For your first triathlon,
any bicycle that you have access to will work fine
. After the triathlon bug bites, you may want to consider a new bicycle. The question is—what type of bicycle is right for you? The two areas where the right bicycle can make the most impact are comfort and speed.
Can you use a mountain bike for long distance?
Mountain bikes are good for long-distance travel
. They are strong, can take a beating and are reliable. It might take a bit more effort compared to a road bike but a few minor changes make a big difference.
What kind of bike do you need for a triathlon?
There are two main options for triathlon: the combination of a
road bike + aero bars
(which are at this stage valuable) or a specific triathlon bike. Road bikes can also be split into climbing bikes, endurance bikes, or aero bikes.
Can I use a road bike for a triathlon?
Can I convert a triathlon bike to a road bike?
Yes, a triathlon bike can be changed to a road bike
. This can be sometimes expensive and consume a lot of time but it is very doable. The main parts of these two different bikes can be swapped to change one into the other. You just have to pay attention to the fit as you do so.
Is a triathlon bike worth it?
When comparing the average and normalised power of both athletes we can definitively say we have an answer to our question – forgoing a severe lack of bike skills or huge gusting winds,
yes it is worth riding a TT bike in a non-draft race
and although we at JT Multisport specialise in finding every free watt possible …
Can I use a gravel bike for triathlon?
That said,
there’s no reason why you can’t use your gravel bike for some fast road racing and triathlons
. They’re typically heavier and a bit more clunky than a sleek aero roadie, but you can always invest in a road-orientated, race-ready wheelset or even add some aerobars to make your gravel bike triathlon-friendly.
Do I need a TT bike for Ironman?
For a full Ironman training and racing,
we would recommend getting a TT bike
but if you’re willing to undertake such a big challenge, we can only assume that you’re not completely new to the sport.
How much faster is tri bike than road bike?
The BikeRadar website claims the advantage a TT bike gives you is 60-70 watts at 40 km/h, that is, it takes 270-280 watts to ride a road bike at that speed and 220 watts to ride a TT bike. Translated into seconds, a TT bike gives you
9 seconds per kilometre
advantage.
How many gears should a triathlon bike have?
Your standard racing bike (triathlon or road) has
10 gears
attached to the rear wheel, collectively known as the cassette.
Do I need a wetsuit for a triathlon?
Triathletes normally wear a tri suit during a triathlon
. A tri suit is made of a thin athletic material and can come in one or two-piece options. Sometimes because of colder water temperatures, a tri suit is not enough and triathletes will opt to add a wetsuit to wear during the swim.
Is it OK to ride mountain bike on road?
Can you ride on the road with your mountain bike? The answer is
yes, you absolutely can
. It will just feel different from riding a standard road bike. This is mostly because of the thickness of the tires.
Are mountain bikes OK for street riding?
A mountain bike is specially designed for traveling off-road and hill climbing.
Using your mountain bike on the road is fine and is no issue at all
.
Is it harder to ride a mountain bike on the road?
Mountain bikes are harder to pedal and slower on pavement
. But they have a cushy ride, an upright riding position, and can travel easily on a wide variety of surfaces. Hybrid or cross bikes are almost as fast and easy to pedal as a road bike, while being almost as comfortable and versatile as a mountain bike.
Can I do an Ironman with a road bike?
If your goal is to complete the race and you’re not worried about competing in age group or overall awards, a road bike will work fine, in my opinion
. If your goal is to be more competitive, perhaps a tri bike should be your choice. Next, terrain makes a difference in the bike portion of your Ironman.
Can you use a cyclocross bike for a triathlon?
The very foundation of cyclocross means that
you can train for your triathlon effectively all year round
. Bike Radar cites that the sport originated in the 1900s so that road racers could stay fit through the winter months.
Can you put drop bars on a triathlon bike?
Condensed Answer:
Drop bars can be installed on a time trial (TT) bike, but only if the model’s geometry is already close to that of a road bike
. Otherwise, the drop bars will put the rider in an uncomfortable and inefficient position.
What is the difference between a TT bike and a road bike?
How They’re Different. The most notable difference is
the design, or geometry of the frame of each bike
. Triathlon bikes have a steeper angle of the seat. Seats on a road bike are positioned at, on average, 78 degrees while the angle on a triathlon bike is closer to 72 degrees.
Why are triathlon bikes so expensive?
Triathlon bikes are expensive mainly
because of how small the market is
. So, the market economics causes manufacturers to establish high price ranges for these bikes. Triathletes tend to customize their bikes. So much effort has been put into manufacturing, quality control, research, and design.
How much quicker is a TT bike?
In general you will see a
1.5 mph – 2 mph
boost in speed between a TT and a road bike… assuming the rider is using regular shorts, jersey and helmet along with no aero wheels. Most of that is due to the differing rider position (i.e. more aero).
Are tri bikes more comfortable?
Triathlon bikes are not designed to be comfortable
, they are designed to be aerodynamic, light, and to allow the rider to exert maximum effort against the pedals to get the most speed out of the ride.
What’s the difference between gravel bike and road bike?
While road bike geometry tends to err towards precise handling and a responsive, fast ride, gravel riders look for stability and capability over more technical terrain, while also maximising comfort for long days in the saddle.
