for one thing that only applies to tris (unless you don’t care about tt bike regs). for another, how do you account for the additional drop of a tt/tri setup vs. road?
100% tri bike, due to the fact that I own but one bike.
Carl, take a look at Dan’s graphic: http://www.slowtwitch.com/articles/images/0/4550-medium_fit_systems4.gif
The idea is that a rider will keep their road position and just rotate the entire body around the crank center line. As they rotate forward, their front moves forward and down while the hips move forward (and up a little). I think the graphic shows it well. The green rider is someone on their road bike, and the black rider is that person with the same angles on their TT bike.
There should be no difference in muscle recruitment when riding these 2 ways. (neck aside).
You mention rules. Well, the UCI rules are why you see all the pros riding on the tip of their saddles. For tris, we have the luxury of being able to put the seats underneath us.
"100% on my tri bike. It’s all I have though. "
X2
I agree with fungy,
I enjoy riding my tri bike more, and find that I wish I could drop down into my aero bars on rides with my road bike.
*** I’m on my road bike about 95% of the time. I’ll get on my Tri bike a few times before a race and do a long ride or two on it before an Ironman but otherwise my Road is so much more comfortable!***
You think it might be so much more comfortable because you ride it all of the time???
I don’t really get the reasoning behind owning a tri bike primarily for racing only. My tri bike took a few rides to adapt to (primarily the neck) but now it is super comfortable. Since I’m racing in triathlons and not road races I ride the tri bike 95% of the time. The only time I ride my road bike is if I’m riding in the city or if it is nasty out. The last thing I want is to get off the tri bike at a race and be all sore because I’m not adapted to the bike. That can’t possibly help you on the run.
I agree with fat bastard (sorry just wanted to type that), and others who say you should be riding the TT bike more often than not. Just like shoes, goggles, nutrition, or any other gear, I want to be as familiar with my equipment as possible on race day. I ride a road bike 1 out of 4 days of the week only because I ride with a roadie group that day. I want to be used to the position and comfortable during the race. That said, I think my road position is very similar to my TT position, just rotated forward on the crank axis because I don’t notice much different muscle recruitment, or at least any particular soreness from it. I simply think it is best to get a good amount of training in (various efforts and topography) on your race bike so you know how to handle anything that comes at you on race day. But I do save the carbon wheels for race day! Little too pri$ey to have out there every training day.
I have one bike.
It has bullhorns, aerobars & bar-end shifters from mid spring to mid autumn, then I convert it to drops & STIs for the rest of the year.
I don’t miss either configuration out of their appropriate “season”.
"What about neck muscles - holding up the head - for long course? Also, “taint” adaptation "
That’s why I got rid of my tri bikes. Neck and taint wouldn’t adapt now matter how much I rode it. I now use a dual purpose Kestrel Talon.
I always mostly trained on the road bike because a lot of my rides are group riding and cat 6 hammerfests with roadies. The main advantage of the road bike is that you build core strength which doesn’t happen on the tri bike since you’re more skeletal supported. Most of the fastest bike tri pros spend a significant time on the road bike.
This year I’ll be on my Tri bike 50% of the time and my MTB 10% of the time. The other 40% will be on my other tri bike.
jaretj
Seems pretty simple to me . . . road bike when going on a group ride, tri bike when doing a solo workout, and fixie when the roads are crappy. Or, whichever bike doesn’t need a tire changed when the ride is starting NOW.
*** I’m on my road bike about 95% of the time. I’ll get on my Tri bike a few times before a race and do a long ride or two on it before an Ironman but otherwise my Road is so much more comfortable!***
You think it might be so much more comfortable because you ride it all of the time???
I don’t really get the reasoning behind owning a tri bike primarily for racing only. My tri bike took a few rides to adapt to (primarily the neck) but now it is super comfortable. Since I’m racing in triathlons and not road races I ride the tri bike 95% of the time. The only time I ride my road bike is if I’m riding in the city or if it is nasty out. The last thing I want is to get off the tri bike at a race and be all sore because I’m not adapted to the bike. That can’t possibly help you on the run.
No it’s more comfortable because it’s not as aggressive! Yes my road bike has a bit of a drop but my Tri bike drop is more extreme and when riding around Killadelphia to where it’s near impossible to get into the aero position then what’s the point of riding the tri bike??? Ooo I race Triathlon’s so I should only ride my tri bike!! Bullcrap! Yes ride it a bit to get used to it and once Tri/DU season starts I’ll be on the Tri bike 1-2 out of my 5 rides a week, but probably only on the weekends when West River is closed and I can actually take advantage of the areo bars and get used to getting low.
When I first started all I had was a tri bike and it was cool for a bit but riding that day in and day out just isn’t comfortable. And now is where you blame me for having a bad fit and blah blah. Truth is a road bike is just more fun for day in and day out riding, a lot easier to navigate and change gears… which is what I need in the City.
I think the original Q was most likely about riding outside the big cities. In your case, it isn’t practical to only ride your tri bike, unless you ride on a path or somewhere w/o lights and many cars. If you live in the country or in a small town where there roads aren’t busy and there aren’t many lights, I don’t see why a tri bike all the time would be a bad thing. Still debating road vs. tri so this thread is influencing my decision a little 
I think the original Q was most likely about riding outside the big cities. In your case, it isn’t practical to only ride your tri bike, unless you ride on a path or somewhere w/o lights and many cars. If you live in the country or in a small town where there roads aren’t busy and there aren’t many lights, I don’t see why a tri bike all the time would be a bad thing. Still debating road vs. tri so this thread is influencing my decision a little
I would agree there, if I had open roads to where I could get in and stay in aero for an extended period of time and hammer out then I probably would ride my tri bike more.
100% tri. However I have fairly easy access to back roads. I just need to worry about the occasional driver doing 60+ in a 35-40mph zone.