build up a TT bike

Taxuser1 wrote: »

couple of questions for anyone who has experience of the TT scene

is it recommended to go down a size ? road bike is 56cm - should i go down to 54 cm. would a bike fit before committing to a purchase make more sense

is there a reputable go to place for used TT bikes or frames?

i have campag boras for the road bike - can they double up for the TT bike - i.e. is there a need for a disk rear wheel? what might the marginal aero gain be?

can front end carbon bars and electronic parts for a tt bike be picked up relatively inexpensively?

any recommendations on aero frames that really are just that bit quicker and worth the money. Or are there budget frames/bikes out there that perform much better than their price tag.

if there's any advice you can give, happy to take it in.

thanks in advance

My experience isn't very comprehensive but I'll throw in my 2p worth

Sizing, I ride a 56 Felt road bike which has quite an aggressive race geometry and also a 56 Felt TT bike, 54 in the TT would be too cramped for me, I even had to change the stem to a longer one to get away from feeling cramped on the TT bike. A bike fit first sounds like a good idea, however I would say that from my experience, personal and withothers in my club a TT fit is something you tend to "ease" into, what seems extreme at the start becomes OK after a while and you'll start playing with position as you go on.

I don't know of anywhere that specalises in TT bikes or frames, the same process applies as buying a normal bike

Deep section wheels will be fine to start, under certain conditions a disk can be an advantage but I'd start off without the additional expense of buying one.

Carbon bars and electronic bits tend to be expensive unless you get lucky, again start off with whatever comes with the bike and upgrade later if you want.

I'll leave the last question to others more expert than me, you'll see all sorts and shapes out there and it's not always the lad on the latest and greatest who prevails.

The aero gain of a tt bike is not a lot and much more to be derived from the rider.

I bought a cheap Planet X frame with bars etc earlier this year, sized down after checking with Aidan Hammond whether he reckoned it would fit.

Your Boras will work fine but the lads with disc wheels definitely have a big advantage.

For me the biggest advantage of the TT frame is being able to stay in the position when changing gears.

I found a cheap frame last year and built it up as a sort of TT bike for the very occasional tri that I do so I’ve probably done at lot of the silly things that you can avoid doing.

The frame is a 54, which is probably a little on the large side for me anyway, but I think it would vary between frames as to weather you’d size down. If I ever build another it’ll be a 52 or even a 50 (road bike is a 52)

The geometry between a TT bike and a road bike is different from what I’ve read too.

I’d say the big advantage you’d gain is in the clip on aero bars like others have said so, but a base bar and aero bars can be gotten cheap. My entire setup including shifters and brake levers cost me about 130 quid.

If I was doing it again I’d get a cheaper, TT specific frame to begin with.

I run a 60/90 wheel set on mine, disks would be a little faster but for the same money a good fit and aero helmet would probably net you more time vs the wheels you have.

If you’ve other questions, feel free to shoot me a message!

Taxuser1 wrote: »

Didn’t take too long and bought this beauty from a club mate.

Bonus points for the wheel decals matching the paint on the frame!