Just making a frame swap isn't going to make a difference but changing your bike fit, aerobars etc can make a huge difference. Anyone can benefit from a tri bike with aerobars as opposed to road bike. With that being said if you are just competing for fun it really doesn't matter. The Cervelo P2 is a great choice for an affordable bike that is proven fast as well.

---

---

Save: $50 on Speed Hound Recovery Boots | $20 on Air Relax| $100 on Normatec| 15% on Most Absorbable Magnesium

Blogs: Best CHEAP Zwift / Bike Trainer Desk | Theragun G3 vs $140 Bivi Percussive Massager | Normatec Pulse 2.0 vs Normatec Pulse | Speed Hound vs Normatec | Air Relax vs Normatec | Q1 2018 Blood Test Results | | Why HED JET+ Is The BEST value wheelset

+1 with what Thomas said.

---

2020 Team Zoot MTN

Second the advise above and you are getting good advice from the bike shops. If you don't have any podium goals and do tri just for fun, then get a multipurpose bike. But if you want to get serious and significantly improve your bike and overall times, a tri bike is pretty much a requirement and the P2 is a good choice.

Nah, you're not being "sold to" this time. Changing your bike and taking advantage of the fit a proper tri bike allows will net you a lot of speed. The P2 is a great bike.

Thanks for the advice all! I'm not expecting to podium for the time being (not until my kids let me have some sleep) but I am serious about improving times and increasing speed. You've reassured me about my purchase, which is what I was looking for. Still interested to hear any dissent out there... anyone think that I would do just as well on a road or cross bike considering I'm going only 30km/h?

I believe things are a bit counter intuitive here. Even though the grams of drag are lower at lower speed, because you are spending longer at that speed, the savings still add up.


So yes, it's still worth it at the lower end of the speed range.

I think it makes more of a difference with longer courses, and flatter courses. In my n=1 experience, I did extremely well on my road bike in sprint and Olympic distance races if there were even rolling hills on the bike course (the bike is my strongest leg). However, once I went up to HIM, the road bike became a disadvantage, especially if the course is flat.

you're not being sold to, the advice is correct, but depending on your actual situation I might still go with the cyclocross bike.

if you get the p2 instead of the cyclocross bike will you be riding less because you won't be hitting the trails due to lack of suitable equipment? will you make up for it with quality trainer and/or road riding? if you can't make up the riding time you'd lose by not having the cyclocross bike, go with the bike that'll keep you in the saddle more. otherwise, the p2 would definitely help your times at races given you get a good fit on a clean setup even if you're still a bit slower

I got my first tri bike, a used 2012 P2, a couple months ago from the classifieds section. My previous bike was a bikesdirect.com Motobecane Cyclocross that I was never properly fit to.

My FTP went up significantly my first time on the P2, and then again after my fit. I feel stronger when riding it and I am smashing all my previous rides. I would like to guess 50% of it was the bike and 50% was the fit.

I love it so much that I am using it on a brevet in April.

---

"If it costs you 30 minutes at Maryland so what" -dwreal

I would say it depends on your finances and how they correlate to your desire to increase your performance
results in triathlon. If you are want to improve your performance you need a well fitted triathlon bike.

If you are on aren't on a budget then 3K on a bike is a no brainer.

Since you aren't near a podium as you say then it is all about how much you want to spend on your "hobby".

Put your family first and make sure spending the $$$ isn't going to cause any extra strain at home.

my 2 cents....

OP, if you haven't made your final decision is here one other possibility.

The tri bike and fit is unquestionably the fastest way to skin the cat if you are only considering the bike leg of a triathlon.

If, however, you need more versatility from your bike, have you considered a road bike with a reversible seat post and clip on aero bars? It will NOT be as quick as a tri bike on most courses, but *could* be more useful in other aspects of your riding. The tri position on this setup is usually a compromise, but with a fit before hand, you would not how large a compromise it will be going into the purchase instead of realizing too late you bought the wrong bike or size.

For me, I would go with the tri bike without a doubt and buy a cheap second bike for getting around town, but I'm just putting this idea out there because if you like to ride with groups, a road bike is a better option generally than a tri bike. Or if where you train is hilly, descending on tri bikes is fine, but not nearly as fun and secure as doing it on a road bike.

I didn't see you mention what distances you compete in. For a half/ full distance a Tri bike could shorten your bike leg (and race) by as much as 15/ 30 minutes. Obviously this is huge. For a sprint/ Oly you are only talking about 3/6 minutes. If you are shooting for a podium spot this is very valuable, otherwise not that big of a deal. The benefits of a tri bike on your run are debatable.

If you only want or can afford one bike and do short course I would go with a more all around bike. If you are doing long course or think a few minutes might get you on the podium the case for the tri bike is stronger.

There is the option of clip on aerobars or something like the redshift system. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/...o-system-review.html

Riders of all speeds save roughly the same amount of time from aero improvements, it's just a higher percentage of time saved for faster riders.

If you're doing a variety of racing and riding, then an aero road bike with clip on's is probably your best bet. correct size of course. For cross use, disc's make sense, so we're getting close to choosing a Cervelo S or C and then adjusting the fit/clip on's as need be for whichever race you're doing.

Of course a bike for multiple uses will never be ideal for any of them but as long as you get the right size, get fitted for each set up (and record them so you can refer to them as needed) then you can adjust your setup for each type of racing. You will likely go faster than you go now, but you won't go as fast as if you had dedicated bikes for each purpose. Tri bikes are no good for cross and barely useful for general road riding. therefore, I'd say you're being sold to.

---

TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

Jazzy musician is definitely correct. The best way to faster bike times is riding your bike more. Whatever will get you riding your bike the most will get you the fastest, and leave you freshest to run better. A dedicated tri bike, assuming you have a good position, will be faster than a road/gravel bike. You now need to do the Maths for your own situation. Training will make far greater difference than a bike ever will.