TT bikes

fat bloke

I'm forever fielding queries from friends and family on what the best sub 1500 euro road bike is but I know shag all about TT bikes.

I'm thinking I'd like to give it a go for next year and it'd be a winter / turbo focus as well training in the position and getting the position right etc. I'm not quite getting the bunch race buzz so much anymore as well but I like a bit of competition at the same time.

ANYway. My sort of beginner's yardstick is the Canyon speedmax-al. Looks the biz, solid gear all around. What else should I be looking at? One always thinks there'll be loadsa TT bikes for sale second hand but as usual when you actually go looking it's not so much the case.

Anything else I should be looking at? Giant seem to have dropped their aluminium offering and along with a lot of manufacturers seem to be only selling carbon tt bikes for 2 grand plus. Ditto Rose bikes for example. What do Fred and Wilma Triathlete do? They can't all go out and buy 2 and a half grand rigs for their 40k sprint events surely?

lennymc

does it need to be new

Lumen

fat bloke wrote: »

What do Fred and Wilma Triathlete do? They can't all go out and buy 2 and a half grand rigs for their 40k sprint events surely?

From what I recall of brief dabbling in multisport....

If they're normal people they do it on a hybrid.

If they're quite serious like, they buy road bikes and stick TT bars on.

If they're over 40, male and work in finance they buy something like a Cannondale Slice or Specialized Shiv with Zipp/Enve wheels.

The young and serious class (UCD jersey types) do it on whatever frame they can find with fast/cheap wheels.

mossym

fat bloke wrote: »

Anything else I should be looking at? Giant seem to have dropped their aluminium offering and along with a lot of manufacturers seem to be only selling carbon tt bikes for 2 grand plus. Ditto Rose bikes for example. What do Fred and Wilma Triathlete do? They can't all go out and buy 2 and a half grand rigs for their 40k sprint events surely?

that 40k is still double the distance these 10m tt events cyclists tend to love. are ye scared of getting lost if ye go too far or something?

i've a rose road bike. wouldn't touch their TT offering.

planet x do tt bikes if you're only going to be doing it once in a while, reasonably priced, probbaly not the fastest in the world, but the budget is probably right.

Lumen wrote: »

From what I recall of brief dabbling in multisport....

If they're normal people they do it on a hybrid.

If they're quite serious like, they buy road bikes and stick TT bars on.

If they're over 40, male and work in finance they buy something like a Cannondale Slice or Specialized Shiv with Zipp/Enve wheels.

The young and serious class (UCD jersey types) do it on whatever frame they can find with fast/cheap wheels.

at a guess it was either a long time ago, or you didn't stick around too long. all the young hot shots are on top of the range bikes, and none of them are from UCD.

also, i;ve a slice, am sub 40, don't work in finance, but i am male. i've not seen another slice at a race in 2 years. there are feck all siv's around either, although there are more of them than slices.

Hmmzis

The most important bit in a TT frame is how aero you can position yourself on it. The aerodynamics of the frame itself are somewhere at the bottom of the list when trying to go fast in a TT.

Since you're on a budget and from the sounds of it have never been fitted on a TT bike then I would suggest getting a used cheap TT frame that is either exacly your size or one size smaller. If in doubt go for the smaller size. Then get fitted on it and start getting used to the position. It might take a while but if your flexibility is good then you might have an easy time with that. After that it's just training as usual.

Other equipment will help as well but your position and power output in that position are by far the two most important aspects of TTing.

fat bloke

lennymc wrote: »

does it need to be new

No, not at all.

There just doesn't seem to be a huge number of bikes around second hand. I'd have thought there (much like road bikes) would be a constant downward supply of entry level starter bikes from all these Shiv and P3 upgraders, or Ironmen or ladies who either tri-ed and it didn't suit them, or did it got the tattoo and now have lost interest, or as Lumen says just did it on road bikes with clip ons. Anyway, for whatever reason, the bikes aren't there second hand. Well there are some, but not loads.
Also, with second hand bikes they're pretty much all sold with no wheels at all. Whereas the canyon for 1500 quid comes with a very nice set of cosmic elites, which a fella would always use somewhere else, or sell even.

And finally, with second hand bikes, I don't feel like I know enough yet to make an informed purchase (hence the thread). Have TT bike improvements come on in leaps and bounds in the last 4 or 5 years? Is canyon's new entry level aluminium bike as good as a 5 year old carbon rig? The weights don't seem to exactly tumble when moving from alu to mid level carbon. (I know weight isn't everything, but at the end of the day we all know weight is, in fact, everything ).

So - any tips, any been there done that's?

fat bloke

Hmmzis wrote: »

The most important bit in a TT frame is how aero you can position yourself on it. The aerodynamics of the frame itself are somewhere at the bottom of the list when trying to go fast in a TT.

Other equipment will help as well but your position and power output in that position are by far the two most important aspects of TTing.

Yeah, that's my thinking on buying now. I have a powertap and a winter off turbo-ing (I'm good at that) getting used to the position would give me some good practice and some winter focus.

Actually, that's another point in favour of second hand. I'd need to be able to swop the powertap between my winter training bike and the TT bike.

mossym

fat bloke wrote: »

. (I know weight isn't everything, but at the end of the day we all know weight is, in fact, everything ).

?

unless you are doing a hilly tt, weight makes no difference. it makes a difference in road frames as there is invariably some climbing, but for tt they tend not to have a huge elevation gain, with some exceptions


heed the advice on sizing. you're very focused on performance, the problem with buying a tt bike online is getting the sizing right, no chance to try first. sizing, getting it right not only to fit but to allow you to remain aero and still generate maximum power is key. buying online for your first tri rig is, well, risky. if i was nconsidering the new canyon i've got my current measurements to work off.

lennymc

yeah - weight is not as important on TT bikes. I got my felt s22 second hand, minus wheels, but I had wheels. It weighs bout 9.5 kgs in race mode. If you have a nice set of wheels already, then you don't need wheels, and could potentially save enough to get a really nice set of wheels anyway! The main thing with the TT bikes is that it puts you in the TT position and opens the hip angle (whatever that means) and you use your hamstrings a lot more, and obviously you are a lot more aerodynamic. My TT bike has the same top tube as my road bike, and I did spend some time setting up the bar reach and saddle (all UCI legal), and it is reasonably comfortable now. If you do get one, get something that has a fully adjustable cockpit. Also make sure it is UCI legal if you want to race it, just in case there are checks or you decide to do a championship or something. The Speedmax al is in the Triathlon section of the canyon site.

They take some getting used to, but once you do, they are enjoyable to ride (in a weird kind of way).

Edit - on the powertap thing. I got a second freehub and put the 11spd cassette on that, so I can just swap the freehub each time I want to swap between 10 & 11 spd bikes. The freehub should just pull out on the powertap.

granda

I was also thinking of investing in a TT bike and going down the second hand route and a quick search on adverts turned up loads of bikes for sale so there's plenty of second hand ones out there but they're all to big for me sadly

lennymc

granda wrote: »

I was also thinking of investing in a TT bike and going down the second hand route and a quick search on adverts turned up loads of bikes for sale so there's plenty of second hand ones out there but they're all to big for me sadly

haha. are you hooked now?
Are you out tonight?

If I was buying a new bike now I would consider the planet x stealth - i do like sram tho.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSPRIV3/planet-x-stealth-sram-rival-22-time-trial-bike

granda

lennymc wrote: »

haha. are you hooked now?
Are you out tonight?

If I was buying a new bike now I would consider the planet x stealth - i do like sram tho.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSPRIV3/planet-x-stealth-sram-rival-22-time-trial-bike

Won't make out tonight again lenny, to much work on and dealing with a couple of hundred drunk debs kids is hard enough without adding up to bellewstown to that, is this the last week, saw that one but I don't like sram sadly, but I've got the winter to find something

markusz

I got a Canyon Speedmax AL back in February this year for TT'ing (not Tri) and its a great bike. I've done sub 59min 40ks and sub 23min 16ks... it goes like the breeze! i sold the Cosmic Elites and use Cosmic Carbones on it (i know, not terribly aero but im on a budget!).

Im a size 60, (6'3") on my road bike and Canyons road bike sizing for me is XL but i went with the Large (i was borderline Large and XL in the TT sizing) in the Speedmax which is perfect (to me anyways!). I must get a bike fit done though which i think could improve my times even more.

Ive seen only 1 other Canyon Speedmax AL (3 year old model) at the local TT's and races but have seen a few CF models.
I think its great value for money. My TT times have improved dramatically throughout the year.

mossym

fat bloke, what size TT bike do you think you'll need?

fat bloke

mossym wrote: »

fat bloke, what size TT bike do you think you'll need?

54 seems to be right for me.

mossym

fat bloke wrote: »

54 seems to be right for me.

in which bike? some are long and low, others tall and short.

what do you ride in a road bike?

fat bloke

56 road, sat on a few felt TT bikes and 54 was me. 56 is a stretch and 52 is... silly

fat bloke

So I did a bit of driving around today and visited a few bikeshops. I usually pay scant heed to the ol tri sections, so it was an interesting change

As I've kinda been finding out, the manufacturers generally seem to be abandoning the lower echelons (alu) of the tri / TT market. If you want an entry level bike, then buy their aluminium aero frame and put clips on it, and if you want a dedicated TT bike then you're looking at carbon and a couple of grand. Giant store had no TT bikes, and none even in their 2016 brochure, which surprised even the salesman. Apparently there's a late launch of their composite TT frame, but there won't be an aluminium Trinity. Interestingly he said there won't be an alu propel in the UK/Ireland market either he said. Cyclesuperstore had virtually no TT bikes in stock. They're getting Cannondale slices in, but again according to the lads in the shop Cannondale have dropped their alu version and the entry level TT bike is now carbon and 2400 euro ish.
Wheelworx had some nice Felt B16's. All the remains of the 2015 stock. And finally base2race, who I thought might have the widest choice, only had very high end stuff in TT guise.

So I guess I'll just keep the eye out for second hand. Prices are firm enough though, or at least asking prices are, so the canyon speedmax al is in a class of one for the mo as a reasonably priced aluminium offering available brand new.

Smalltom

Did you have a look at Kenetix products in Sandyford? Paul is a sound guy (was to me anyway) and he could have anything in stock. He regularly has ex-pro bikes/components. I have zero affiliation with him bar buying bits occasionally there.

fat bloke

He has fabulous bikes, but at fabulous prices. Not too many entry level 105 bikes in the ol' pro peloton!

lennymc

bit of patience and you will pick something up. I wouldn't be bothered by no wheels, as, unless you are racing, they wont make much of a difference. You said you will be training on the turbo with the rear powertap, and you can lash any oul front on there for that. Also, do practice on the road as they can be twitchy as hell and you wont get to experience that on a turbo. Try make sure it is UCI legal - most places don't check, but any championships will check. National Vets TT cships etc. Also, join the IVCA - there are TTs every week. Normally Saturday or Tuesday, so that could be ok for you - mrs fatbloke could still race open races. They have 16, 40 and 80k tts.

my bike is an aluminium bike with a set of 50 mm tubs and disc cover. I am no where near it's limits. It's stock except for an adamo saddle and a 53/39 crank. I have managed a 1:03 40k on it, and am aiming to break the hour next year.

joey100

The triathlon season will be over in the next month or so too, might pick up something from someone looking to upgrade or just moving away from the sport. Usually a good time of year to pick up a TT bike.

Felt do an aluminium bike, the S32, used to be able to pick it up cheap enough too. Not sure if it is still available though. My brother, based in England, just picked up a Felt B16 2015 fro 1000 pounds, not sure how that translates with the bad exchange rate at the moment but seems like a good price to me. The 2016 version was 1500. Was from tredz.co.uk.