Been cycling for a while and have a history of being a decent runner (4:12 mile, 14:30 5k) many years ago. Thought that I might combine these and do some duathlons.
Bought a completely bare XL Gen 3 Speed Concept SLR frame and am gradually collecting parts for a full build. It will probably need to share wheels (DT Swiss ARC 1100 65s) with my road bike for a while.
Not having a front end at this point gives me some options I gather. If I’m prioritizing fit, compatibility, adjustability, and cost, what might some good directions be?
I looked at some options from TriRig.
I suppose I could get the Trek basebar and also mix-and-match.
No love for TriRig? The interest in the Alpha Prime was primarily because it seems to be bolt on (so I don’t have to source a ton of hardware) and mega adjustable. I’m really not sure where I would end up position-wise.
I know my CdA on my road bike if I get as aggressive as possible is around .25-.27 from some aero sensor testing and calculations.
I’m hopeful with a fit that I could get to the .20-.22 range on a Speed Concept and that it would be reasonably comfortable.
This is my setup and I couldn’t be happier (stock front end with Culprit pads). A lot of it depends on how much tilt you’re planning to have for your arms. The stock setup is “limited” to 20-ish degrees of tilt (stock topper and 2 7-degree spacers). However, I have three spacers on mine and have at least 24-degrees.
If, however, you find yourself needing to be more forward, you’re limited with Trek’s stock setup. Almost everyone I ride with on a Trek is either on the stock setup (which seems reasonably fast in the wind with the integrated BTA bottle) or the FastTT setup.
Also, the stock bars are very sturdy. I’ve raced with 3rd party setups before (had Tririg’s entire front end on a 2nd gen speed concept) and it was just a little less sturdy than the stock setup.