Seeking opinions (experiential, mechanical and scientific; not random thoughts, please) on using the Ceepo Maba or other ITU compliant aggressive geometry road bike (with clip-ons) for non-drafting triathlons on rolling hills courses.
I have a very lax tour style road bike and nice tri-bike. I plan to replace my road bike with a more aggressive racing road bike. It got me thinking about the endless possibilities. Namely selling both my bikes and then getting every bell and whistle I ever wanted on one bike and make it the lightest stiffest best fitting bike I can get and use it for both training, non-race centuries and all my triathlons. Mostly 70.3 but I do a lot of O distance stuff and do an IM every 4-5 years. I am decent rider, but not a great rider (2:30 bikes splits at 70.3. Under 6 hours for IMs). I am not a great climber and have wondered if the Ceepo mamba or like bikes might be more appropriate for rolling hill courses (think I.M. Louisville, CdA or Wisconsin and similar shorter races). Aaaaaaand , if I go that route and have just that one bike, how much am I giving up to a true tri-bike when I do race a flat course? Keeping in mind that I am all legs and no torso. So, I dont get real low when I am on my tri bike. I get skinny. Good hand and elbow position, tight knees, quiet upper body. But, I do not have a super flat back and my aero helmet doesnt lay flat on my back. I am 6’0, 170, and 49 y/o. I know that I would be giving up aero bar shifting, unless I got really creative and tricked the Mamba with a usual tri aero bar set-up (since I will NOT be doing draft legal races and I dont do bicycle road races. I just do training centuries and the like and non-draft tris. I am just trying to find a better climbing machine for triathlons that will also be fun to train on and do centuries. How much am I compromising my run off the bike with this set up vs true tri-bike, or is that a matter of adaptation?
I been Tri-ing for 25 years and had a variety of bikes and I recall my fastest times were on a road bike set-up like a try bike. Now, were they my fastest years because I was in flat fast Florida and I was 35 or am I simply built more for road geo?
I have a few some thoughts on all this, but need to hear from some other great minds (No emoticon entered her, because Lance says men should be banned from using them).
Thoughts?