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Can some tell me what are the major differences between bikes described as triathlon bikes and road bikes
Roughly.....
Triathlon bikes are focused on aero position, and angles are set for you to go in a straight line on a flat course
Road bikes are light, and angles are set for you to be able to corner and go up and down hills
ITU tri bikes (like those used in the Olympics) are road bikes, as drafting is allowed, so the bike section is more like a road race than, say an Ironman (no drafting allowed)
Thanks, makes sense
Bikes described as "Triathalon" are usually very similar to time trial bikes, some have more flexibility in aero design though as they aren't subject to UCI restrictions.
Triathlon bikes are focused on aero position, and angles are set for you to go in a straight line on a flat course
So that explains the appalling bike handling skills in the womens race yesterday.Even allowing for the wet (and that was on road bikes lol)
do tri bikes have steeper seat angles than tt bikes?
IIRC they used to as triathletes couldn't bend over as much as roadies.
😀
I'm coming from an older guy (40s) POV on this.
A road bike will be okay initially. However, if you start training hard for longer IM or middle distance etc then the geometry of the road bike will lead to hip flexor issues - the TT frame opens the hip angle a little more in order to make the aero tuck 'comfortable'.
If I ever return to triathlon, I'll get an average to good 2nd hand road bike (scott CR1 for example) that FITs well and spend the rest on a very good TT frame, then wheels and hubs, then finishing kit.
That's about it, from a nuts and bolts perspective.
In my very limited experience the gear ratios will be different too in that triathlons rarely include serious climbs.
do tri bikes have steeper seat angles than tt bikes?
They may do, but it's down to UCI rules which say that the front of the saddle has to be at least 5cm behind the BB.
TT bikes are often a bit of a halfway house between road bikes and tri bikes because the UCI rules won't let TT bikes be as aero or as steep as the non-UCI regulated tri bikes can be.
TT bikes are often a bit of a halfway house between road bikes and tri bikes because the UCI rules won't let TT bikes be as aero or as steep as the non-UCI regulated tri bikes can be.
Usualy they're identical but have some sort of system for moving the saddle foreward on the seatpost, either with 2 positions for the clamps, or reversible seatposts etc. There aren't enough TTers or triathletes in the world to make manufacturers money making seperate bikes for each. It's been done in the past, but generaly TT bikes and Tri bikes are the same save for some adjustemnts to the seatpost and bars.
Didn't tri bikes used to have 26"/571 wheels for some bizarre reason like shorter chainstays or some other guff?
There was a fashion for 650c wheels theory being they were lighter and more aerodynamic. Which was debunked I believe.
As well as the reasons above a steeper seat tube can also help when running off the bike. Your hamstrings aren't as tight. Also top tubes will be slightly shorter for the equivalent size bike.
No limits on tube profiles either, the 3:1 rule doesn't apply to tri. Spesh have a tri-specific Shiv for 2013, it's insane.
Edit: here it is, watch for crosswinds!
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