11-28 would help. As you get fitter you might not need the 11-34 in a few months.
For your wheels I'd say it depends. If they have lots of life left in them then you won't notice much aero difference going for the hunts. You would notice a difference uphill or accelerating. For the same money you could get a used set of deeper aero wheels to keep for racing and summer, where you would notice a big speed increase, especially for triathlons.

The rt57 is a solid carbon road bike. More than capable for triathlons with some aero bars, even an IM. If of course you were looking to place in your age group then yes, you'd need to upgrade to compete. Otherwise road bikes can be a better choice for first IM as the multiple positions can generally be more comfortable.

fellow turd-polisher here. i'm (still) on a 2004 cervelo soloist. it fits me OK and is still running well enough that it's tough for me to justify a replacement. like you, i've also been away for a long time with kids and travel, so the bike is in passable shape for its age.

anyway, i wanted to jump into some races the last couple of years, and my compromise has been:
-decent aero wheelset (hed jet 6/9 clinchers)
-decent aero helmet (specialized evade)
-decent trisuit (castelli sanremo)

i also bought a bigger cassette and some good new brake pads for a very hilly half ironman.

i bought all this stuff on the cheap (the wheels are old and used), so i'm not really stuck in for too much. at some point in the next few years once life settles down i might commit to a new full-on aero sled with discs and the works. but for now i just can't justify it - i'm not training anywhere near my potential, i'm not racing to qualify for anything, and i have better stuff to spend money on at the moment.

polish away, mate. you'll have a few pounds left for a pint at the weekend and you can even donate a few more to charity and feel slightly less selfish than the average triathlete for a minute or two.

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____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

Frame differences are going to be sub10 watts so it is the last place to spend money. I picked up a set of lightly used Jet + Black wheels recently ($800). Another $120 gets you a set of GP5000 TL tires.

Post a picture of you on the bike and you can get some decent suggestions on helmet and cockpit changes. All in you can get a really fast setup that rides well for about $1200.

Thanks to you all for taking the time to reply to my post i honestly really appreciate it!

All your words were really really helpful. Its great to hear my bike is up to the job, at least while I try to find my feet so to say, its given me a huge confidence boost!

In all honesty I just want to finish to the best of my ability with the equipment at my disposal so at the moment age group placing isn't really in my mind. Just finishing an Ironman is the current 18 month aim.

In regards to the wheels, could you give me some examples of the sort of things I should be looking for? The current wheels are pretty much like new so fine for training, I've got some Continental 4000's on them.

Did the aero helmet make a decent amount of difference?

What are the recommended tri bars, I haven't ridden with these so they'll take a bit of getting used to.

I'll have to dig out my wetsuit, I can't even remember what make it is, new in 2013 though.

I have just had a thought, I'll need a cassette for the direct drive smart trainer I'm thinking of getting so I could put the 11-25T on that and get a 11-28T for the road....

I'll try and get a picture posted.

Something like this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/...349624.m46890.l49292

Not chiming in with specific suggestions, I love turd polishing too! It is fun making stuff work for you and your bike on the cheap and then riding the shit out of it.

Rich

Nothing turd about a soloist. Still one of the best bikes I've had. Can't remember how or who I sold it to so the sale must have been traumatic as I've erased it from my memory.

[quote
In regards to the wheels, could you give me some examples of the sort of things I should be looking for? The current wheels are pretty much like new so fine for training, I've got some Continental 4000's on them.

Did the aero helmet make a decent amount of difference?

What are the recommended tri bars[/quote]
A 50mm deep wheelset would be good, deep enough for aero benefits but not too much to handle if windy and not too heavy for the hills. Go clincher. A lot are tubeless ready so you could always go that route down the line if needed. Alloy brake track brakes better in the wet, but harder to find decent ones now. HEDs are good but quite expensive here in the UK, even used. Carbon brake track wheels often lighter, and probably cheaper these days, but braking in the wet isn't the best. Nothing you can't get used to though. Prime wheels from wiggle would be an option when on offer.

With aerobars have a look at the Profile design subsonic. You need an aerobar with lower pad stack on a road bike. You can always raise them with spacers if needed.

Aero TT helmets can make a considerable difference but only if you maintain a good head position for the duration of the event. And they can be heavy and hot, especially for an IM. You might find an aero road helmet better, but don't feel like you need to get one if you're happy with what you've got, although helmets do have a shelf life. I think 5 years or so is the general consensus depending on use.

You can go to a 30T cog in the rear with a short cage (32 is possible, but a stretch). Shimano lists 28T as the max for a short cage, but they are very conservative. Plenty of folks run a 30T.

If you are coming from a 25T, the chain might be too short to get to 30+ when in the big ring (just a note, since you shouldn't cross-chain anyway so the 30T will only be used with the small ring).

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

when i was racing draft-legal, there was no better bike. and even now i think there are certain types of events for which it's the oatmeal that's just right. if i were back in canada racing flat-to-rolling long course, though, i'd go full carbon, steep, dedicated tri bike.

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____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

I just looked at the Outlaw Half Holkham website, and even their promo shots show a lot of road bikes. The bike course has a max gradient of 5.2% so 28t should be plenty of gearing.

Wow... me too - 2005 in my case - but I haven't raced a Tri in forever (2009? 2010?) and most of the last 6 years it's been staying with family while we're living abroad. Still a great bike when I'm back but having put 2k/year on it for its first years of existence, lucky to get in 2-300 a year.
Haven't put the aerobars on in forever, either - I'm guessing I don't have them anymore.

In all that discussion about the cassette, you never said a word about your chainset. What are you running up front? If you've got 53x39 then consider going down a notch. Because 11-28 combined with, say 50-34 or 52-36 (or even 50-36) is good enough for most anything.

According to my invoice I have:

Ultegra FC-6800 Chainset 172.5mm 50-34T

So if I buy this I should be good to go?

I'll go to the bike shop up the High Street, they can fit it for me too

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/...-11-speed-cassette-1

I'm assuming there will be no issue with using an r8000 vs 6800, Is my assumption correct?

Either will be fine, or you can save some pennies and get a r7000 or 5800.

In most years in most places I would agree with the previous poster. But this is 2020 and based on the the bike and races you have listed I am going to assume you are UK based. What you should be doing is buying a used TT bike and seriously considering selling the road bike if you need to cover the cost. Having recently sold two bike and then bought another I can tell you the road bike market is incredibly hot and its a sellers market. The TT market is moving in the opposition direction as the people who are buying are buying new disc options and selling their older rim options for cheap.

For the prices I am currently seeing on facebook market place (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) you are looking at ~£600 for a PX Stealth TT bike including race wheels. You won't be able to upgrade your current bike for that kind of money. If you can stretch the budget to ~£1500 there are some killer deals on a P2. I don't think you will have any problem selling your current bike for £500-£600 (unless its in on extremes of the size scaele) given I am seeing asking prices of £675+ so you do have something of value in the current market.. I like training on a road bike and racing on a TT bike so I can see the benefits of keeping the bike. That said if you need the cash and/or storage space I would sell while the market is hot. I would also not pay into upgrading as you are better off buying someone else's upgrades.

I am UK based, i'm in sunny Essex.

My current bike is a large - 54cm and in really very good condition.

I don't think i'd like a TT bike for everyday so i would have to buy one in addition to my current bike i would think.

I suppose currently on my bike i need to buy:

Wheels - £500
Tri bars - £150
Cassette - £55
Brake pads if the wheels are carbon - £?

Call it £750 plus fitting the cassette and brakes by my LBS

On bothi would need a bike fitting with the tri bar changes

There is a Cervelo P2 currently on sale in Ipswich on facebook market place under the title 'Cervelo P2 TT 54cm American Classic 58mm'. The list price is £1k but they may be open to offers. You will be getting a lot by spending the extra £250 and getting a complete TT bike.

Hi

I'll add 2-penneth in...

I've sort of been in the same position, but looking whether to get Cervelo P-series in place of the Planet X Stealth TT bike I have. Whether throwing good money after bad at the Planet X, or whether to get the new bike.

A few points made to me on another thread about my Q:-

- you may be limited on what wheels + tyres will fit an older bike. So just be aware of that if looking at other wheels (both from brake caliper clearance and frame clearance).

- it has been a great time to sell road bikes in the UK this year (I'm in Derbyshire). I sold a well used (but well-maintained) Alu Trek road bike for a lot more than I expected in the Summer. And a pair of mavic Open Pro wheels separately too.

For Holkham. I've done it (and quite like the bike leg). Its not flat, but also not exactly mountainous either
- no Winnats Pass in Norfolk !
Undulating is the perfect word from memory. Nothing steep or stupid. No dual-carriageway race tracks either ( I don't like dual carriageways - sh1t boring and too many fast cars and vans too close for my liking). Some smaller roads in it amongst A and B roads For Holkham, from memory.

So a big range cassette isn't a must.
When I did it I was on a 52/36 front, and 11-26 cassette. No problems (And I'd come off a few months of illness so was well below ideal). And I'm pretty much average-at-best and pretty heavy compared to most triathletes (14 stone when actually fit and ready to race, more when not).

For Bolton, I'd want a bigger cassette/ easier gearing - but that maybe reflects my lack of strength as much as anything else.
(I have since got a 30 on the back as I'd got some hilly races in the Lakes and elsewhere).

For my 1st IM (Outlaw full) I used the Alu Trek + clip on bars. I picked them up 2nd hand for about £40 or so.
I did get a new seat post with layback (a Thompson lay back post) then rotate it 180 degrees to push the saddle forward, to make effectively a steeper seat tube angle.
I found that to be pretty comfy and having the seat forward really helped. As a 'rule of thumb' I found I go up 1 gear harder when using the aero bars on the road bike = say 1 or 1.5 mph faster. 10 mins on a half. 20 on a full.

But plenty of folks do the races on straight road bikes, not even clip on aero bars added. So a TT bike really isn't needed (unless you're there to podium).


I agree with others that you can get a bigger cassette in than Shimano say . Just screw in the 'B' screw to push the derailleur further out to get the required clearance with the biggest sprocket. I've got +2 with ease, and +4 on one bike I have over Shimano recommended max. Just watch for the chain being loose on small-small depending on what derailleur can take up.

Hope the above ramblings is of use.

I'm hoping to be at Holkham too. I like OSB events (I've done quite a few, + volunteered on a few as well.
Really well run, friendly, safe, and 2/3 the price of an M-dot event).
I just need BoZo and Co to decide WTF is happening to A levels before I sign up as daughter #1 is due to do hers this next year and I won't be going away racing if she's still in the middle of vital exams.

Thanks for that, i understood some of it :-)



Is there any way of figuring this out to make sure i get it right, especially when buying second hand?


Good news about Holkam, so a 11-28T at the back should be fine as someone mentioned. I'm a 10 stone weaking, about 9.5 stone when marathon fit.


I must admit i am thinking of doing the Outlaw full as my first rather than Bolton, cheaper and maybe a bit more laid back, that was my original thought but then the lure of M-dot took over incase it's my one and only. I have to admit i don't really understand the 'rule of thumb bit :-)


Not there to podium, if i do really well and think, wow if i had a TT bike i could podium then that would be a different kettle of fish but that's very unlikely!

[/quote]
I feel for her, must be shite deing that age at the moment with all the uncertainty, imagine coming out of university/ A levels and looking for a job, i've just employed a grad, i think he's quite appreciative that he got something!

I'll try clarify a few bits.

The 'rule of thumb' bit. What I meant was for the same effort, I found I would be able to shift to 1 gear harder (faster) when I go from the normal road brake hoods onto the aero bars. That was a speed increase of about 1 to 1.5 mph faster for the same effort (same effort but less drag on aero bars = that speed increase). So saving circa 20 mins on an ironman bike leg.

Tyre size. I think it's a case of looking and maybe measuring the gaps between your current wheels + tyres and working out how much bigger you can go (whilst still having a bit of clearance to allow for bit of flex, dirt, etc.
Don't forget that is you go to wider wheel rims on the inside width, the same tyre spreads out and would measure wider.
2 examples... my 23mm conti gp5000 on Open Pro rims (15mm inside width rims) measure 23mm wide.
My 26mm Spesh turbo tyres on DT rims that are 20mm wide on the inside, actually measure 28mm wide.
Then some Slowtwitch reading to see what widths of tyres vs rims gives real size.



Cassette. 10 stone ? Ffs I've not been that since I was about 13 years old!!
You'll defo be fine.


I'm defo more of a fan of independent races than M-Dot. Just the way I'm wired..lots of happy folks from the IM experience.
And the Outlaw in Notts is on my doorstep really - 45mins drive away.
I genuinely can't fault the organisation of it.
Undoubted the course is easier than Bolton - a lot less climbing (for day to day riding I'd prefer the roads around Bolton / Rivington - I grew up a few miles from Rivington. The Outlaw bike course is flatter for sure.

I've volunteered and helped run a feed station on the Outlaw and I've seen how much goes on to keep the event running and safe, under the surface).


For the management of Covid in Blighty.... I've seen Mrs and another friend struggle with it (and both have lasting effects 6 or 7 months on). So I known its real and unpleasant. But I do feel strongly that we're throwing the vast majority of the under 30s under the bus to save mostly the very very old from a slightly earlier death.

Go easy on my when you lap me on the run at Holkham.

Thanks for the clarification, gotcha.

My bike has the ability to make the brakes wider to give more clearance (does that make sense)

I'm just over 3hrs for the marathon which I'll need to catch you up because I'm so shockingly bad at running and swimming :-) (Although I am heavy now, with being locked down, lost my fitness mojo a bit)

I'll be interested to see how much slower I'd be after the swim and bike!

Anyone got any times, stand alone Marathon vs Marathon leg of Ironman?

Just to let you know my thoughts after taking into consideration your valuable advice.

I'm going to have a clear out of all the bits and pieces I've amassed over the years and don't use anymore and put them on ebay, they should raise a few grand.

I'll put this to one side as my triathlon fund.

It sounds like I don't need too much to make my bike perform well at the 70.3 I've chosen so I'll upgrade my RT57, I'll see how it performs and more importantly how I perform.

I'll then make the decision for 2022 on whether or not to get a TT bike for the ironman. Also whether it looks like the Ironman is a one off (it won't be) or if its something I want to continue improving on.

This was my first post on this forum and the advice was amazing, thank you!