Of course people are free to do triathlons on road bikes but that’s not really the point.
The material used at the pointy end influences the whole sport because that’s what people see when spectating, what ends in the marketing material. And in this case it’s also what makes you a lot faster.
People love team sports like football not just because they’re fun but also because you can easily imitate them, no equipment needed. The popularity of running is also that you just need a pair of shoes.
Triathlon is never going to be an equipment-free sport, nor have the popularity of football but if the athletes look like moving spaceships is very cool but doesn’t necessarily motivate people to actually practice the sport.
Even cycling is a lot more relatable than triathlon because their expensive bikes look like normal bikes.
Your point about the rules being difficult to make is a non issue. It would be fairly easy to make such rules because triathlon bikes are already prohibited in draft legal triathlons so you’d have to just copy paste that rule.
I do agree that other bikes should not be excluded to keep the sport inclusive. Unfortunately it does happen today that some triathlons do exclude gravel or mountain bikes.
There’s no going around the cost of swimming memberships. It does vary a lot with where one lives. Certain countries and cities make it a lot cheaper than others. The fact that this is a limit that is difficult to workaround doesn’t mean that other limiting factors can’t be mitigated, quite the opposite, they should be.
Triathlon bikes will ban themselves, to a degree, if the prices keep skyrocketing like they have been. I came close – kind of – to buying a new bike a few months ago. I was looking hard and made up my mind that I was going to get one. But when it came time to do it, I just couldn’t pull the trigger. They are just too expensive, even on the used market. Entry level is now $4,000 new. Trek’s lower end Speed Concept starts out at around $9,000 (or it did the last time I looked, might be more now). That’s insane.
Years ago (like 25-ish), the big discussion around triathlon bikes was the steeper seat tube angle and how it affected the run. The general consensus then was you needed a tri bike in large part because you could run faster off a tri bike than a road bike. Now the discussion is almost all centered around aerodynamics. Maybe we are so far along in the evolution of the tri bike that the seat tube angle debate is settled and there’s no need to talk about it anymore. And of course I know that better aerodynamics will facilitate faster running, too.
I am kind of concerned about aerodynamics but it’s not all consuming to me. I’m not competing for world championship slots. And I wouldn’t be even if I had a brand new superbike. At this stage, I want to be comfortable and reasonably fast, however you define that.
The other issue is the complexity in buying a triathlon bike. It’s not an event, it’s a process. As bikes get more complex, so does the process. I live in a bike fit/bike purchase wasteland. It would be an ordeal for me to buy a new tri bike. It’s a whole lot easier and cheaper to buy a used road bike, slap some clip-ons to the bars, and go.
But to my original point – the marketplace will sort it all out. If people get tired of the price and complexity of new bikes, they’ll start disappearing on their own.
There isn’t a TT bike in the world that you could give me for free . The cost of the “must haves” in the sport are out of control and having a pure TT bike means needing at least one more bike to do all the “fun” riding on. Ridiculous!
I’m super happy on my cheap, slow,all purpose CX bike.
Back in the late 80’s, we were all basically riding road bikes with aerobars (Scott DH or clipons). That being said, we were also slamming the saddles forward and nose riding, so the bike handled worse than a dedicated tri bike that was built for the more forward weight distribution. Road bikes with clipons handle worse than tri bikes once they are set up for riding in aero.
I gotta admit that although I’m only age group podium competitive in local races, slowing my bike to that degree would be an Absolute dealbreaker for me as I’d have a much smaller chance of even podiuming on it. Yes I’m petty like that! (Fortunately I have little to no chance at big Ironman branded events at podiuming unless they cancel the swim!)
Honestly I did this for a year and don’t notice any problems whatsoever in the aerobars. The road bike plus aerobar setup also is great for hill climbs and curvy descents where it’s all the road bike benefits and not the minor disadvantage in the drops of a tt bike. It could however depend on your setup - I just used my same road setup and added the aerobars. No seat changes.
I don’t get this argument that dedicated triathlon bikes are so expensive. I first started triathlon about five years ago using a roadie with clamp on aero bars. I used to walk through transition looking at the bikes and think they were so far beyond anything that I could afford. Just a couple years ago, I picked up my 2015 Shiv for $400. I later picked up a Cervelo P2 for just a little more.
Yes, they’re older. Rim brake and cable shift but so what? They’re worlds better for triathlon than any of my previous road bikes. And for someone like me who has no delusions of landing a slot in Kona, they are plenty of bike for me, or any other newbie. Even if you are chasing a Kona slot, something like these bikes would make a fine starter or trainer bike.
Just because I wanted it and the deal was there, last year I added a 2019 Time Machine to the stable. Still has cable shift and rim brakes but even with my carbon wheels and fully decked out, I’m still under $2k. And I don’t believe you could put me on any other bike out there, no matter how new, no matter how aero, and I would be any faster than the margin of error.
Go out today and buy a new Madone or Dogma and I guarantee you’re in for at least twice what I have in my most expensive tri bike.
IMHO, that Felt would be fine - the issue for a newbie is the brakes.
I’m old - all my wheels are rim brakes, but in total, they are a significant investment - I’m never switching to a disc brake bike because of that.
As good as that bike might be, at this point in time I’d only recommend a disc brake bike to a competitive newbie. Disc wheels, Tri-spoke or different depth front, newer rubber compounds on new tires that are only available in wide widths - it can all add up very quickly. The thread “Tell me I don’t need a disc brake TT bike” is for someone who already has a bike. It is always a risk - in any industry - when moving to something that is not backwards compatible.
Good, inexpensive disc-brake bikes (new or used) are like Hen’s teeth.
It depends on what kind of dedicated tri bike you buy. I agree with you that you can get into a used tri bike for a relatively inexpensive price. That’s what I did. Several years ago, I bought a Specialized Transition for a decent price. I made some upgrades and it fits me quite comfortably. It’s an old rim brake bike – all my wheels are rim brake wheels and I’ve accumulated quite a few over the years – with mechanical shifting. It’s a fast bike that I can ride pretty well. But it’s old technology. However, it suits me just fine. I’m like you – I will not be getting a slot to Kona and if I somehow did, I couldn’t afford to go anyway. I’m not chasing anything like that. I’m just out here trying to stay fit and enjoy the sport that I love. Older rim brake used tri bikes can be had at a good price. However, when I search Marketplace for triathlon bike, I don’t have to scroll far before I see a Speed Concept for $7,500, a second Speed Concept for $7,000, a third one for $4,500, a P5 for $3,400, a Shiv Tri for $6,000, and a Time Machine for $4,000. There are also lots of Transitions, Felts, Giants, and others for much much cheaper.
So it’s all a matter of how much do you want to spend and what kind of technology you want. Anything new – road or tri – with electronic shifting and disc brakes is going to be pretty high. I’ve put bikes in the same category as cars – they’re just too expensive, too problematic, too complicated. A few weeks ago, I resigned myself to the fact that I won’t be getting a new bike or a new vehicle any time soon. I’ll keep riding my old Cannondale road bike, Specialized tri bike, and driving my old Ford pickup.
I love the old tri bikes. Let me find an old Litespeed Blade or Quintana Roo Ti-Phoon that fits me. I’d have a real hard time turning either one down. I loved the bikes 20 years ago and I still do today. Titanium remains my favorite frame material.
I think you have a point about tri bike shopping being difficult for newbies. But as far as more budget friendly options, they’re definitely out there. I’m tripping over them in my garage to prove it. Hell, it’s hard for me to say no to any S or XS frame tri bike that’s under $600.
Just in the last three years I have bought…
Early 2000s alloy Ridley Cheetah for $600 (overpaid for that one)
2015 Specialized Shiv for $400
2011 Cervelo P2 for $600
2019 BMC Time Machine for $1200
With the exception of the Shiv, those were even local to me, and Las Vegas isn’t exactly a booming triathlon community.
I just did a search for “triathlon bike” on Craigslist in my area. The search expanded out to SoCal and the Phoenix area and there are no less than 11 ads for bikes $1000 or less, including a couple of Cervelos, a Shiv, a Transition, at least one Slice and some others. Of course, the trick is finding one that is the right fit, and that does make it more difficult. But really the biggest challenge (at least it has been for me) is NOT buying the wrong bike because you want it NOW!
Looks are one thing but even you will immediately note the superiority of wide low psi tires and disc brakes and even electronic shifting on the modern bikes if you ride them eve once. The brakes and wide tires are noticeably better than even the best last gen bikes. Brakes really really better compared to carbon rim brakes.
Another black hole. The following is an exact quote from “High-Tech Cycling” edited by Edmund Burke, page 183. There is an entire chapter devoted to The Cycling World Hour Record, written by Chester Kyle and David Bassett, and the UCI’s gymnastics -
“In 1996, when Boardman set his extraordinary individual pursuit record and new hour record by using an exotic aerodynamic monocoque bicycle and Obree’s superman position, panic ensued in the UCI. The organization felt that time trial racing was becoming a contest among engineers, designers, and scientists, instead of between athletes.” Their response was immediate - “for the hour record, the UCI rolled bicycle design standards back 30 years”.
I have to give the (at that time) UCI credit - it took a lot of Cajones to do that! Imagine them doing this today???
Electronic shifting, by definition, is using energy from a source other than the rider. Where does it stop?
Meh. None of the electronic shifting adds any power to the drivetrain, and anyone who uses it will freely admit it doesn’t gain you any time compared to mechanical shifters.
They’re just more convenient to service in general (which does count for a lot given integrated cockpits which make mech recabling really difficult) and allow for better hand ergonomics, but that’s about it.
The disc brakes and wide low-psi tires are a real improvement from prior gen, though. I gain significant time on big mountain descents with modern disc brakes compared to my dicey carbon-rim brake wheels, like minutes per hour.
