn't get back to my normal low tuck position on the tribike without alot of pain. I had to raise the extensions and pads about 8 cm just to be able to ride. It felt like I was driving a tractor at first but I got used to it. Gradually I started taking out spacers 1 cm at a time. I'd do some 20 mile time trials just for the hell of it to see if the change made any difference. 1cm didn't make a difference, but 3-4 lower did. I did that until I was back to my normal pre-injury position. Hardly scientific in terms of testing my own aerodynamics, but it worked for me.

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Don't drown. Don't crash. Don't walk.

I only have a road bike (cervelo s2). Ive raced everything on it, including IM. for the IM, I ended up wishing I was on a tri bike, and it was a hilly course to boot (whistler).

Get your fit fixed so you are comfortable, and ride the tri bike. Just my .02

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Long Chile was a silly place.

Bottom line IMO, is do what will bring you the most enjoyment and comfort. If that means getting properly fit on your TT bike so you have no/minimal discomfort, go for it. If you'd rather get on a road bike and set it up to be as aero as possible while achieving your highest level of comfort possible, go for it.

I recently raced a hilly 1/2IM on my road bike and had a not of fun with it. My TT bike just wasn't set up with the proper gearing for the terrain and I didn't feel like buying a new cassette just for one race. Did I go slower? Without a doubt. Would I have preferred to have clip ons on the roadie for the race? You bet. But my priority for that race wasn't to go the fastest I could - it was to get in a solid day of training in the middle of an IM build...and as I previously noted, it was a fun change.

I will say that it probably won't be the last time I race a triathlon on my road bike, but I will likely have clip ons for the next one.

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Steve Johnson
DARK HORSE TRIATHLON |

I have agonized over this issue for some time. With a history of cervical and lumbar disc disease, I am worried about pain due to dedicated tribike position. So, I was gonna pull the trigger on a new Madone, but I realized that clip-ons cannot be applied to the flat base bar. Thus, I may buy a Domane; clip-ons can be applied, and I have a great long-distance bike when I'm not training for my 1-2 HIM per year. Sure, aero features would be lost, but I would survive. Realize, I am a 55 yo back-of-pack guy. Pain changes what risk one is willing to take in terms of bike position. Just my 2 centavos, hope you find your solution.

In the alphamantis episode of the time trialling podcast, Andy Francioni talks about using wide elbows and tilting the extensions up a bit for comfort. It has really worked well for me -- I'm very stable on the tilted extensions and slightly wide elbows means I can just relax my shoulders and go into a shrug without muscle tension. For neck pain, I've strengthened my neck by using a helmet with a weight tied to it--I put a book on the ground and read while my neck is supporting my head.

You could also think about nealhe's view-speed cyclops glasses, although the DIY ones that I made take a while to get used to and you definitely don't have the peripheral vision of normal vision, so find a safe place to practice!

If you prefer to ride a road bike and speed is not the priority, then why not ride a road bike. However, if comfort is the issue, it seems clear the fit of your tri bike is the problem. I get severe shoulder and neck discomfort if I ride too low on my tri bike, so my solution is simply to use a pretty conservative position.
I do have a very nice road bike I could use for everything but it would be slower than the tri bike, and while it's very comfortable, that's under normal road riding circumstances. If I was to try to get in a low drag position and maintain high power for hours on the roadbike I'd be less comfortable than when I do the same on the tri-bike. on end I'd be much less comfortable If I try to get very low on my road bike I'd be even less comfortable. I presume you do long training rides on the tri bike? The right position and familiarity with it should deliver the best solution.

I agree with Rotosound. I've battled lower back issues. Really couldn't find a comfortable position with aero bars too low. And when I'd come in to transition to the run I'd really feel it on my back. Jesse Thomas has neck/back issues as well (I think). I studied his setup. I put on aero risers to bring up the aero pads. Just raced on the setup yesterday and it was incredible. World of difference. Zero issues with my back and only came out of the aero position when needed a drink. I'd strongly recommend giving aero risers a try. Good luck.

Thanks to all for the guidance. Sounds like the problem is not tri versus road bike, it's getting fit properly to the right frame. (Obvious, I suppose, but it requires me to readjust my expectation that aero position = painful.)

I just finished out my season, so now is a good time for me to readdress fit. I'll try that first and see where I land. I appreciate the feedback.

I am a recreational roadie that did the opposite. When I started drifting away from group rides to training solo I was curious about getting a tri bike to help with direct headwinds. I bought a used frame from one of better fitters in the Atlanta area. He asked me a lot of questions about physical limitations and how I desired to use the bike. I told him that I was mainly interested in a fit for like an Ironman bike stage or long course. My limitations come from my primary training activity which is 30+ years of strength training. I have neck issues from years of having a heavy squat bar on my neck and the muscularity around my neck and shoulders limits my ability to tilt my head up from an ultra low aero tuck.

My very first ride with the bike was an 80 mile ride and I had just a little discomfort around mile 70. So the fit is not super aggressive and yet I have seen some folk with IM tats on their calves with a more relaxed fit than my bike. At least my fit on the tri bike is a bit more aggressive than me being in the drops on my road bike and I sure appreciate that tri bike on the long course especially on days when there are 40 miles of direct headwind.

I suppose I must have stumbled on one the better fitters in my area and he got it dialed in on the very first try. He told me on the first setup to go on short ride to test it out and then come back and he would make any final adjustments based on my thoughts. I went longer on the first ride and have not made any adjustments. Now that I have been using the bike for a few years and feel no discomfort for most long course training days I think I could drop the stem angle a few degrees and get a little lower.

I think you doing the right thing in terms of cost if your current bike can be tweaked for longer courses.
Best wishes.