Knowing this will create a sh** storm on this thread... Tribikes are enormously overrated from the out of context marketing hype! ALL of the basis of this is from wind tunnel data on frames, and occasionally bikes, but never on the full “system”- bike with rider, while riding (could be done on under platform rollers).
The amount of drag on a full system, with road bike while riding in a tuck position, would probably be very similar to riding on ANY Tribike. The claim is they cannot test this way as it creates too many variables, the claim is nonsense. Some riders can absolutely obtain sustainable, low drag positions on a road bike, some cannot. But that is the same as on a Tribike- everyone on this forum has seen countless riders in races with horribly high drag positions.
So- if you really want to know what will work for you- do a test. You have plenty of time. Find a route that is relatively similar to Taupo (chip seal roads, with rollers), do a 5-6 hour ride in the best position you can ride in controlling watts (or HR) and repeat it on each bike. You are far enough out from the race that you could do this a couple of times. I would recommend doing a 10k run near planned race pace off the bike as part of this. Then you have the ability to decide :-) Good luck with your race!

There's a good youtube video from GTN, obviously not "scientific" enough for most, but they show the wind tunnel results with these different setups:

road hoods
road drops
road aero bars
road aero bar in a more aero position

TT on the hoods
TT aero bars


No difference between road bike with aero bars and TT bike with aero bars.

My $0.02c anything with hills I'd opt for my road bike. We have a 100km hilly route that we do and it's so much harder on my TT bike. That said, the remaining 30k is flat and I feel much more comfortable and feel I can generate more speed on my TT bike than on my roadie. But watching the Nice WC, there's no way I would have opted for my TT bike. I guess for me it would come down to the % of the ride that is hills, above 50/60% then TT?

Due to some issues with Bikes not showing up. Starky had a jerry-rigged Orbea Orcea Aero with a triathlon front end. So, handling characteristics of a road bike I'm sure...but without the drops!

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Like you, I find I ride relatively the same speed on my road or Tri bike, in my case, even on hills. On a technical ride- ie lots of tight turns or constant switchbacks, I am more comfortable on my road bike, on a non technical ride I prefer the Tri bike. For IM NZ, I would ride my Tribike (hills not an issue for me).

The issue of road vs tri bike is not simply aero. The initial use was because of the enhanced ability to run off the bike due to geometry differences. Aero came later as the original QR and other tri bikes were round tubes. Aero is far less important than the ability to run afterwards.

I'm trying to get my head around this. If you're hoping to qualify (I'm assuming you're talking about 70.3 WC) you'll 100% need a TT bike to be within the same country code of the FOP AG'ers on this course. Are you then going to ride your road bike for shits and giggles once you've qualified?

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I've just a read a description of the Taupo course and yeah 100% I'd choose a TT bike, but after watching the race at the weekend and looking at the Nice bike course, if I was racing I would seriously consider my roadie.Unless I'm missing something? I didn't watch all the race. Was there much flat stuff? I'd ascend and descend quicker on my roadie.

  
Slowtwitch is a funny thing, I don't know why but I've noticed your name before and just assumed you're a Kiwi, but maybe not if you've not seen the Taupō course before (or maybe you are).

- In terms of Nice, I still believe the TT bike was 100% the correct choice for that course. Yup he won on a road bike, but the dynamics of the race HE was in enabled that, you as an AG'er wouldn't have been racing THAT race, it would have been different. My wife told me she got out of the aerobars 3 times on the climb, each time less than 30-40 seconds to stretch her back, the rest of the climb she was seated, aerobars. There was plenty of time before and after the climb to make use of the TT position also.

- In terms of Taupo 70.3. I'm not trying to rubbish your aspirations at all, but there are a ton of people running around saying they want to qualify for it, without the slightest idea of JUST HOW HARD that is going to be. If you're a Kiwi or an Aussie, I strongly suggest you start looking at flights to somewhere like the Phillipines, Vietnam or Croatia, don't think you're going to come to Taupō and qualify, ex-pros and all manner of uber athletes from NZ and Aussie will be crawling out from under the woodwork to race in their own pond. It aint gonna be pretty.

***EDIT*** unless you're female and I have totally misread you, then make Women for Tri events your friend ;)

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Not kiwi, close, Australian :) I suppose it's hard to tell from the TV. I just prefer my road bike when in the hills. Taupo will be popular for sure. I finished 5th for Busso 70.3 to qualify for South Africa so I'm hoping to do the same. I think my AG has 6 spots? I might do an Asian race as a backup plan, but yeah everyone in Perth is hankering after a spot, won't roll down much.

 
I'll rent you my caravan if you end up qualifying ;)

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Mates rates? I'm hoping to top and tail with Lucy Charles.

I'm guessing she won't be sleeping in my caravan. But on the off chance she is.....you can sleep in the house with the missus ;)

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haha

Are you hoping to qualify? All Oceania races get double the spots.

No - hoping to be supporting lots of athletes who are racing though. Would need to be a fair bit more than double the slots for someone with my ability to qualify ;)

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Just out of curiousity how hard is the course in Taupo. I just started doing triathlon again and my swim+bike is back to where it was 4 years ago and run is pretty bad coming back from rehab but I have a year to get better and I race 55-59 next year (just did 31+2:26+1:51 = 4:54 on dead flat Esprit last weekend)

It's not really a question of 'how hard' is the course here in Taupō, personally I don't think it's a particularly hard course at all (Compared to other 70.3 's I've done and I haven't raced here in town but have trained on it heaps). But it could be warm (ish) lake like 18 months ago (when they ended up closing the lake early December) it was lovely toward the end of November. Or it could be frickin cold, snow melt, blowing a gale, and pouring with rain. It's a very unpredictable time of year.

I think the question (and that is why I posted this thread) is how hard will it be to qualify? It seems IM70.3 is becoming more and more of a 'real' word champs for AG'ers.

ITU is just a joke on lots of levels. But WTC seem to put on well organised events and attract the best of the guys and girls who aren't pros. Hence why I'm interested to hear what the feeling is, and how qual is going, around the globe?

Dev - if you come here I will personally organise your accom. I've about 20-30 athletes in this town I'm sure I can organise you a homestay.

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I think as TT bikes with disc brakes become more prevalent, some of the safety & handling issues will be mitigated.

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29 years and counting

Not wishing to derail this thread about TT vs Road bikes for Nice, but in response;

I Qualified for Taupo last weekend at the Zell-am-See 70.3. A tactical race for me given it was the weekend before the Worlds, i suspected some of the hot compeition was unlikely to be racing. I finished 8th in my AG (Male 35-39) with the following splits;
4:47:14 overall
Swim - 33:21
Bike - 2:30:30
Run - 1:34.03

As a comparison, my time would have put me 23rd in the 2017 race (2018 isn't comparable as the bike was cancelled). Albeit, there has been a slight course change to the bike, which i thnk has added some time (AG winning times are 4:27 in 2017 vs 4:33 this year)

40 slots on offer for the whole race
the female slots didn't roll far at all an neither did the males. The 40-45 AG was the only one i saw that rolled significantly (to the point of them asking who wanted the slot). There were 5 slots for my AG and i think in the end it rolled to 10th.

Thanks for that. This is the info I am looking for.

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