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Which bike for an ironman?

Any preference of bikes for an ironman?

I'm getting a new bike and don't know whether it,s worth getting a tri-bike or a road bike for comfort.

I know lots of people use TT bikes for ironman but how comfortable is it? and are you still as fresh for the run as you would be on a road bike?

Another possibility would be a road bike with clip on aerobars but have heard this can make it really twitchy...again, does anyone have any experience of riding long distance like this?

In particular im looking at the focus izalco tria as it's got some amazing reviews...does anyone agree/disagree?

Thanks

Comments

  • bathtubbathtub Posts: 280
    A lot depends on the ironman course and also your comfort on the bike.

    I have a TT/triathlon bike and also a road bike with clip on aero bars.The road bike feels a lot more comfy than the TT bike.

    I did the Big Woody on the road bike and I thought it was a good bike choice.

    I did IMCH on the road bike but would have preferred the TT bike.

    Have entered IM France next year and plan on using the road bike. ( my 14 club mates have all opted for road bikes for IMFrance)

    If you are going to have 1 bike it will probably be a safer bet going for a road bike IMO.



    Have done HIM on both TT bike and road bike and not noticed any difference running off the bike ( still f***ing hurts)

    Road bike with clip on aero bars are no more twitchy than TT bike IMO.
  • If you are doing the UK Ironman or half Ironman, there is no question in my mind that you should use a road bike with clip on tri-bars. For the full IM, the course is so long that comfort is the most important factor: you still have a marathon to do afterwards. If you are doing the 70.3, the thing is so hilly that you will generally get better performance on a road bike.
  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    I think bike choice for any event is personal choice. I have always used a triathlon/time trial bike with a tri set-up, mainly because of the aero advantage, simply its much faster than the road bike!

    I have no comfort issues, I find it just as comfortable as my road bike. However you must train on it with your intended race set-up. I generally ride on quite an aggressive set-up with no problems, but I train on that set up for months before the priority race.
  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    i personally think a huge part of the comfort thing is bike set up. My road bike with clip on bars was very comfy, now i have a tri bike its taken a while and a lot of tweaking to get my position right, but now i am nearing the perfect position on it and finding it a lot more comfy in aero position than the road bike.

    I guess if you are going to be doing a lot of work out of the saddle then the road bike is probably the better choice. I have my road bike as a training bike, but i would use it in a very hilly course over the tri bike.

    I think if you are going to have just the one bike then maybe a road bike may be the better choice.
  • NoosaNoosa Posts: 3
    JoesphWilson100



    See Treefrogs comments above-absolutely spot on. Ironman Pro's will have no problem at all doing 100 per cent of their training and racing on a TT bike, regardless of the course. It is a comfort and experience thing.
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