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Yeah,I love it. I got that one in Anchorage before riding it to Calgary in 2011 and since then it has been all over Australia, The PNW of the USA,BC in Canada and SE Asia. I am actually heading off after Ironman WA on a "training ride",2,800k to Adelaide to work out the logistics for a tilt at at the 5,500k Indian Pacific Wheel Ride in March. The Bikepackers can't work out why on earth I drag the BOB everywhere while they all pretend they are in the S.A.S and take almost nothing. :-)

Should I got to choose between a modern day top end aero road bike and a tri bike from, say, 15 years ago, I'd take the tri bike any time

I'm in a similar position. I have a road bike that I adore (cervelo caledonia) and would need to sell it to get a tri-bike in order for it to make sense financially. That being the case I'm not here to argue one way or another for the gains (marginal or otherwise) that I may get with a tri-bike (and I don't mean to suggest that they don't exist). I look at it like this: I do this sport for fun, yes, I want to go faster but 99% of the time that I spend in this sport is in training and, frankly speaking, that's my focus--enjoying training and being fit. Since I don't think most group rides like tri-bikes and I just love riding my road bike I don't see a huge benefit in getting rid of a bike that I love in order to drop a few minutes from my 70.3 time. Don't get me wrong, if someone drops me off a tri-bike tomorrow I'll ride it on race day (and probably be faster) but for my overall life joy...I'll keep my road bike with my clip-on bars and just try to outrun the guys who fly by me on their fancy tri-bikes!

i wonder if the 2 mins are not lost in the marathon instead...
if i am out by 2 mins, the first thing i would look is the run, not the bike. getting 2mins faster on the run is much cheaper than buying a tri bike

Im at a point in my life where I have more bikes than time, and am contemplating selling my Tri-bike. Ive been looking for some justification to keep it, but as a MOP triathlete, my Specialized tarmac is just fine. I also find the roadie is a bit more "do-it-all". But if I was looking to be more AG competitive, no doubt the tri-bike is the way to go.

Personally I do not buy into the fact you can run better off a Tri bike.
I have raced Triathlon’s at all levels, Local, National, International in both Elite and AG for 38 years and raced on both Tri bikes and Road bike with clip on’s, also in training I use both, I run the same pace v heart rate with the same overall time’s
Look at the times the ITU athletes run off the bike, would they be faster off a Tri bike, I seriously doubt it.

I would recommend a Road bike and Tri Bike, if I could only have one it would be aero Road bike with clip on’s.
I use my Road bike for
Easy recovery rides, (feel a bit silly at 15mph on the Tri bike).
Group rides
Rides in which I take in the scenery
Exploring new routes.

I would say you should find a second hand tribike with rim brakes. Perhaps even 10 speed to keep maintenance down. 10 speed wheels have great deals 😊

Why do you think running is your weakest discipline? There are many possible reasons that are unrelated to the type of bike you have (e.g. training, no super shoes, pacing/ nutrition). If so, then you might keep your current bike setup, which looks pretty good. On the other hand, a lot of people, myself included, observed an improvement in our running after making the switch to a tribike. For me, that was a major plus of investing in a tribike. I got faster in both disciplines.

Based on where I place in each discipline. Its a tough decision. I am looking into ways to squeeze more speed out of my setup. Why do you think you were better running off the tri bike? Was it because you didn't need to push as hard, or based on geometry?

I am a fast biker. I feel the faster I become the more the wind is becoming a factor

I should mention that I started with a road bike with aerobars attached. I was fitted at my LBS but it was pretty informal, more of an eyeball approach than anything technical. When I decided to invest in my tribike, I first got a professional fitting and bought my tribike based on the fitter's recommendations. So it's probably safe to say that I had a much better setup on the tribike, which means my situation may not be comparable to yours.

To answer your question...why did I get faster at the run? I would say that I am more comfortable and relaxed pushing high watts. My upper body has less tension so over the long run I am less tired by the time I get to the run. Also, at higher speeds I feel less scrunched up, like my hips are a bit more open. The smoothness and stability of a tribike as I move well north of 20 mph might help too. Under the right conditions, a tribike really is a knife slicing through the wind and that smoothness helps me stay relaxed. But I've heard many others who say they feel more stable on a road bike at high speeds, so a lot depends on the individual.

In reality, it probably comes down to fit as much as anything. Someone on a good aero road frame who has has adjusted his position well is probably not giving up huge amounts. It may just be easier to get into a position that balances comfort, aerodynamics, and power on a tribike.

Unfortunately I don't think I can get away with a disc wheel cover on my current wheels. There's barely any clearance between the caliper and the spokes. Is there a decent wheel anyone can recommend that would be work upgrading to? My Roval clx 50s are said to be pretty good and light. I'm working on getting a new helmet. And also considering moving my tank to the bottom of the frame and my nutrition bottle to behind my seat. I'm also considering getting refit on my bike (my thought if I get fit on a jig (retul, ect)- then end up finding a deal on a tri bike in the future it could be transferred to that bike)

I am also being more strict with my diet than I was in the past. If I can safely drop a few Lbs that will help with my run times.

A few have mentioned the cost of kona. I am aware that will be a big cost but I'm viewing it as a family vacation instead of just more bike gear for dad hahaha.


Thanks for everyone's input. I think for now I'm going to work on dialing in my setup as much as possible. And keep an eye out for a good deal over the winter. Unless of course I come across a great deal in the meantime

That gcn video is interesting for me as I’m currently on a road bike with shallow wheels, clips ins and normal helmet. I’ll probably go for aero road helmet, latex tubes and better tyres, aero drop bars as I’m changing bars anyway, and a more aero tri suit which I was changing anyway. Surprising how little difference deep wheels make for the cost.
Adapting a road bike isn’t ideal though, I don’t want to move my seat forward as I do a lot of longer hilly rides from home, so I guess I’ll probably end up with a tt bike at some point just to save messing with my road bike before races.
Good information and food for thought in this thread

Thanks for posting that video. An optimized clip on position is not that much slower than a TT bike.

Instead of replacing your dream bike with a Tri Bike, have you considered renting a Tri Bike for at least an Ironman event and/or a local event if there is a LBS that is able to rent them. You'd definitely want to train with the clip on aerobars on your road bike.

If you could get a tri bike position on your current bike then there should be no difference