Can't answer about the frame specifically.

We tested UCI legal & non UCI legal base bars from the same company several years back. The UCI legal version was 3-4w slower at every yaw point on the sweep.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

From memory from Carl@Trek, the Speed Concept in UCI trim was 3w slower than the non-UCI trim and it was “about 1w” each for the base bar, fork, and speed fin.

It's not the frame that is making accelerating feel like quicksand or climbing feel like you have saddlebags.

Are we referring to les jambes?

You’re an experienced coach, what do you think it is then? Of course it’s the bike. Different bikes work differently for riders. I climbed noticeably better on my 2013 P3 (now only a trainer bike). The SC weighs 1.75 lbs more. And there must be other issues with the geometry that do t seem to suit me well.

I really doubt that your SC is 1.75 pounds heavier than an old P3. Unless you’re way different on component/parts spec.

Maurice

Your doubt is misplaced. I weighed them both w/o wheels. The P3 is mechanical DA, the SC Di2. The SC is much heavier; some don’t think that’s enough difference to feel, I do.

Fair enough, it’s not in the frame/fork/bars though.

Take pictures and post.

Maurice

Oui.

I can appreciate that different bike setups can feel a lot different when climbing. For the record, I have an older UCI-legal SC (ca. 2012) and a newer, non UCI-legal one. The front ends are different so they do feel different when climbing (the newer is more comfortable).

But I would attribute it to the position & shape of the bars and pads, not to the frame. As for weight, 1.75 lbs is like, what, 2 water bottles (with water). I'd have a hard time perceiving a difference in climbing with or without bottles. Although maybe I would if I weighed 130lbs.

For accelerating I would be hard pressed to really find any appreciable difference between them, or to other TT bikes I've had.

(and I'm not a coach, experienced or otherwise!)