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.
Can you use a triathlon bike as a road bike?
So if you’ll be converting your triathlon bike into a road bike,
the first thing to buy is the handlebar
. Triathlon bikes use aero bars while road bikes use regular drop handlebars. Changing this puts your tri bike well on its way to becoming a road bike.
How much faster is a triathlon bike than a road bike with aero bars?
TT bikes have only a marginal gain of
17 seconds
over a road bike for a 40km distance. In fact, what you are buying is the position rather the frame; that is the major benefit if you opted for a TT bike. It is not a lot.
Are road bikes faster than fitness bikes?
The geometry of the frame is probably the most overlooked yet highly influential factor that makes
road bikes aerodynamically faster than hybrids
. In normal circumstances, the body mass of the rider accounts for almost 90% of the aerodynamic drag produced while riding, with the bicycle being responsible for a mere 10%.
Are TT bikes faster?
| Bike/position Watt saving vs baseline | TTE time trial bike, at 50kph 21 vs AIR with clip ons |
|---|
What’s the difference between a tri bike and a road bike?
The handlebars are the most obvious difference between the two.
A road bike has the classic “drop bar”and a triathlon bike has a base bar, arm pads, and aero extensions
. A closer look at the geometry shows that the road bike frame places the saddle a bit farther behind the pedals and the handlebars a little higher.
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.
Are triathlon bikes good for long distance?
Tri-bikes have steep seat tube angles and often don’t handle that well. They are made to go fast in a relatively straight line, with the rider in a very low aero position.
Not a good bike for typical distance rides
.
Are triathlon bikes hard to ride?
Triathlon bikes are squirrelly aerodynamic beasts. They are great for speed, but frame geometry,
riding down on aerobars and weight distribution (especially with bento boxes and bar-mounted hydration systems) can make tri bikes especially difficult to handle as compared to road bikes
.
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.
Which bicycle is the fastest?
| Ranking Bike Median speed (km/h) | 1 Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 25.3 | 2 Ridley Noah SL 25.1 | 3 Specialized S-Works Venge 25.0 | 4 Sensa Romagna 25.0 |
|---|
Which is faster hybrid or road bike?
In a real world study the average speed of a
hybrid bike
was 13.5 miles an hour across 17.8 miles with no head wind. The road bike averages 17.9 miles an hour across 14.8 miles of strong cross and head winds.
Why road bike is faster than MTB?
A road bike is typically faster than a mountain bike because
it has a lighter construction, thinner tyres causing less friction between the bike and the surface and the bikes are cycled on the road where the terrain is flatter and smoother
.
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.
How do I make my TT bike faster?
Why are triathlon bikes so different?
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.
Why are triathlon bikes heavier?
A triathlon bike is heavier than a road bike by 2- 4 lbs or 1 to 2 kg. The reason is that
the aim is to make a triathlon bike more aerodynamic rather than lightweight as it is in road bikes
. The triathlon bikes come with bigger aerofoils and bigger frames than the road bike.
Are triathlon bikes 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.
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?
How hard is a full Ironman?
You must get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
The IRONMAN distance is legit hard
. You will be challenged mightily on race day. But you can suffer better by teaching your body and mind in the preceding months to be okay with sustained discomfort (not pain; you should come to understand the difference).
What is the advantage of a triathlon bike?
Tri bikes
help on the run
.
Most road bikes have a relaxed seat tube angle while a tri bike have a steeper seat tube angle (near 80%). That steeper seat tube angle lets your hamstrings and calves rest a bit more than on a road bike, thus saving those important running muscles for when you leave T2.
What kind of bike do I need for a 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.
