I have been doing sprint triathlons for 4 years and will mainly stay at this distance and olympic distance due to training time. But I have a couple of questions…
could people describe the difference of how your legs feel on a run after riding on a tt bike vs. road bike?
if i am able to average 20-22mph on a road bike will a tt bike save me alot more time during a say… 20 mile ride.
do you think it’s worth it to get a tt bike if i dont plan on doing half im’s or greater?
I can give you more background on my training and goals if it’s needed to help me out. any advice is appreciated.
Having raced on a road bike in my late 20’s and early 30’s and getting back into racing in my 40’s on a TT bike, the difference in pretty big. Older and less fit, I ride about as fast as did then and feel better starting to run. Hamstrings feel better and less waddling in the first mile. My run pace is slower now not because I blow up after the bike, but because I’m older and run slower. Don’t expect miracles, however. When I get off the bike, my legs still don’t really want to run. I think a fair way to descibe the feeling it that my legs feel a lot less bad.
Hard to say. I’d expect to see more of a difference if you’re doing flatter courses. Also depends on how good your position is on the road bike. There are on line calculators (analyticalcycling.com, I think) that compare speed with road vs TT set up. I can’t find it right now, but if I do, I’ll post a link. Maybe someone else can point us there.
That’s for you to decide. Yes, for me it’s worth it. If you don’t have money to feed the kids, no it’s not. If it fits in your budget, I would say yes. A few hundred bucks for a used ride vs upwards of $10K, everyone has a price they’re comfortable spending.
One thing I should add: my response assumes you’re steeper on a time trial bike than a road bike. If you set them up the same way, you can expect to feel the same coming off the bike.
I dont know if i am going to add much value but here goes…
First off, i have not experimented so i cant say what difference there is but the theory is that on a TT or triathlon bike you are significantly further forward and over the pedals so the primary action is PUSHING with your quads saving your hamstrings and glutes for the run.
Second thing, you are aero so that makes a big difference regardless of the distance or speed on the energy you are going to burn up thus how much you are going to have left to put together a good run.
Third, generally speaking TT bikes are lighter than road bikes so less to carry for the longest leg of the race.
If you are doing 20-22mph on the bike you are already pretty damn quick and strong, you should anticipate that you could be looking at 23-24mph on a decent TT bike depending on the course.
…depending on the course… or the day there are always instances like lots of wind or tons of hills where a road bike will completely eclipse a TT bike but it is always nice to have the option to choose. 9 times out of 10 you will be better on the TT bike.
TT weigh less than road bikes? I think you need go into a bike shop with a scale …
To the OP - if you are positioned correctly on the tri bike (i.e. typical 80 degree STA), then your legs will feel about the same coming off (assuming you are down in the drops or using clip-ons on your road bike and not sitting up, climbing style using your hammys/glutes). You should certainly be about 2 mph faster though from the aero positioning of your body on the bike (not the bike itself) since YOU are 80% or more of the drag.
Is it “worth” getting as you are asking? Only you know that, but your thinking is a bit flawed though. I’d be more likely to use a dedicated time trial rig for a sprint/olympic race than an IM if I had to choose.
I’ve been riding my TT bike for quite sometime, and as well for Triathlons. It makes a huge difference I’d say! Coming off a road bike and then running a 5K in a way, ruins my form. Being a state X-C and Track runner, form is huge! Back to what I was saying. On a road bike, having your arms basically holding your torso up the whole time and also helping maintain “bike form”. And even if your light on the handle bars. Your triceps are taking up some amount of energy. The upper part of your torso consisting of the neck, deltoids and pecs, on the front can have more tension than you would being fitted and pedaling on a TT bike. But as for on a TT or “Tri bike” there are a lot of mechanics involved that will benefit you in the end. A triathlon bike is made so that some muscles that were used in the swim are also used on the bike. (It kinda warms them up if you’d say) But as well for the muscles that were not as much used. It also helps a lot for the run portion because of the same similar muscles. But all this will help if you’re correctly fitted on a TT or Tri bike.
I had a road bike, rode a tri bike for three years and am back on a road bike. I could never get truly comfortable on a tri bike, and I spent plenty on the bike, fitings everything I could think of…I am a 50 year old guy now, I don’t want to ride that aggressive posture any more, plus a road bike is way lighter/superior climbing and cornering. What I am missing about the tri bike is the cool factor, I think a lot of people don’t think themselves true triathletes until they get the TT bike. I got over it, took a while. I was never able to notice a huge difference on the run, so many other factors in play, I think only the upper echelon athletes can really tell a difference. FWIW.
My hamstrings always feel fried for the first km or so coming off a road bike. Run times are the same degree of slow however. My wife - no problem off either her road or tri bike.
My quads definitely feel less ‘stressed’ coming off of the tri bike versus the road rig. Seem to employ greater usage of hams & butt in the tri position. Coming off the road bike to a run seems harder, imho, than from the tt.
I think you will save time in the aero position, esp. into the wind. What I really notice is the big difference in my HR when I’m in the aero position. I seem to be able to work harder w/ a HR that stays in a lower zone (unless I really go deep). I’m not sure if this is common or not. Seems to be the case w/ me.
For me, it was worth it. Everyone is different…enjoy.
If you are currently rising in the drops, then yes, a bike with aero bars will make a huge difference.
My brief experience between riding steep and slack is that I was much more comfortable riding aero in the steep position. As for how it affects your legs…I’ve seen all arguments made. I am convinced that it will vary from person to person. I feel better riding steep, but I wouldn’t be surprised that others do better in a road position.
OK, i stand corrected… although i found it almost impossible to get a good comparison on weights anywhere on the net. Like i said before it was my 10c worth.
