Although I have seen road bikes used for tris…it has been, mostly, on hilly courses. with a less than perfect back, road geometery seems to bring less pain while riding long distances. Anyone here use a road bike exclusively for tris? Should I just get another K-Factor and ride it shallower than it is typically set up to be? I am sans a bike right now but am in the market for another one very soon and my back seems to be getting worse.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
probably a third of all triathletes would be faster on road bikes than tri bikes, because they lack the requisite athleticism required to ride a tri bike hard. tri bikes, in the tri position, are best ridden using fairly considerable effort. imagine racing flats. if you go on very slow runs with them, or are just simply a very slow runner, you’ll certainly be better off running in lightweight trainers, or cushioned shoes, or stability shoes. plus, tri bikes are always slower than road bikes whenever you’re riding them out of the aero position.
first, i’d ask myself how much i really intend to be in the aero position. second, i’d ask myself whether i’m going to ride this bike pretty hard, or whether i’m a 15mph slogger, even on the flats, regardless of bike. third, i’d ask myself whether i’m prepared to ride tri bars the way they’re typically ridden by most of the better athletes, and yes, this means steeper.
depending on how i answer those questions, i’d either get a road bike or a tri bike. if i got a road bike, i’d keep it road: road bars, STI, road geometry, and if i put a tri bar on the bike it would be some sort of shorty bar.
I’ve done everything from sprints to Ironman’s with a road bike with clip on aerobars. Never owned a tri-bike. For me personally, I live in the mountains and can’t imagine doing hour long climbs on a tri-bike… maybe if I lived somewhere flatter I might want a tri-bike, but I can’t justify the cost of a 2nd bike just for racing that I couldn’t train on enough… I love my road bike too… it’s old and steel, heavy as hell (I’m also slow as hell, so I don’t need a 2nd “race” bike either…). As for comfort, I can ride 10 miles or 120, aero or not, no issues with back/neck/legs, etc. Maybe I’m just used to my bike though.
I’m obviously biased here - but I’d recommend checking out the AEGIS Victory frame.
The Victory is a very popular frame for hilly courses due to it’s road geometry, yet the frame is designed to be aero - aero seatstays, slight rear wheel cut out - and full carbon construction that offers a truly smooth ride. Former and potentially future (2008) Olympian Victor Plata claims have had his best season ever on the Victory.
As I said, I’m obviously biased, but based on what you are looking for, I think the Victory may be a good match.
Thanks and I will check out the Aegis…I appreciate everyones sound advice.
I switched to a tri bike this year after watching my 15 year old trek road bike crumble atop the car as my wife forgot there were bikes on the roof top rack. I think I certainly fit the profile laid out; I ride 99.9% aero, as hard as I can, as steep as I can, and I am more than an above average athlete.
Despite this, on my best days I re-visit the decision. In prior years my bike splits generally ranked in the top five percent overall in sprint through HIM distances on my old road bike with clip-ons. After three months on the tri bike, I have not gotten back to the speeds I cranked out on the old 24 lb. Trek. Its getting better, but I must say the progress is at best disappointing. I have to fight to hit 21 to 22 mph avg. For me, like Columbus burning his ships in the New World, I am committed to this set up, but if I was less focused, comfortable on a road bike, and wasn’t so concerned about wrenching out every extra second I could out of the bike (and run), I would stick to a road setup.
“I must say the progress is at best disappointing. I have to fight to hit 21 to 22 mph avg.”
it’s very hard to do better than a standard road bike in a standard road position, with standard geometry and standard road components. that “system” is very good. it’s very fast, very efficient. it’s not as simple as just getting a tri bike. it needs to be a good tri bike, you need to be fit aboard it appropriately, and then you have to ride the bike with a technique that optimizes the position. a lot of people say pshaw to tri bikes, and because of the efficacy of road bikes it’s understandable why.
that said, the top pros do not say pshaw, because they’ve got the engine to get out of a tri bike that which is of value. they sit aboard the bike in the proper position, and they ride the thing as it ought to be ridden. if you typically ride faster than a 22mph average, you’re certainly going to go faster on your tri bike, just as every top triathlete and TTer does. the issue is not with the bike – if it’s a decent bike – it’s with your response to this bike, that is, the bike maker has done his part, have you done your part?
I switched to a tri bike this year after watching my 15 year old trek road bike crumble atop the car as my wife forgot there were bikes on the roof top rack. I think I certainly fit the profile laid out; I ride 99.9% aero, as hard as I can, as steep as I can, and I am more than an above average athlete.
Despite this, on my best days I re-visit the decision. In prior years my bike splits generally ranked in the top five percent overall in sprint through HIM distances on my old road bike with clip-ons. After three months on the tri bike, I have not gotten back to the speeds I cranked out on the old 24 lb. Trek. Its getting better, but I must say the progress is at best disappointing. I have to fight to hit 21 to 22 mph avg. For me, like Columbus burning his ships in the New World, I am committed to this set up, but if I was less focused, comfortable on a road bike, and wasn’t so concerned about wrenching out every extra second I could out of the bike (and run), I would stick to a road setup. Cortez burnt his ships, not Columbus.
“Cortez burnt his ships, not Columbus.”
if you practiced in california i’d ask you to be my attorney of record.
Thanks. Sometimes it’s good to be a font of almost useless knowledge. 
“Sometimes it’s good to be a font of almost useless knowledge. ;-)”
you practice law, where useless knowledge often comes in handy.
“Sometimes it’s good to be a font of almost useless knowledge. ;-)”
you practice law, where useless knowledge often comes in handy. Very funny.
Lots of people ride road bikes and have done well on them. Simon Lessing won IMLP on a Soloist rode in the road position.
I’ve spent several years on tri bikes with a QR Kilo and Cervelo P2K. I always found issues with my crotch and neck in anything longer than 40 kms in an aggressive position. There is no getting away from the fact there is more pressure on your perineal area and that you ride with more neck extension. I was FIST fitted perfectly on the bikes but could still never find long ride comfort. I thought they were the ticket for sprints or 20/40 kms TT’s but longer rides were never that comfortable. This year I’m riding a Kestrel Talon in a less aggressive position and see how the comfort issue plays out.
“Very funny.”
i’m a journalist. we covet and absorb useless knowledge on a par with you guys. that’s why i appreciate it, and those who can wield it with skill.
Those are some good points. I like the look fo the kerstel alot and the aegis looks to be a solid ride also. I did IMAZ on a cervelo P2sl this past year and had MAJOR back issues off the bike. I think I have decided to stay away from a steep geometery. Same issues, 40K is fine 60k and I am starting to hurt.
I’m much more comfortable and I think a bit faster on my Kestrel Talon ridden in the road position than I was on my tri-bike. I did IM Austria a few years ago and noticed the vast majority of the Eurpeans were on road bikes. I saw very few tri-bikes. The vast majority of the Europeans were also biking much faster than me and I think much faster than age groupers in North American IM’s. I know that are a lot of reasons for this completely unrelated to what kinds of bikes are being ridden, but my point is that some awfully fast triathletes are still biking awfully fast on road bikes with clip-ons. I wonder sometimes whether I would be faster on a tri-bike or whether the road bike v. tri-bike debate is more marketing than substance. When I try to research the substance it seems like it comes down to a person being something like 12-seconds faster in a 40K time-trial on a tri-bike. Is it worth 12-seconds to be less happy?
But, for me at least, it comes down to this: I’m not racing for prize money, and I’m really happy riding my road bike, so why not ride my road bike. If you are having back problems and you think they are related to the tri-bike, why not stick to a road bike position.
Anyone here use a road bike exclusively for tris?
I do. Her name is Chatter and she’s a silver Cannondale! We are a low-tech operation; she doesn’t have aerobars or any fancy stuff.