I 've got a 2005 Cervelo dual I 've spent all kinds of money upgrading. Got the new wolf fork, carbon post, PS2 brake levers, fsa compact crank with the external BB, 105 shimano brakes(the black is just right for it :-)) , profile 26 base bar, the easton vista wheels they use on the newer ones, it’s a kick ass bike.
But I’m almost 50 years old 200 pounds and I just hurt too much to ride aero.
I tried setting it up road style and since I won’t use a stem that looks like a permanent state of arousal the front end was just too low.
So I think it’s time to face reality and sell it. I ride a steel road bike so I’ll be looking for another road bike for tris. Carbon, aluminum, both, not sure, but I’ll be having much more fun with a light fast road bike than the tri bike.
Hopefully this isn’t too bourgeois for ST. (since you’re all assholes here lol) The TNO is a pita to use so I 'm looking for feedback on this decision here.
neck pain and back pain are two of the most common things i have seen from epople that have not had a fit done or are set up improperly. you might want to get your fit checked out before you wright this bike off.
My Cervélo Dual was a pain (literally!) despite the fact that I was in a position largely similar to my aero position on my ol’ Specialized Roubaix (with forward seat post and aerobars). I couldn’t go more than about 20 miles without stopping because my back hurt so bad. I went to the shop I bought my bike from and with some weirdly minor adjustments (moved seat forward 1" and up 1/4", rotated aerobars down slightly, bought a Forté T1 saddle for the cutout), it’s a very comfortable ride.
However, at your age, you definitely want to focus on comfort moreso than aerodynamics. The Dual is too nice a bike to just toss right away. Spend $150 for a good fit and sell the parts you don’t need anymore. Aside from training, a good bike fit is one of the best ways to get faster for cheap.
Isn’t it true that you have to crane your neck more in an aero position? The only way not to bend it so much is to sit up,right?
I appreciate your advice, but I can’t see spending 150-200 bucks for a fitting when I’ve already tried every seat and stem position available to me with this bike. Maybe you’re right maybe I 've missed something. So far , all I can do is move the problem. In the back seat position, my back hurts. In the forward position, by crotch hurts. In both positions, my neck hurts. I guess I’m pretty much convinced I 'm a roadie who likes to do a Tri a few times a year. Thanks for the advice though I 'm only 30 minutes from Clermont so I 'm sure I can find a good fitter at the NTC.
I’m putting a hundred miles a week on my road bike. Group rides, and I don’t like riding the tri bike with them. So maybe I 'm just not spending enough time on the cervelo to get used to it, but I don’t see me giving up the road cycling.
that might be your answer right there. i rode all summer on my tri bike and it took 3-4 rides a week on it for a month or so before i was totaly ok with the position. started riding a road bike a few weeks back and now jumping back on the tri bike kills.
i would suggest that the amount of time you are spending on that frame in the aero position may be your real culprit.
it takes some amount of time to get used to the positioning and strengthening your shoulders and neck to maintain your head angle.
so…it could be that your bike may be a perfect fit for you, but your training time to learn how to get the most out of it may be less than ideal.
many times its not the gear, but how we use it, that makes the difference.
yes I think it’s the right size, and it’s a great bike no doubt. it’s just a matter of my priorities I think.
if you aren’t able, or capable, of putting in enough time on the tri bike to get comfortable with it, dump it, since it will only create continued issues for you.
who should care if you race multisport with a road setup that you feel good on?
so what’s wrong with a roadie using a road bike to do 3 or 4 triathlons a year right? nothing. I wish I 'd looked at it that way from the beginning…
If your not trying to win. Nothing. If you are, you are giving up speed.
if you aren’t able, or capable, of putting in enough time on the tri bike to get comfortable with it, dump it, since it will only create continued issues for you.
who should care if you race multisport with a road setup that you feel good on?
The only reason to own a tri bike (other than if you are trying to look cool) is to go faster on it than you would on your road bike. If you don’t lower the front end and get your chest out of the wind to reduce wind resistence then you may as well ride your road bike. I have been dropping the front end this year and have come to the conclusion that riding steep and low is not going to make your neck or crotch feel good. In the end, I put up with it because I want to go fast.
If those few seconds or minutes are not a big concern then ditch the tri bike.
all things equal and in a perfect world…maybe. the simple key to his situation is that he is uncomfortable on his tri frame and and not riding it nearly as much as his road frame.
i suggest anyone will be significantly faster and more comfortable racing a road frame they like and look forward to riding, rather than a tri frame they find to be painful and do not enjoy riding, and even avoid riding. the reasons behind all that are really not important.
he won’t be giving up anything and stands to gain much down the line.
he won’t be giving up anything and stands to gain much down the line.
**
Actually, assuming performance is an issue, then he will be giving up quite a bit of speed down the line. There is something to be said for enjoying what you are doing, but you can’t get around the fact that riding steep and aero is going to be faster on 99 out of 100 triathlon courses out there. In fact, I find that riding really low/aero makes and even bigger difference on hilly courses where your speed on the downhills is even more affected by your aerodynamics.
I don’t really “like” to ride my tri bike compared to my road bike, but it is clearly faster on everything but a 10 percent uphill grade.
If you are only interested in finishing, and there are a lot out there who are, then ride a road bike by all means, but people should know it will in no way be faster. Frankly, is someone feels that way, I would counsel them to take of the aero bars completely.
Chad
i’m not saying he could not be faster on his tri frame than his road frame.
however…he is choosing not to be.
if he keeps the tri frame and only rides it during races, you really think he will stay aero and use it the way it was intended? a tri frame shows its colors when ridden the way it was designed to be. it seems to me he is not doing that now and won’t. he will just continue to be frustrated and in pain riding it what little he has been. that does not equal speed.
