Group Rides with a Tri Bike

The issue is the proximity of your hands to your brakes.

If you ride in a group, you could be very close to other bikers and if you are in aero, it will take that extra second to get from your aero bars to your brakes.  I would be a bit nervous is someone was riding 2' behind me and may not be able to get to their brakes fast enough if I should slow down for some reason.

Even if you ride on the base bar, you would have to let go to shift, again taking you hands away from the brake.

I probably wouldn't use a tri bike in a group unless they understand and accept that.

I would be interested in hearing from big group rides since I only road in a group once (with a road bike).  I'm just going off of what I heard.

Edited by Aikidoman 2009-09-14 4:18 PM

Depends on the group.  My ride, we all know eachother, and most everyone has a tri bike and a road bike.  Any given Saturday, you'll find a bunch of each.   Have another group that is a tri club ride, also will find a mix of each (makes sense given the nature of the club)

But if it's an organized ride, like a shop, you may be looked down upon for bringing a tri bike, and unless you knwo the group's OK with it, likely to get a rash of you know what, maybe not even allowed to ride.  Definitely no place for being in the aero bars.

There is somewhat of a reasonable explanation for not liking tri bikes, even if you are not in aero, the geometry of a tri bike does put you further forward, and might contribute to a crash if the group comes to a quick stop.  Easier to go over the handlebars on a tri bike than a road bike.

Some rides also look down on roadies with clip ons, bt unless you are in the bars, not sure why.....

I was going to add that tri bikes have a bit more 'nervous' handling do to weight placement, but Chris mentioned that.

joey, you're not allowed to get the same bike as me. End of discussion....

the only bike i've used in the past for group rides is my tri bike. plus a good third of the group with the Lifetime rides generally go with a bike with aero bars of some degree. i say it depends on the ride itself...

I ride in a group with my P2K.  The rule is - you may not ride on your aerobars.  Pretty simple.  Yup - sometimes I have to change gears and I wait until it's safe to do so - and I just adjust my cadence until it is safe. 

We are allowed to use our aeros when we're sprinting to a stop sign/bridge/etc. or when we're pulling - but that just doesn't seem really fair to me - I'm not blocking much wind when I'm in aero...

Why is that? Is it so that when he drops your azz on rides you can't blame it on the bike?

John

I'll chime in again.

The ONLY group ride I did was with a tri group.  So it was about 50/50 with people who had tri bikes vs. road bikes.  However, we weren't riding in a large group.  People mostly splintered off and were riding solo anyway.

But, I have seen the local riding groups from the bike shops.  They tend to ride in big packs and everyone has a road bike.  I think I would ride my road bike if I was going with the group for the first time to get the ground rules.

I would not take a TT bike to a group ride if I was not pretty experienced riding in groups period.
I do not think that is the way to learn how to ride in groups.  Find a beater road bike if need be until you are used to such riding.

If you know the group and they know you and your riding skills, then aero bars are generally OK.  We just don't ride the aero position unless in front pulling.

I ride with a large group of roadies.  I do not ride my TT bike if I know that it is going to be a really hard ride with a lot of attacks, accelerations, or hills.  If I think it will be steady or perhaps a windy ride, I will often use my TT bike.  I also have a road bike that I usually keep aerobars on.  Its pretty much our group etiquette.  Some groups are different, if in doubt it never hurts to ask.

exactly!! haha

"Group Ride" is a loose term (around my parts anyways)

If you are truely riding in a group (very close together, drafting, etc) I wouldn't even consider it. You will not be comfortable on the horns and riding aero is just begging for disaster. What happens if you are in aero and get "sucked" forward... not fast enough to the brakes and BAM! At least two people down.

In some rides though, group's break apart very fast and it ends up being you riding beside some people... in which case I'd still probably be nervous, but might give it a go.

It boils down to... Tri bikes aren't made for group riding.