Which bike to ride?

Triathlon Forum
1

I have a 2001 QR Tequilo with 105 parts that I usually race on. I just got a Felt F55 road bike with carbon FSA cranks and Dura Ace everything else that is a lot lighter that I mostly plan on using for road rides.

I am doing Pacific Crest 1/2 iron which has a 58 mile bike leg. 48 miles of standard fare, flat and downhill that suit my QR really well, but there are also 10 miles of steep climbing in the middle that would favor the Felt. Here are my choices as I see them…

  1. Ride the QR as is.

  2. Transfer the crankset and derailleurs to the WR to make it lighter then race on it.

  3. Put aero bars on the Felt and race on it.

I know the decision is a bit more complex than this but want to know what you would do in this situation.

2

I would go with the one that you have the most recent miles on. If not, you could get injured (Like I did at Auburn…).

Swapping components is just a hassle, and unless you have a specific goal for this race (podium in AG or something), I wouldn’t bother.

3

I rode that course as part of a team a couple years ago on a cross bike with aerobars to a 2’30." Top 30 bike split, if I remember correctly. Not that I swam before or ran after, though… that still counts, right?

4

but there are also 10 miles of steep climbing in the middle that would favor the Felt.

Why would that be the case? While weight seems important, it’s really not on a course like that. I suggest riding the bike on which you’ve done all your other triathlons. The QR would be my choice.

5

Ride the QR.