I bought a Trek Alpha 1.1 (this model: http://bikereviews.com/road-bikes/trek/2010-trek/trek-1-1-road-bike/) at Evans in London for £400 in January 2010.
I never had a road bike before and knew I was a poor cyclist. I didn’t think going for a high end bike would be useful.
After a year of racing Sprint Triathlons, my level did improve and I’m wondering now what should I do to get a better bike.
I go for a (better) new road bike
_ or I go for new wheels
Considering I’ll be racing Sprint Triathlons again next year, and willing to be on the podium for my age group every time (25/29) - I’m requesting some advice from people who started with a basic road bike - what did they do next? Once racing became very serious.
But I do not understand the fuss about the TT bikes for sprint triathlons? Whats the added value of racing a TT bike on 20km? I read it should help to keep your legs more fresh for the run than on a road bike. But according to me going for a TT bike without being a great racer on a road bike is not worth it. TT bike must be DESERVED - I’d be tempted to say there are too many people out there going for a TT bike thinking they would go faster than on a road bike (which might be true - aero-dynamism, etc)… But that doesnt sound right too me to go for a TT bike if you’re not a rock star on a road bike.
1- I don’t mind actually going for a TT bike after my trek 1.1 but what if the race is ITU rules whereby the aerobars are forbidden? I’ll have to change them for road handlebars (I do reckon its quite unusual to race events with this rule though) - and the position on the bike wont be optimum as it was supposed to be for a TT?
2- What if the cycle race is very hilly? Im assuming TT bikes are for flat rides while a road bike can take you more easily on the hills.
I am about 2 miles per hour faster on my tribike than my road bike. if you want to be competitive in a Sprint, etc. I would go with the advice above, keep the Roadie, and save for a middle of the road tri bike, with a decent grouppo.
“I’m requesting some advice from people who started with a basic road bike - what did they do next? Once racing became very serious.”
You asked what they did once they got serious… They bought a TT bike. And they also started doing races with bike legs longer than 20k.
You also say you should podium at most of your races next year. If you have the kind of speed and the sort of competition that you can do that on a road bike, good for you. Stick with your roady.
If you want to get serious, buy a TT bike and start racing different distances.
As far as ITU races, they are few and far between and you can pack your race schedule without them. If for some reason you even find a local one, put some shorty clip on bars on your Trek and knock yourself out. And yes, you can ride a TT bike in the hills. The number of major hills you’ll encounter in the majority of your races won’t make a difference. If for some reason you are racing a tri in the alps, take your roady.
Welcome to ST. You’re just getting started in Triathlon. Don’t overthink it. A TT bike is the tool serious racers use to win races. You will be faster on a TT bike regardless of the race distance.
If you’ve got the $$$, buy the TT bike and have some fun racing next year. You’ll be glad you did.
Of the options listed, the only one that makes sense is getting a TT bike.
You wonder how it will help in a 20km TT. Well it may not make a huge difference, but it will make as much or more of a difference than the other options. Wheels on the bike you own won’t make you much faster, if at all, on that short of a distance. And I can pretty much guarantee that a new road bike won’t make any more of a difference than a TT bike would.
Keeping what you have and adding a TT bike will make your future options more open. Maybe you will want to do Olympic Distance races, where aero will play an even greater role.
If you are only doing triathlons as races, the the only logical step is a TT bike. If you are doing road races and Sprint Tris, then maybe a better road bike is in order. But wheels before those, on a Trek 1.1 is rather silly.
If you care about finish time TT bike is the way to go.
I started tri this year and had never biked more than probably 10 miles in a week.
I borrowed a road bike and trained on it for 2 months (under 40mpw). I have a 10 mile route I ride and my best average speed on that route was 21.2 mph on the roadie (out and back route). I bought a SC7.5 just after the first of August. The first night I rode the same route and was just over 23mph. I had never even sat on a TT bike in my life before this purchase and my position is certainly anything but agressive at this point. That’s a pretty significant time difference in just 10 miles!
But I do not understand the fuss about the TT bikes for sprint triathlons? Whats the added value of racing a TT bike on 20km? I read it should help to keep your legs more fresh for the run than on a road bike. But according to me going for a TT bike without being a great racer on a road bike is not worth it. TT bike must be DESERVED - I’d be tempted to say there are too many people out there going for a TT bike thinking they would go faster than on a road bike (which might be true - aero-dynamism, etc)… But that doesnt sound right too me to go for a TT bike if you’re not a rock star on a road bike.
1- I don’t mind actually going for a TT bike after my trek 1.1 but what if the race is ITU rules whereby the aerobars are forbidden? I’ll have to change them for road handlebars (I do reckon its quite unusual to race events with this rule though) - and the position on the bike wont be optimum as it was supposed to be for a TT?
2- What if the cycle race is very hilly? Im assuming TT bikes are for flat rides while a road bike can take you more easily on the hills.
Any advice welcome!
Have a nice day
TT bikes actually make more of a difference in shorter races b/c of the higher speeds hit. just sayin
I would say keep the road bike like everyone is saying and get the TT bike. I just bought the Planet X Stealth myself as I know it will fit very well. The frame was bought on October 14th and arrived on October 21st in great condition and is now in the garage waiting for some other items to arrive.
The ST discount makes this frame/fork/seat post a great deal and hard to pass up for a start into TT/Tri bike.