tri bike or road bike??
niobark
Posts: 5
in General Chat
I am in the process of retiring from middle distance track and field, (GB International level) and am going to take up triathlon; sprint and maybe Olympic distance. I need to buy a bike and am trying to decide between a road bike with tri bars attached or a specific tri bike (which as far as I can see is a time trial bike in the pure bike world). What are the pros and cons of each? Given that (it appears...?) most triathlons allow drafting i would assume that a road bike might be OK however tri bikes seem to be all the rage...? Any comments gratefully received!!!
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Comments
First drafting is not allowed in many events, do it and you will be hit with a time penalty. Drafting is generally only allowed in elite events probably because it looks good on telly. Personally I don't like drafting, you sit around in a big blob waiting for someone to break and then go hell for leather in the last 200metres. Nah.
A road bike has a typical seat tube angle of about 74degrees, a TT bike no more than 76.5 and a Tri bike as much as 78. A road bike will get you from A to B fast where there are bends and hills. A TT bike will get you from A to B fast but try spinning through a succession of 90 degree bends. A Tri bike will get you from A to B fast in a similar fashion to a TT bike and the same limitations on 'technical' routes, but allow you to hop off and run at the end.
Have a look at : http://www.tri-ecoach.com/art7.htm
[blockquote]
Seat tube angles that are shallow (73 to 74 degrees) place you further behind the bottom bracket and favour quadriceps strength over hamstring strength. They benefit athletes who've spent significant time 'in the saddle' (bike racers) getting their bodies used to flexibility and power demands on their quads and lower back. The shallow seat tube angles also create a better position for climbing—power at lower cadences. Steep seat tube angles (75.5 to 78 degrees) put you further forward and benefit athletes who have well-developed hamstring muscles (runners). Hamstring muscles along with our gluteus are the dominant muscles driving us forward when we run. The steeper seat tube angles also increase the angle between our torso and legs as we maintain our optimal aerodynamic position. We're able to rotate our hips forward making less of a bend through our lower backs, thus reducing the stress and fatigue to that area.
A steep seat tube angle (forward position) simulates the motion of running progressively more the further forward we place our seat. A forward position can ease the transition between bike and run, which is especially helpful in sprint distance events.[/blockquote]
I have moved from a road bike to a tri bike (78 degrees) - see my post 'The Old Question - which bike etc?'
All I can suggest is to do some trawling both through this and other forums and the interweb, there is no straight answer and it is a highly individual topic methinks.
Regards
John
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