Hi,
I am 52 years old, 150lb and have been doing IM70.3 for the last 10 years with 7:00-7:15 completion time. I am thinking to do a Full and I know it will be 15h+ for me.
Being said that, I want to have a light weight bike and wheel set. Right now I have Felt AI 1 2015 Di2 Dura-ace + Easton 90 2011 tubular (1440g pair)
Any suggestion of light bike and wheel or anything about equipment that make the race easier is very much appreciated.
Best,
HC
I am far from an expert and I have a 2015 Felt IA4, which I think is a fine bike for me. I don’t think that a lighter bicycle will make you much faster. My understanding is that over the course of a flat or rolling Ironman distance event, a lighter bike will be a minute or so faster. I think that upgrading your wheels and tires will yield a better return. New wheels, Hed for instance have excellent value, rim brake and clincher. I have a Hed 60 front and disc rear. I use Continental 5000 with latex tubes. The only downside, and it is not much of one, is having to carry two spare tubes as I need one with a valve extender for the front wheel but not the rear wheel. The Felt IA, while older, is still a respectable ride. Why not invest in yourself? Ride with other cyclists, use trainerroad, etc.
Your bike is fine. A lighter bike won’t help much unless it’s super hilly.
Clincher wheels might help a bit but just go have fun.
Hi harry, to be honest light tt bike for a 15 hours ironman is pretty useless, you will wil more time to optimise aero than weight.
But yo answer to your question this is the most “light” tt bike now :
But sometimes you will need to upgrade your frontend for more comfy armpad / extensions, adding a BTA and it will add weight so everytime looking by weight will be an issue.
Might be a hot take but you might be faster if you gained 20 watts while gaining 10 pounds.
Most everything that makes a bicycle a weight weenie is what you don’t want compromised on an Ironman length bike ride. Smaller wheels versus wider and more aero. A crap low weight saddle versus one meant for hours of triathlon. Etc…
I raced for 10 years on a 2016 Felt IA 16. It was massively upgraded and very fast for most of its life with Ultegra Di2, Tririg cockpit & brakes, and HED 90mm/disc wheels. My frame was heavier than yours, but light weight on a tri bike is not a major contributor to speed. For example, my wheels were probably about 1,000 g heavier than yours, but probably much faster.
So the first key question is why would you want a light weight bike and wheel set versus a aero and fast bike? Light weight bikes and wheels feel amazing on a road bike, but you barely notice on a tri bike. Once you get the thing setup with an integrated cockpit and 10 lbs. of water, a few extra grams in the frameset is a rounding error.
The huge jump forward for an IM is comfort from wider wheels and tires. Especially for someone who may spend 7 hours on the bike. The modern wheels are lifechanging on many dimensions. First, they are very fast compared to the wheels and tires you can fit on the Felt IA 1. Second, they absorb a lot of road vibration that leads to fatigue in the aero position. Getting a 28mm tire with latex or tubeless on a wide rim will change everything about the ride.
The second major change is the fully integrated cockpits with full-length arm rests. These are way heavier than the simple cockpits from the twenty-teens, but vastly superior comfort and aerodynamics. You could probably fit those on the IA 1, but it would look a bit janky compared to a modern bike.
Finally, disc brakes are super nice. Rim brakes are always a compromise on a tri bike, so stopping sucks vividly, especially on the IA 1. Any modern tri bike with disc brakes will complete the total experience.
My recommendation - focus on looks and lust. Most modern bikes are not that different in weight, and the difference becomes very small once the bikes are fully setup in race form.
If you are going to be in the course for a bit, I would focus on fit and comfort with a smaller emphasis on aerodynamics. Don’t forget nutrition carrying as well as tools and learning how to solve basic mechanicals. Forget about weight. I would get rid of the tubulars, they are slower than clinchers or tubeless and a pain in the neck if you get a flat tire.
Hi Everyone,
Thank you so much for the suggestion. I thought that my bike is aero already but look like newer bike and wheel is better. Since I am 150lb and my speed is not fast, I thought that aero like disc wheel will slow me down (got that idea from youtube!). My water bottle is quite clean on front. My tire is 25mm.
I am intend to get a Zipp 808 pair and it seems to be in line @exxxviii and @Engner66 suggestion.
Thank you all again.
Best,
HN
My big nudge here is consider a rear disc. Then consider it again. And again until you get one…
I got my IA 16 in 2016 when I was getting back into triathlons after a few decades. I did my races that year (a couple half-distance and some local shorter races) on the bike mostly stock, including the mega crappy stock wheels. At the end of the year, I got the bug to upgrade and switched to a pair of carbon 60/90 wheels. On one hand, I love them. Mega cool. But at the same time, I immediately regretted my purchase.
After a couple years racing on the 60/90 wheelset, I switched to 90/disc. I absolutely LOVE that combo and only ever ride on those in training and racing. I have never had a problem. The Felt IA is designed for stability and loves a disc rear.
Even though you think you are slow, a rear disc will make you faster. And the irony is that the more time you spend on the bike, the more time that good wheels will save you. That, and a disc on a Felt IA looks absolutely sick.