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New tri bike?

Hey, I'm considering getting a tri bike cervelo P3 with the SRAM force and it has the s60 and 80 wheels. I currently just have a road bike that was about £300. Is this too much of an upgrade all at once. I've had my road one for about 6 yrs now and did my first sprint with a 40 min bike on a hilly course winner was 32 mins. How much diff will this make to my speeds?

I know you have to push them all!!!

Comments

  • okennyokenny Posts: 231
    that bike will make u MUCH faster....

    I have a Specialized Transition with the same wheels and I easily gain 2kph if not more in my local half IM race.
    Get the bike immediately but make sure it fits!!
  • LancsRiderLancsRider Posts: 205
    This is a very difficult question to answer, but one which deserves a response. You are right in acknowledging that the rider's ability plays the most significant part in improving performance but it is realistic to expect that there should be some gains in significantly improving the equipment that you use.

    My main point is that a bike set up as you describle, has the 'potential' to lead to a reasonable improvement, this will be down to better transfare of energy from the rider onto the road, and from efficiency through the air. A good article on this is available bike radar,

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/h ... aero-19273

    The key in reaching this potential is in finding a good body position on the bike, and importantly being able to stay in it for long periods. To do this firstly needs practice and time in the saddle in trying to get comfortable with the bike. It should be understood that top end bikes both road and triathlon TT machines are designed to be supper efficient, and this often means they are often not very forgiving. I am sure that there are many people out there who dream of riding as an example a road bike as ridden by a Tour de France rider, costing many thousands of pounds. The reality is that taking such a stiff and geometrically tight bike one with carbon fibre rims (not the easiest thing to control under braking) down any resonable gradient on a typical British country lane would be a terifying experience for the majority of these people.

    The point I am making is it is for you to decide what are your current skill levels on a bike? How much time will you have to train in adapting to a new riding position and importantly feel for the bike? And importantly what type of race routes are you going to be using it for? If these involve longer distances on realtively flat straight roads which are not too technical then the skills and experience reqired to get the potential out of for example a P3 with deep section wheels, is considerably less that getting it at pace around a narrow, undulating and twisting course moving through race traffic as part of a cycle loop. In such a situation confidence is everything and it may be the case that on the day you will be just as quick on you tried and tested £300 steed.

    It is true that money can buy us time gains on the bike leg. The more we spend the less those gains will be untill they become almost insignificant. At the end of the day it is your choice mate and if you want to go for it do it, but I would recomend a bike fit session first as a P3 may not be your ideal set up. As far as I am aware there are no rules that say the last person to finish an event cant race on a really expensive bike. It is often the case that races are so tight that having a good bike is almost an essential to be at the very front of the race, even at age group levels. The reason that these athletes are at the front though is less to do about equipment and more about experience and the training they do, but all things being equal and that! At the end of the day it is about getting out of the sport what you personally want, and spending big bucks is not something anyone should feel pressured into having to do, or guilty about if they make such a decision.
  • MickytinMickytin Posts: 3
    Thanks for the help lads, you can't really argue with that article I suppose. I'll have a look about I'm planning a few half irons next season so i think it would be good to go for a tri bike or some kinds of upgrades at least. It would be lovely to go for it now but if I can get a few miles in the legs in the next few months that would be a good help. I'll try and join s tri/cycle club also.
    Thanks for taking the time to post, any comments appreciated!!!
  • okennyokenny Posts: 231
    there's more to speed than aero.....
    the quality of the fame, wheels and transmission is also v. important.
    I notice this when climbing, my good carbon bike is fair bit faster than my old relatively cheap Alu frame bike.
    I can see my alu frame bike flexing (especially when on the turbo), the carbon frame is solid as a rock (well almost...)
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