I'll one up you on the 'fast old p2' and say straight up that for the TYPICAL AGer, you could be riding a 1980s tubed steel road bike with the cheapest set of clip on aerobars you can get, and using caged pedals, and still have negligible differences in your race performance compared to the uberbike setup.
I know at this point someone will say, "but wait - I missed the AG podium by only 7 seconds last race - that uberbike would have made all the difference!"
And to that, I'll say, yes, it would have made the difference JUST on that day. But the reality is that f you were facing stiffer AG competition that day (which is the reality for 95+% of AGers) just by the draw of luck, your uberbike setup would have meant squat beating that faster guy.
I'll also make note that a lot of really freaking fast AGers and pros post a lot on Slowtwitch, and often can comprise the bulk of responses. So it's not surprising to get like 10 responses from 10 different folks here, which include national-champion AGers or strong pros for whom those seconds actually DO matter a lot. I'm not talking about them - I'm talking about the typical 95% bulk of AGers who themselves aren't national champions or close to it.
The race wheels thing is the thing that always gets me the most. Race wheels are probably discussed more than any other piece of triathlon hardware (per my highly objective and scientific personal opinion!), with threads going into the tens of pages and hundreds of posts, yet the difference they make is sufficiently small for that 95% AG contingent that it's essentially negligible when you consider that the very cohort of 95%AGers who are buying these race wheels usually are the same ones who lose all those aero time savings by suboptimal transitions, riding out of the aero position, or an assortment of other race bungles that are eminently controllable and practiceable but don't give you the cool look of race wheels.
I know bike frames are considered amongst the least bang for buck in terms of aero gains, but now having being in triathlon for a decade, I'm ok with spending a lot for a frame. My 2008 P2c is like a new bike to me, even though I've ridden the crap out of it. Frames are sufficiently durable that you should 'go big' on your bike frame so you don't suffer upgraditis - you'll get to enjoy for 10+ years without much babying if you so choose. No need to skimp on that sort of investment.
I know at this point someone will say, "but wait - I missed the AG podium by only 7 seconds last race - that uberbike would have made all the difference!"
And to that, I'll say, yes, it would have made the difference JUST on that day. But the reality is that f you were facing stiffer AG competition that day (which is the reality for 95+% of AGers) just by the draw of luck, your uberbike setup would have meant squat beating that faster guy.
I'll also make note that a lot of really freaking fast AGers and pros post a lot on Slowtwitch, and often can comprise the bulk of responses. So it's not surprising to get like 10 responses from 10 different folks here, which include national-champion AGers or strong pros for whom those seconds actually DO matter a lot. I'm not talking about them - I'm talking about the typical 95% bulk of AGers who themselves aren't national champions or close to it.
The race wheels thing is the thing that always gets me the most. Race wheels are probably discussed more than any other piece of triathlon hardware (per my highly objective and scientific personal opinion!), with threads going into the tens of pages and hundreds of posts, yet the difference they make is sufficiently small for that 95% AG contingent that it's essentially negligible when you consider that the very cohort of 95%AGers who are buying these race wheels usually are the same ones who lose all those aero time savings by suboptimal transitions, riding out of the aero position, or an assortment of other race bungles that are eminently controllable and practiceable but don't give you the cool look of race wheels.
I know bike frames are considered amongst the least bang for buck in terms of aero gains, but now having being in triathlon for a decade, I'm ok with spending a lot for a frame. My 2008 P2c is like a new bike to me, even though I've ridden the crap out of it. Frames are sufficiently durable that you should 'go big' on your bike frame so you don't suffer upgraditis - you'll get to enjoy for 10+ years without much babying if you so choose. No need to skimp on that sort of investment.