Road bike or TT bike.

teednab-el

Hi

Hoping to buy a bike for duathlons and TTs. Wondering is there a big time saving on a TT bike over road bike? Or is it all with the engine?

Some people have told me that if you are set up properly on TT bike with your position that you will be significantly quicker.

I don't know alot about this but my aim is to be competitive. Can I get aero enough on a road bike? The TTs i be doing are 10 mile ones. I would like to hear what experienced people in this discipline have to say about it.

Cheers.

Lusk_Doyle

If you are not doing big distances and indeed, have not ridden extensively on a TT bike then maybe a road bike with TT bars is for you. A TT bike is much faster but has a much more aggressive position that strains the body (if really set up for maximum aero effect). If you are just getting into it go for an easier to handle road bike and maybe look to add to your fleet at a later date.

Miklos

It'll be much nicer training on a road bike too.

nordicb

Aero road bike perhaps? Like Felt AR?

TT bike would be faster, most gains are on straights and flats, on climbs and windy roads they don't do that well. Also you would not be welcome in group spins.

dragratchet

a road bike will give you more opportunities to go out and train which will make you faster in the long run, more so than a tt to start with. once you have your power and fitness up to a competitive level down the line, perhaps a tt bike will then show dividends but you're more like to get better return on a road bike with clip on tt bars atm.

fat bloke

I think if you're doing TT's, then it stands to reason to me that you should get a TT bike. They are undoubtedly faster. But it is an expensive road because of the possibility of (literally) buying time - with disc wheels and what not. Yes of course you can probably get within a couple of percent of your max with a good road bike and tt bars but TT times are all about the those lost percentage points.

Lusk_Doyle

fat bloke wrote: »

I think if you're doing TT's, then it stands to reason to me that you should get a TT bike. They are undoubtedly faster. But it is an expensive road because of the possibility of (literally) buying time - with disc wheels and what not. Yes of course you can probably get within a couple of percent of your max with a good road bike and tt bars but TT times are all about the those lost percentage points.

Not so relevant at entry / beginner level which is where I understand the OP to be at.

fat bloke

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Not so relevant at entry / beginner level which is where I understand the OP to be at.

All the more reason to blast all those other beginners outta da water with a posh rig!:D

#BigFishSmallPond