Disscusion: Why or Why not a Tri/Road bike

Lots of questions, and i'll try to answer some of them as best I can.

1- Tri bikes are not necessarily uncomfortable (you get used to it) but they limit your position choices.  Road bikes you can vary your position a lot more... drops, hoods, tops, etc.

2- Tri bikes are generally frowned upon in group rides for 2 reasons- your brakes and shifters are in different locations so you're less able to immediately respond to emergency situations, and your aero bars are much more likely to impale someone than road bars.

3- A forward COG generally will make steering response faster (more twitchy) and amplify slight changes in steering.  Extreme forward COG could make steering dangerous.

4- The seat tube angle etc on a tri bike is generally accepted to improve your capability to run immediately following cycling over traditional road bike geometry.

5- Until recently I did all my training on a tri bike and it wasn't a problem.

6- You don't see pro cyclists on tri/tt bikes often because as mentioned the aero bars are not permitted on a road course.  Time trials and team time trials are generally the only time aero bars are permitted in a cycling race.

It is correct that road bikes are better for acceleration, and that's why they are used in those kind of races. Furthermore, they are far superior when climbing mountains.

Regarding the quoted bit above, tri bikes are simply more dangerous in group rides because the brakes are kind of "far away" from your shifters, so you won't be able to react as quickly in certain situations. The shifters being in that position is also the reason why climbing a mountain on a tri bike would be suicide.

That being said, I spent a lot of time researching which type of bike to get. The two major questions I found one should ask himself are the following:

- Do I want to use the bike for anything but triathlon?

- Am I going to do iron-distance events?

If you want to do normal road races, you might prefer the utility of a road bike, and if you stick to sprint- and onlympic distances in triathlon, a road bike should serve you just fine. If you're focused completely on triathlon, and if you're aiming for the long distances, then you should seriously consider a tri bike.

After several months of thinking and learning I decided to get a tri bike, and to tell you the truth... I absolutely love the thing. I have no interest in normal road races; triathlon is my one and only focus, so the choice makes sense for me. I must admit that I do also own a road bike (had to start somewhere, eh!), but it won't see much action unless I'm doing some event with a friend

Good information so far.  One thing I didn't see covered is that aero is important in a time trial setting.  (And non draft legal races are essentially time trials). 

In a tight group ride the individual aerodynamics are trumped by drafting. Who ever is in front "pulling" is taking the brunt of the wind and may try to get more aero, but the guys on his wheel have a much easier time.

Thus between the safety aspect, and the change in aerodynamics road bikes are used in Crits and road races, where Time Trial bikes are used for non drafting events.

I'm no bike Historian, but I believe the modern Tri bike is just a modification on the original Time Trial bike.

One thing I always suggest someone look up is an article called "How Aero is Aero".  It will really show you the difference between Road, Tri, and Road with aerobars.

I'm headed for a bike fit in a couple of days and wondered if I should get aero bars fitted or not for above positioning/power reasons. I live in a very hilly area with little in way of nice flat open spaces.

This will be my first road bike.

Thanks

The tri-bike is for riding in the aero position and its geometry is based around that. Both for being able to get a decently comfortable position on it and so the bike handles ok with it. But with tri-bike handling, they are meant more for going straight forward. The road bike is more for moving all over the place.

For most all professional cycling a tri or TT bike is not allowed. They have to ride the road bike without aero extensions because it's the rules.

Tri-bikes do not necessarily sacrifice power. It depends on the positioning selected. If one goes very aggressive it is possible that some power could be lost. It's a balance between the aero gains and power loss, going with what comes out fastest. The above explains no aerobars for the cyclist, but they do get quite low. When a cyclist is getting after it on the road bike, there is not necessarily that much difference between their road and TT positions.

You can train on whichever bike you want. Quite a few do most or all of their training on the tri-bike. You can do group rides with them, but respect the rules of the group. Some say no, but others are fine with it. A few things with that. It has to do with the potential for handlebars catching. Tri-bikes are more likely to do that. They could spear in a crash as well. Tri-bikes also move and handle differently. Going aero in a group is reckless because of having to move to reach the brakes, response time is much higher. It's also awkward going for gear changes if you sit up on the base bar.

Okay, wow... A lot of misinformation here. Where to start...

As was explained already, the shift of the CG forward puts more weight on the front wheel, which negatively affects handling. The adaptation of a road bike into a tri bike is what we ALL did with the advent of aero bars, and we all found out just how difficult they can be when positions get low and forward. The tri bike (at least one properly designed) is built around this position.

Road bikes are designed for weight balance and comfort. Tri bikes are designed to minimize aerodynamic drag.

A tri bike IS comfortable... in the aero position. But because the CG is shifted forward relative to the saddle and BB, when NOT in the aero position, much more of your weight is supported by your hands and arms, and not balanced rearward on the saddle. That gets uncomfortable quickly in the best of situations, and can cause nerve damage in the worst.

Steep seat tube angles have nothing to do with being able to run better off the bike. It's all about opening up the hip angle so you can maintain power in a position that has your head low. A tri bike doesn't sacrifice power unless the the crossing of the drag vs power lines dictate so, and otherwise a loss of power points to a faulty fit.

As said, you don't see pro riders on tri/TT bikes because, for the vast majority of their racing, they are illegal. Group rides frown on tri bikes because (1) people who ride tri bikes tend to have dicey handling skills to begin with, (2) the bikes themselves have dicey handling, (3) your hands are either away from your brake levers or you're riding with all your weight on your hands.

Hope that helps.

I was in your shoes almost two years ago.  I did not get aero bars on my road bike, and still don't have them.  I'm still working on riding my road bike as is.  Eventually, I might get some shorty bars for races and don't plan to modify my current position.  If it were me, and it was, I would spend a lot of time on your bike without worrying about aero bars.

I've done a ton of riding with/without aero bars. And I absolutely love having them. They give my hands a break and they are fantastic during long rides.( I ride on a lot of straight flat/rolling hill terrain though)  

I had my second road bike fitted with shorties when I bought it. I can't imagine riding it without them.

A TT bike is built solely to go as fast as possible in a straight line as it will minimize the frontal drag of the rider.  Whether or not it saves your legs is only a by-product.  You will have trouble putting out higher power the more aggressive your position is but there should be an acceptable compromise between aero and power. 

You need to answer your own question - what do you want to do on this bike?  If its only TTs and triathlon then get a TT bike.  However, Im damned if Id ever do a group ride on my TT bike or do a long hilly ride on it either.  As said, its only there to go fast in a straight line. 

If its a budget thing (ie I can afford one bike) then its a no brainer - get a road bike.  However, keep in mind that you can build up a perfectly good TT bike second hand relatively cheaply as its doesnt need to be NASA Gucci - it just needs to put you in the right position as you are circa 90% of the frontal drag.

Buy a road bike - I love my TT bike but long rides are a pleasure on a road bike, especially when climbing and descending.

Defo - most clip on positions are terrible and your more aero on the drops

A local triathlete that I know does all races on his road bike, he's also into group rides and charity century rides.  He has these on his RB, Profile Design AirStryke and loves them. 1st time I saw them first thing I liked about them was how they opened up the top of the handlebar instead of blocking it.

How long did u use your aero-clips before you came to that conclusion?

A tri bike is built for stability and comfort in the aero position and to provide an advantage running off the bike.

It is not built for quick handling or group rides where riders depend on the draft to stay in contact with the group. Few beginning riders ever participate in group rides like this. They may think they do, but they do not. More commonly they are on rides with 4-8 people in a loose line that would work fine with either a road bike or a tri bike.

A road bike is made to ride in a group, in close enough proximity to other riders that there is a significant benefit from the draft, as in a pack in the Tour de France. Again, few new riders ever use their bikes in that setting.

Another key thing is that a tri bike, correctly fitted (and most aren't) supports the weight of the torso using the skeleton. A road bike supports the weight of the torso using the musculature. Remember too that a tri bike, correctly fitted, is much more stable than a road bike.

Realistically, most new triathletes should be on triathlon bikes, not road bikes. Again, road bikes are for group rides, not solo riding. There are problems with this in the real world though.

Firstly, the dealer network isn't calibrated that way. Any given dealer has 10-20 road bikes on their floor for every tri bike, so guess what they'll recommend. Also, few dealers are educated in tri bike sales. There are about 4,100 bike dealers in the U.S. according to the NBDA, but only 500 are certified to fit triathlon bikes. That accounts for the vast number of bad tri bike fits and the proliferatioin of road bikes among new triathletes.

Also, forums have a tendency to push the road bike agenda for the first timer. Finally, as a bike retailer, I would want to sell every triathlete a road bike first. Here's why: If I sell you a tri bike first the chances are you won't ever return to buy a road bike. I did a four-year study on buying habits about six years ago and what I learned was new triathletes who bought a tri bike first almost never returned during the next 24 months to buy a road bike. However, new triathletes who bought a road bike first frequently returned during the next 24 months to buy a tri bike. Savy dealers know if they sell a new triathlete a road bike initially, there is a strong chance they will get them back for the tri bike sale. That's good money- two bike sales instead of one.

A key thing in making the decision is being pragmatic about how you will use your bike. Do you really do competitive group rides and high speed cornering? Does your skill and comfort level in cycling mean you frequently ride 2-4 inches from the wheel of another rider at high speed in a group? Do you live in an area where you are climbing a hill for more than 10 minutes non-stop?

Well, yes and no. The reason that steep seat tube angles work on tri bikes is BECAUSE the weight of the upper body is supported by the skeleton of the arms. When you go back to a road fit, yes, the weight is supported by musculature, but it is (or should be if it's done remotely correctly) MUCH less. The CG moves backwards so that more of the weight is supported at the saddle instead of the handlebars.

Did you  normalize that study for how many of those first-bike-is-a-tri-bike people stopped riding entirely?

I apologize. "Study" was not a good word to use.

It was a casual survey the results of which are not scientific.

I wonder how much security should weigh in the decision

No doubt, when riding on roads with cars, pedestrians, dogs, other bikes....a road bike is much safer. You are closer to the brakes and can change direction much quicker.

You can do that on the bullhorns of a tri bike but you are defeating the purpose of riding a tri bike.

There are so many people getting hit by cars and killed, I cannot imagine security should not be considered when choosing.

Excellent point, that isn't often addressed.

The solution is to follow the rules:

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#12

SYJ

x3.  I have both a road and tri bike.  I prefer to train on my road bike even when riding by myself.  It becomes necessary to take the tri bike out from time to time...mainly to acclimate my neck to riding aero for 3 hours if training for a HIM, but I always want to take the road bike.