Hi All - This is my first post but have been reading the site for years and would love to hear your opinion about 1) buying a new bike, 2) buying a used TT or keeping current Trek Speed Concept rim brake bike and using cash to find speed in other ways.
Options:
Buy a top-end new tt/tri bike (Canyon, Trek SC, Factor, BMC etc) for $/£6-7k after discounts (£/$10-12k retail). Limited speed increase out of the box but potentially allows for better position, wider (faster?) tyres and is “future proof”.
Keep current Trek SC rim brake and spend money on aero testing, an aero sensor such as Notio or Gibli, get a coach, focus on swim analysis, run form, etc.
Same as Option 2) but I would sell the Trek SC and buy another rim brake bike (likely Giant, Canyon Speedmax, Ridley, Look etc.) which would be a breakeven trade. The Trek is supposed to be fast but to me it feels “long”, heavy, not dynamic and it has an annoying front end with the mono spacer and terrible brakes. But perhaps other bikes with hidden aero rim brakes are the same?
About me: Started triathlon 4 years ago to complete an Ironman, but now I do a mix of 70.3s and Ironmans. I have been training consistently using TrainerRoad training plans and am self-coached. I am a FOP age-grouper with recent 70.3 just under 4 hrs or slightly above. Typically, 25-27 mins swim, 2:05-2:15 bike and 1.17-1.22 run, depending on the course. I can afford option 1 and can also spend more but spending for me is like pulling teeth and I always question the ROI.
Further context: Limiting factor for improving swim is finding time to swim more than 3-4 times and pool availability to do proper sessions. Limiting factor for running is some history of injuries and ability to recover with a full time job so while I have been improving this has been slow but consistent. Bike has been improving consistently and very much inline with training volume/intensity put in (current FTP 390 W and 70.3 pace of 300 avg and 320-330 normalised; I am 80kg and 6"4 or 193 cm). I can see further improvement to come on the bike.
EDIT: Further context: Bike is fairly optimised, 1x setup, HED 90mm front wheel & HED disc rear, latex tubes & Michelin TT tyres, waxed chain etc. I had a bike fit which made the position more comfortable but it was “eye-balled” rather than aero tested fit.
You say the current bike feels long / heavy. I’d say the first step would be a good bike fit / assessment from someone you can trust (someone who doesn’t just want to sell you a brand new bike). Hopefully that person can assess how well your current ride fits you. The bike fit should also provide you with a list of other bikes that might fit you similarly (or better).
New bikes are always fun and sexy BUT it seems like you already have some very FOP age grouper bike splits. Your current bike isn’t really holding you back much, if at all.
Sure, you might pick up a minute or two, but seems to me like you’d be better off focusing your efforts/attention/money on the swim and maybe some overall coaching. Plus, it’s be a lot cheaper than a new bike.
Sounds like being future proof would be the best reason to go for option #1 rather than speed gains. I have a rim brake and I’m hesitant to drop money on newer carbon wheels at this point and feel sort of frustrated with tire size limitations and hydration solutions. I’m looking at a new bike primarily to get more modern options.
Option #3 feels like it’s probably not worth it unless you’re really unhappy with your current bike; IMO going used is worth it to get into the mid / upper level equipment but if you are already there then further gains is diminishing and I think the next big batch really comes from buying new so you can get a bike that is exactly what you want exactly how you want it. It can’t hurt to keep your eye out for a used bike you think might be better but I’ve done that for years and never really found much that wouldn’t come with different tradeoffs than the bike I already have.
Option #2 is honestly probably the best “bang for buck”. But I think another angle to keep in mind is that you performance is not the only consideration. You probably deserve a really nice bike at this point if you want it and can afford it. I know there’s the stereotype of someone who drops $15k on a bike that they don’t have the engine for and then falls out of the sport within the year. If you’re FOP you’ve put in enough work that you probably know that’s not you. You don’t need to be as absolutely frugal as possible with dollars for speed, if a really nice bike would make you enjoy your hundreds of hours of training more, make you marginally faster, and give you some good future proofing, then I think you should feel justified to get it. Triathlon isn’t cheap but there’s worse things to spend money on than exercise.
Hi All - This is my first post but have been reading the site for years and would love to hear your opinion about 1) buying a new bike, 2) buying a used TT or keeping current Trek Speed Concept rim brake bike and using cash to find speed in other ways.
Options:
Buy a top-end new tt/tri bike (Canyon, Trek SC, Factor, BMC etc) for $/£6-7k after discounts (£/$10-12k retail). Limited speed increase out of the box but potentially allows for better position, wider (faster?) tyres and is “future proof”.
Keep current Trek SC rim brake and spend money on aero testing, an aero sensor such as Notio or Gibli, get a coach, focus on swim analysis, run form, etc.
Same as Option 2) but I would sell the Trek SC and buy another rim brake bike (likely Giant, Canyon Speedmax, Ridley, Look etc.) which would be a breakeven trade. The Trek is supposed to be fast but to me it feels “long”, heavy, not dynamic and it has an annoying front end with the mono spacer and terrible brakes. But perhaps other bikes with hidden aero rim brakes are the same?
Option 1 - future proof, wheels/tires that are current, better integration/storage and maybe easier to use/travel with. Depending on things max about 8-9w gained from a new bike, probably/most likely less
Option 2 - having a coach to guide you/help you maximize your potential may be a good idea, especially if you want to go pro/win ag at worlds or something like that. Aero testing is a good idea. If you’ve never tested people before, aero testing isn’t as easy as some people think. There are A LOT of variables to take into account/plan for/adjust for each time you test outside. Being a better swimmer is one of those things that will never let you down in the race.
OPtion 3 - could be a savings, could be a drag increase. If it fits you better than the SC it could be a big win especially if it allows you to be more comfy/produce more power/get into a better position.
What kind of discounts are you getting to get a 12k bike for 7k because I need some of that!
Speaking for the uk we have the cycle to work scheme which takes the bike payment out of pre tax earnings each month. I got a £7,000 giant down to £3600 I think it was - about 42% off. Haven’t gone ahead with purchase as not the right time now but you can get hefty discounts. Not sure where you are in the world / what schemes are open to you.
Buy a top-end new tt/tri bike (Canyon, Trek SC, Factor, BMC etc) for $/£6-7k after discounts (£/$10-12k retail). Limited speed increase out of the box but potentially allows for better position, wider (faster?) tyres and is “future proof”.
As Marcag said, you are putting out a lot of power for the speed you deliver. So the most important thing for any bike is that it allows you to work on your position. If the SC is hampering that, it may need to go. Whether you go for an older bike that can fit a bar upgrade or the BMC from your list above (the other bikes are fit limited) is relatively immaterial.
I think your answer lies in a mix of 1&2 or 2&3 - make a plan that allows you to improve everything.
The areo testing will likely get you more gains than a new frame (a $400 helmet or a better skinsuit can easily be worth more than a frame upgrade), and it might lead to a new position that will influence your future frame choice. It would suck to get a new bike and a year or two later find out that it’s the wrong size for your upgraded position.
Yes, rim brakes on aero bikes tend to suck. However, a set of good pads (ex. Koolstop Salmon for Alum rims) can do wonders.
current FTP 390 W and 70.3 pace of 300 avg and 320-330 normalised; I am 80kg.
You may want to look at this before investing in a new bike.
Maybe put some numbers into best bike split and see what it estimates your CDA at.
Maybe some of that budget should go to helmets, skinsuits, tires…and all the testing that goes with it.
Example, a guy I helped went 2h05 in Boulder on 257NP. Granted he is lighter than you but still.
marcag is right. Spend a weekend doing chung testing on your current setup. You’re likely to find more with position changes than you will with any new bike. Get small, get aero, get fast. Try lower, narrower, hands up, hands down, chin tuck. Or post a picture of your position here and let the aero eyes find the first 30 watts that you’re giving away.
How tall are you? 80 kg is pretty big for an elite endurance athlete unless you are 6 feet 4+.
6`4" exactly but have fairly wide shoulders from doing rowing/kayaking type sport growing up. But still less than 6-10% body fat so not sure if weight management would be my focus for now.
current FTP 390 W and 70.3 pace of 300 avg and 320-330 normalised; I am 80kg.
You may want to look at this before investing in a new bike.
Maybe put some numbers into best bike split and see what it estimates your CDA at.
Maybe some of that budget should go to helmets, skinsuits, tires…and all the testing that goes with it.
Example, a guy I helped went 2h05 in Boulder on 257NP. Granted he is lighter than you but still.
Thank you, and I agree. I have Met Drone and HJC Adwatt as well as Fusion Tempo suit which I have tried to test with mywindsock. For races, mywindsock estimates for CDA are 0.230 (40km/h on 298W avg or 316W norm with ~800m elev), 0.215 at 70.3 Worlds in Lahti (42.2km/h on 300W avg or 310W norm) and latest is 0.203 (44km/h on 298W avg and 304W norm). Personally, to me these CDA estimates look a bit off and I would expect to go faster on these CDA & power combos. The last race was windy so the 0.203 must definitely be wrong.
What kind of discounts are you getting to get a 12k bike for 7k because I need some of that!
With his talent and results he’s probably a sponsored amateur.
I wish but if you know any sponsors looking to sponsor age groupers please let me know! There are lots of big sales on bikes at the moment and there is a special cycle scheme in the UK which allows some savings.
Hi All - This is my first post but have been reading the site for years and would love to hear your opinion about 1) buying a new bike, 2) buying a used TT or keeping current Trek Speed Concept rim brake bike and using cash to find speed in other ways.
Options:
Buy a top-end new tt/tri bike (Canyon, Trek SC, Factor, BMC etc) for $/£6-7k after discounts (£/$10-12k retail). Limited speed increase out of the box but potentially allows for better position, wider (faster?) tyres and is “future proof”.
Keep current Trek SC rim brake and spend money on aero testing, an aero sensor such as Notio or Gibli, get a coach, focus on swim analysis, run form, etc.
Same as Option 2) but I would sell the Trek SC and buy another rim brake bike (likely Giant, Canyon Speedmax, Ridley, Look etc.) which would be a breakeven trade. The Trek is supposed to be fast but to me it feels “long”, heavy, not dynamic and it has an annoying front end with the mono spacer and terrible brakes. But perhaps other bikes with hidden aero rim brakes are the same?
Option 1 - future proof, wheels/tires that are current, better integration/storage and maybe easier to use/travel with. Depending on things max about 8-9w gained from a new bike, probably/most likely less
Option 2 - having a coach to guide you/help you maximize your potential may be a good idea, especially if you want to go pro/win ag at worlds or something like that. Aero testing is a good idea. If you’ve never tested people before, aero testing isn’t as easy as some people think. There are A LOT of variables to take into account/plan for/adjust for each time you test outside. Being a better swimmer is one of those things that will never let you down in the race.
OPtion 3 - could be a savings, could be a drag increase. If it fits you better than the SC it could be a big win especially if it allows you to be more comfy/produce more power/get into a better position.
Hope that helps
Much appreciated and somewhat leaving for a combo of 1-2. I have done some basic testing using mywindsock but unclear how accurate that is. I am only just reading about the Chung method and some other sensors. Definitely not easy to find a place to do this where I live but there may be 1-2 places that are ok at 6am. Alternatively, I will try to find outdoor velodromes
The amount of legal drafting in races will make cda-estimates from these quite inaccurate. You will get higher speeds for the same watts, resulting in a lower cda-estimate from the calculators.
current FTP 390 W and 70.3 pace of 300 avg and 320-330 normalised; I am 80kg.
You may want to look at this before investing in a new bike.
Maybe put some numbers into best bike split and see what it estimates your CDA at.
Maybe some of that budget should go to helmets, skinsuits, tires…and all the testing that goes with it.
Example, a guy I helped went 2h05 in Boulder on 257NP. Granted he is lighter than you but still.
Thank you, and I agree. I have Met Drone and HJC Adwatt as well as Fusion Tempo suit which I have tried to test with mywindsock. For races, mywindsock estimates for CDA are 0.230 (40km/h on 298W avg or 316W norm with ~800m elev), 0.215 at 70.3 Worlds in Lahti (42.2km/h on 300W avg or 310W norm) and latest is 0.203 (44km/h on 298W avg and 304W norm). Personally, to me these CDA estimates look a bit off and I would expect to go faster on these CDA & power combos. The last race was windy so the 0.203 must definitely be wrong.
It sounds like you are doing on the right path to figure this out by acknowledging something is wrong.
It’s not easy. There is a lot of noise out there. The UK has a lot of knowledgeable people. Problem is that the number of bozos is 10x.
My only advice would be to find a resource you trust and make this a process rather than a ‘one and done’ event.
People don’t want to spend the time with a competent consultant, but they pay more for a ceramic speed oversize pulley. Kind of bonkers.
but have fairly wide shoulders from doing rowing/kayaking type sport growing up. But still less than 6-10% body fat so not sure if weight management would be my focus for now.