Road bikes are comfortable to ride as long as you get the right fit
. They handle better and give a rider more confidence. They also give the rider multiple positions on the handlebars, which is important when riding 112 miles in an Ironman.
What kind of bike do you use for Ironman?
The
road bike
should be every beginner and intermediate triathlete’s first choice. They offer a wider range of use than a triathlon-specific bike, and are more stable and comfortable. Remember, if you are not comfortable, you will not be powerful. A road bike is one of the most versatile bikes you can invest in.
Is a road bike OK for triathlon?
If you’re new to triathlon,
investing in a road bike is a perfectly fine place to start
. Even for those who are not beginners, road bikes can deliver most of the same performance advantages as tri bikes.
Do I need a TT bike for Ironman?
You Don’t Need a Fancy Bike…
First off, it’s not about the bike. Seriously,
you don’t need a snazzy triathlon bike to do well in one of these races
. I passed a lot of Cervelo P3s and aero helmets on my road bike, a Trek Emonda I’d equipped with aero bars. I wore a regular helmet and normal jersey.
Do triathletes Pee on the bike?
Some riders have practiced urinating on the bike while others consider a different approach.
Most triathletes don’t need to pee a lot when riding unless they ride really slow
. In this case, they can always stop at the port-a-potty station and urinate.
How much faster is a road bike?
A road bicycle is
10 to 30% faster than a mountain bike
and is 15% faster on average at the same power output on smooth, paved surfaces. Riding posture, rolling resistance, frame geometry, and weight are the main reasons for road bikes being faster with the same level of effort.
What’s the difference between a tri bike and road bike?
One main difference is simply the way the seat is positioned.
On a triathlon bike, the seat tube is steeper than a road bike
. The angle of the seat tube on a triathlon bike forces the hips to sit forward which gives the rider less tension on their quadriceps and hamstrings.
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).
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 mountain bike for an Ironman?
One of the more common questions we get from beginner triathletes is if they can use their mountain bike, commuter bike, or hybrid bike in the triathlon. The answer is
yes, absolutely – especially if you are doing a sprint or perhaps even an Olympic distance
.
Do I need a special bike for triathlon?
Yes, you will need a bike
. No, it does not need to be expensive. We see people do triathlons on their old mountain bikes, hybrids, or other slower bikes — and especially with a couple simple modifications these bikes can do very well. If you can, try to use a road bike, even if you simply borrow one from a friend.
How much faster is a tri bike to a 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 do Ironman athletes pee?
Some athletes will urinate, wetsuit or no wetsuit, while standing in the water waiting for the race to begin
. You can imagine the water contamination issues if 2,000 athletes use the start area of the local triathlon as their personal toilets.
Do cyclists poop themselves?
So What Do They Do Now? Today,
elite athletes will just poop their pants and continue on
. And the best part is that most serious athletes (while knowing its a little icky) will understand the motivation behind not stopping.
Do you eat during an Ironman?
As a general rule of thumb, endurance athletes should aim to eat
60-90 grams of carbohydrate per hour
during IRONMAN events, with athletes typically able to consume more calories and fluids during the bike leg and fewer calories during the run portion of the event. What and how much should you drink?
Can you wear headphones during an Ironman?
Headphones, headsets and audio devices are not allowed at any time during any triathlon event
. Most races allow you to carry your cell phone if you wish, but it must be stored out of sight in a bike bag or jersey pocket.
Are road bikes harder to ride?
Road bikes are fast and easy to pedal on pavement. They are not as well suited for operating off the road.
Some people find the “dropped” riding position difficult to maintain, comfortably, for a long time.
Do road bikes go faster than hybrids?
Road bikes are faster than hybrids
due to a few properties: weight, riding position and tire width. Road bikes have very lightweight frames, especially more expensive ones. They also have smaller and lighter wheels. This makes them poorly suited for a lot of common biking situations.
Which is better MTB or road bike?
All you need to know is this: a road bike will typically have a steep head tube and larger fork offset to lower trail and quicken handling.
Endurance mountain bikes typically have larger trails which improve stability and are better for high-speed handling on rough terrain
.
Why are triathlon bikes so weird?
It’s the
frame geometry
that makes a triathlon bike different to a road bike as the aim is to get your upper body lower and further forwards. This not only makes you more aero but also opens up your hip-leg angle to make it easier to run off the bike.
Is a tri bike faster than a road bike?
It’s generally known that
triathlon bikes have aerodynamic and geometric advantages that make them faster than road bikes
. With all variables remaining equal over the bike leg of a triathlon, the tri bike wins in speed.
How much time do tri bars save?
If you’re talking about clip-on bars on a standard road bike and, as you say, your position using them has been optimised and you’re not shipping excessive power, the usually quoted figure for time saved over a 40km TT is
around two minutes
.
Are tri bikes really faster?
This steeper geometry places the rider’s hips over the crankset which engages their quadriceps more for increased power.”
Tri bikes are more aerodynamic and are “faster” than road bikes
.
How much faster are tri bars?
After installing aero bars, riders typically find that they’re going
1 to 2 mph
faster at the same level of effort.
Can you put drop bars on a tri bike?
In addition to being low-cost on the onset, this third option also gives a new triathlete lots more options as they progress in skill and experience. For example,
over time, one can (1) keep the drop bars and clip-ons on the triathlon bike
and just use it that way for training and multisport racing.
