I have recently qualified for my pro card and am planning to do some ITU draft-legal races this summer. I have been riding a P3 in none drafting events. Does anybody know some of the most popular bikes for the draft-legal events? I know about the Yaqui DL, what else is being used? What features are most important? Is it frame stiffness, weight, aero, handling? Are most people riding road or tri bikes? Thanks for any info.
You basically want a high performance road bike with some shorty bars. Pick one - Trek, Litespeed, Giant, Cervelo, Cannondale, etc. Weight will be important if the terrain is hilly. Responsiveness and your ability to accelerate out of the turns will be crucial. Aerodynamics are not going to be all that important unless you’re the breakaway type or a slow swimmer who needs to bridge up, and if that’s the case, you better work on the swim! 
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Good luck with the season.
Having been a pro triathlete for over 15 years and a pro bike racer, here is my .02. First of all you have to decide what kind of racer you are going to be. You gonna suck wheel in the main pack all day and run like the wind, be in the lead break(only if you swim like a dolphin) and try and hang on in the run, or be chasing groups the whole ride, and hope for the best. If you are number one or three, then do not listen to these people telling you to ride a road bike. You want a tri bike that would be used in a team time trial. That’s what a breakaway or chase group is, a team time trial. That’s what is wrong with our pros, very little tactics, and almost no real bike racing expirence. We set up teams, and I use the work team lightly, to race as individuals. WHile the rest of the world is putting together tactical teams, we keep sending three individuals to race for top 40. The only thing saving us right now is that our women are olympic caliber swimmers, and often get into a lead break. But that will change, as it did in the worlds this year. The women packed up like the men in a group of over 25, and our girls just didn’t know what to do. A few of the men are getting it, and it’s looking somewhat like a bike race during the cycling leg. Unfortunately it is not our men. Some of our pro teams are getting it and working together, but our federation who sends our athletes to the olympics is clueless. Don’t look at what others are doing on the bike and copy them, be smarter than them and take advantage of their weakness. It is not always the strongest that dominates in a bike race, but the smartest. And having to run afterwards just means there are more variables, and you have to be even smarter…
ANY properly fit “road” bike. Be comfortable descending, ascending, cornering, breaking, accelerating, shifting…all the normal riding stuff that you take for granted when doing solo races. Be comfortable making accidental contact with other athletes while going hammer and tongs. I’d go for a Cervelo Team Soloist myself, even if it’s “only” good for 10-15sec over a 40km over a standard frame. Can’t think of any other road geometry true aerodynamic road frames.
Aerodynamic wheels…just because you’re drafting doesn’t mean you can’t save some watts by working a bit less. Going 30+mph hurts…make it hurt a little less. Specific wheels would depend on your budget, race circumstances, etc. Less work on the bike should result in a faster run split, all else being equal. Shortie aerobars can be good for this as well, if the geometry of the bike and your position warrants it.
And if you’re really trying to save yourself for the run, get a powermeter (Ergomo, PT, SRM)…you can figure out where the best draft is and save your legs. I’d even suggest racing with it, as it’s nice to know that if you move laterally 6 inches, you’re all of a sudden putting out 50 less watts but sustaining the same speed (oh yes…it’s a beautiful thing when that happens). Racing/training with one also teaches that averaging 250W at/near the front the pack is not the same as averaging 250W at the back of the pack. Learn what kind of wattage it’s taking to stay with the front group/breakaway/bridge/whatever, and train towards those goals (or higher).
Get the Cyclingpeaks software and train smart with power.
Toss away your HRM.
Now go call your parents and tell them you love them. Nothing like having a supportive family that will help pay for your bills when you find out how much money you don’t make on the ITU circuit.
Dave
In my experience with this, I could find three bikes that fit the bill as road/tri bikes better than the rest. The Soloist, the Elite T-Class and the Yaqui DL. Of these, I opted for the Yaqui. The geometry came together nicely for me, and it is very comfortable and handles well in the aero bars.