The junior elite program and usat in general is focused on developing draft legal ITU style triathletes to make the US stronger in the world cups and in the olympics, which to answer your question is a draft legal race. I do think there will be an increase in draft legal racing in the US as the ITU events gain more exposure, but for the most part I think non drafting and ironman races will continue to be the norm, due to the fact that 90% of age groupers probably wouldn't be able to keep up in a draft legal race.
So you can keep your tri-bike.

get a road bike, they're more versatile and you can do group rides with them.

From the son's point of view now.

Since the ITU races are only allowing road bikes, then would it me best to put a pair of clip-on aero bars??? My neighbor gave me his 8 yr old cannondale, with clip-on's. The bike itself is a 54cm and my usual size is a 56 for a tri bike. Pretty small but I handle riding it sometimes. So generally would ITU be asking for just the road bike itself and the rider could do anything he wants to it in terms of aerodynamics and such.....???

See section E.3 here:
http://www.triathlon.org/...vf.pdf?ts=1237295861

You cannot do anything you want - there are specific rules for wheels, saddle position and type of aerobars (must be bridged and not extend past the brakes).

Dan

That's hard to say. I can see an aero frame being beneficial in breakaways (or when playing catch up), but considering aero frames generally weigh more I would prefer something more lightweight for the constant and fast accelerations riding in the pack, especially out of corners, etc.
Of course the differences aero vs. weight are probably pretty negligible anyways, in which case running a more tri-like geometry would probably be more beneficial when it comes to the run.

the weight difference (between superior frames) is ridiculously low.
but the aero and biomechanical advantages of a good tri frame are significant.

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Where would you want to swim ?

Draft legal events, especially under the USAT umbrella, will be rare. Due to our legal system in the US, risk management, liability insurance & so forth these types of races will be the exception rather than the rule for the typical age group athlete. As an expat living in Middle Earth, draft legal races are not unusual for age groupers. Some enforce the ITU rules regarding bikes & aerobars while others offer an anything goes mentality. The juniors that I have seen here in Aotearoa typically use road bikes with clip-ons if they are wandering down the ITU path. The development of Kiwi triathletes is geared towards ITU & the Olympics - that is the role of Triathlon New Zealand here.

Your son is young. Hell, he might not even like triathlons in a few years. Additionally, if his talent allows he may run or swim at college/university. Then all bets are off regarding triathlon because of his status as a student-athlete with responsibilities to the school. My 10 cents (NZ doesn't have pennies) is to go with the road bike for now. Let him experiment with both types of races if he can & let him have fun with it all.

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The Doctor (#12)

90% of age groupers aren't able to keep up in non-drafting races. If by "keep up" you mean keep the lead group from disappearing over the horizon within the first 10 minutes of the swim.

 
Get him a ultegra-equipped Cervelo soloist team. It is more than enough bike for both stules of racing for all but the tip-top of the sport. Then tell him to get his butt to the pool/track/roads.

Perfect choice. I know a couple of high, high level guys who race ITU on these bikes.

Just make sure the clip-on aero bars are the short ones (for ITU the bars can't extend beyond the brake hoods).

Since he's a sophomore, you may want to look at a used bike on eBay. He'll outgrow whatever you get him in a few years. Spend the $$ on good deep-dish wheels like Zipp 404s...those he'll keep for years, and bike-to-bike.

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There are also bikes made just for the ITU type of racing, FELT and FUJI both make bikes with drop bars and ITU legal clip ons. These bikes are affordable and can be used in mass start races as well as triathlons. I'm sure other brands make these as well I'm just not as up to date on them.

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If your son is a really fast swimmer and an even faster runner, ITU is where it's at. Maybe some will disagree, but I think ITU racing requires more talent. The swim and run are emphasized more in ITU.

Indeed. However, this will serve an athlete well - regardless of the format or the distance. Despite the over-emphasis and hype of the bike here, it's the bookend sports of swimming and running that can really define how well a triathlete is going to do.

It's no surprise that when ITU athletes step out of that format and race elsewhere in non-drafting races and longer triathlons that they are serious contenders in those events. Like it or not, if you run well in triathlons of any distance and any format, you will place well. The main reason for this is that the run is last!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog