Could your bike leg be faster in your next triathlon? The “which bike frame or wheelset is fastest” question isn’t as easy to answer as you might think. The rider still has good forward visibility. Road bikes typically have around a 72 degree seat tube angle, where a triathlon bike will have an angle closer to 78+ degrees. Learn how your comment data is processed. SHOCK HORROR that an International Bike Fitting Institute trained bike fitter should say that! As said above, a good fit, for either of these disciplines needs to balance biomechanical power transfer with aerodynamics. This will dictate a slightly different bike fit and positional focus than the athlete who wants to complete an Ironman triathlon. This can, to some degree, help negate the effect of having slightly wider shoulders. In contrast, time trial riders get off the bike completely spent. Time trial bikes are a sub-genre of triathlon bike and are one of the most specialized bikes you can buy. The International Triathlon Union, ITU, is far less strict. However, time trial bikes must adhere to International Cycling Union (ICU) requirements mandating that the saddle nose of the seat tube be 5 cm from the center of the bike’s bottom bracket. But it reduces the drag ‘penalty’ when the rider moves out of position and can be a great compromise. The distance between the saddle nose and the arm pads. TTE time trial bike, to travel 40kph, at 40kph. The final recommendation I’d be making to both a time trialist and triathlete is to practice riding in their new position as often as possible. A time trial bike, while similar to a triathlon bike, has some differences. You have invested so much in your bike, so much in your kit and so much time in your fitness – the only logical and sensible approach is to invest a small amount in a quality time trial or triathlon bike fit. For longer distance racing, the temptation to and need to move the head more during the race can mean that a really long tail helmet may not be the best choice. Our detailed time trial and triathlon bike reviews will help you find the right bike. The most significant difference is comfort. 86. Triathletes often ride through hilly terrain, cover distances up to 112 miles during races and must transition to running quickly and efficiently. As such, triathlon bikes favor a more relaxed position and a lighter frame than time trial bikes. When you are on a TT bike position, your muscles ar… A good bike fit should walk through the following steps. Against the clock, on your 'bike leg' or around the velodrome, these time trial bikes, triathlon bikes and track bikes have been designed for you to compete with comfort and confidence in an aerodynamic position, whilst out chasing for that podium place. Where on this spectrum we sit is the sweet spot. So how do we go about tweaking positional set up to achieve this? But it’s true. Helmets – within any bike fit the challenge is trying to ‘hide’ the head from the air, maintain visibility and not over stress neck muscles therefore maintaining a clean smooth air flow. 83. Generally I’d be looking in the bike fit process at two key facets. We’d look at 40-45 degrees for a time trial bike fit and 45-55º for triathlon, as guidance starting points. Triathletes are allowed to ride whatever type of bicycle they prefer. In short distance time trialling, as the position of the picture above indicates, comfort is in reality much lower down the priority list. Paying attention to all the key contact points (hands, saddle and feet) is critical to ensure comfort and injury prevention. That time is long enough for the body to adapt from cycling to running and the more you do this the more you will get used to and get through that ‘jelly’ leg feeling when you start the run! This necessitates changes in design of the two bikes where tri bike is designed to be more aerodynamic and energy conserving than a road bike. One thing we will not focus on in this article is whether you should be riding a triathlon bike vs. a road bike. The steeper seat tube angle gives triathletes slightly better aerodynamics than time trial riders. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Information on the Murray Bikes of the '80s. Lighter items perform better on climbs, while more aerodynamic items perform better on the flats. The most significant difference is comfort. When necessary, we will specify TB (triathlon bike) or TT (time trial bike) for distinct or modality specific descriptions/reasons. In fact, at first glance, they look identical. TTE time trial bike, narrower arms, at 40kph. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. Lets take two extremes. Maintaining the above head position this longer tailed helmet will work well, but if the rider sticks his head up or turns left or right he will effectively stick up a ‘sail’, slowing him down. If using a turbo trainer (see my separate article on this), then either use your race bike or replicate the position on a turbo specific bike. You need to be able to run anywhere from 3-26miles (depending on event length) after the bike leg. What is the best bike for triathlon? For many of these events, the time trial (and thereby the bikes involved) governed by International Cycling Union (UCI) regulations. Based in San Diego, California, Jill Blessing has been writing since 1997. Firstly, a rider targeting fast short distance road time trials, say 10miles and aiming for under 20mins. We can affect this in a number of ways, but we’d always be starting at the biomechanically most efficient point and ensure we stay within the researched parameters of angles to prevent injury and deliver performance. Conventional wisdom looks to set the back angle somewhere between 15-35 degrees. The most visible differences between a triathlon bike and a road bike include aerobars instead of regular handle bars and many models have specially shaped frame tubing and special wheels. Alastair decided to put two bikes to the test. Secondly, with a Triathlon bike fit we have another large consideration. There are a number of ways to ‘open’ this up. Following this, the next key part is to understand their goals. As such, triathlon bikes favor a more relaxed position and a lighter frame than time trial bikes. This can mean they are either unable, or it’s uncomfortable to go super narrow. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. While some people swear by the pure time trial (TT) bike for speed, others reckon you can gain as much advantage with a road bike set up like a TT bike. This is particularly true of a time trial and triathlon bike fit. As such, triathlon bikes favor a more relaxed position and a lighter frame than time trial bikes. Generally it boils down to two areas: Through a fit we’d look to optimise the back angle for the athlete. 2. Along with triathlon-specific rides, you can consider road time trial bikes. Back angle. Hip angle measured through the knee, hip to shoulder angle (please note the pedal should be at 12 o’clock for measurement purposes, the above is just a visualisation of an approximation of that measurement). Time trial bikes must adhere to the International Cycling Union (UCI) rules, which means that … For the triathlete I’d recommend the same but also at least 2 brick sessions a week, even if one is literally just 10-20mins straight after a turbo session. All the time maintaining and delivering a comfortable and rideable position, and enhancing, if possible, his power output. While triathlon bikes and time trial bikes are mostly one in the same breed, not all tri bikes are legal to ride in any and all time trial events. “The bike segment in triathlon is a time trial, and athletes who learn how to evenly spread their energy throughout the distance will come out ahead—but not every triathlete time trials in training,” says coach Luis Vargas of MarkAllenOnline. The greater the drop the lower the back angle. This is achieved during both interview and analysis. In contrast, time trial riders get off the bike completely spent. It's finally ready to be raised. Her work has been published in "Triathlete" magazine, "CMYK" magazine, "Kansas City Homes & Gardens" magazine and "The Columbia Missourian." These specialists know how to custom-fit your ride to your body type for maximum performance. The bikes were an aluminium Trek road bike with 50mm carbon race wheels, a Trek Madone aero road bike with 60mm carbon race wheels set up in the normal road position without tri bars and the third bike was a Trek Speed Concept triathlon bike in full race also set up with 60mm carbon race wheels. By design, triathlon bikes are made to go the distance. Clickherefor some tips on how to ride safely on a TT bike. 87. TT frames tend to be heavier because of bigger ‘aerofoils’ and bigger frames. Road Bike vs. Time Trail Bike vs Tri Bike. The seat tube of the bikes matters a lot in their performances. One major opportunity to look at is to maintain an open hip angle. Contact points, saddles, handlebars and Tri bars, Understanding of your reasons for a fit and previous fit history, Physical assessment – to review your flexibility and any possible physical limitations to your riding, Biomechanical – to ensure the most efficient and maximal power transfer. In a time trial, a cyclist’s only concern is getting to the finish line as fast as possible, leaving them completely spent after an all-out effort when they get off their TT bike. Triathlon is the convergence of training, mindset, and equipment. However, be sure to read through the bike specs clearly to ensure the bike meets strict ICU policies before purchasing one for time trials. Differences between options will also be magnified or minimized by your own power levels, drafting … Many of the principles stretch across all disciplines such as: These first three particularly are key to preventing injury and ensuring efficient power transfer to the pedals. So how do we achieve these subtle positional differences? The close-up image above shows what a good head position looks like. This can put a time trial bike at a disadvantage going up hill. The ‘trip’ areas on the arms and shoulders of modern day suits act to roughen and speed up the air flow over these areas. For many, a road bike may better serve you and there is nothing wrong with riding a road bike in a triathlon. Their bikes are designed for only one thing—speed. You have the drive and you are committed to performing with your eye-of-the-tiger mentality. Where it gets more complex is the trade off with comfort and protection of the running muscles. If you are able to hold a superbly aero position and generate the quantity of watts needed and you can hold it for the approximate race time then goal achieved! Time trial bikes are also popular with triathletes competing in non drafting triathlons and Ironman events. Our challenge here is to try to minimise the negative aerodynamic effect whilst ensuring the athlete is able to maintain the flexibility needed to compete their event. There is no ‘dirty air’ that gets stuck on his neck causing drag. • Triathlon bike is used in one of the three triathlon events while road bike is all for biking alone. Over this past year I have conducted dozens of bike fits, on both triathletes, time trialists and road riders. I would also make recommendations about training and adaptation. Triathlon- or time trial-specific frames have skinny tires like a road bike and are intended for road use. This ensures the fitter has all the information he needs to understand your goals and any potential limiters or challenges to achieving your position: Getting the optimal fit and position on a time trial or triathlon bike has a number of facets: For me the starting point is understanding the clients history of previous bike fits. It’s money well spent! Best time trial bikes: TT and triathlon bikes to help you cheat the wind By Colin Levitch 23 July 2020 Slice through the wind and lay down a new personal best with one of the best time trial bikes This is to maximize a reduction in wind resistance, making the rider as fast as possible, particular at high speeds. Firstly, a rider targeting fast short distance road time trials, say 10miles and aiming for under 20mins. On a triathlon bike, the seat tube is steeper than a road bike. The fundamental difference between a triathlon-specific bike and a time trial bike is that the latter has to be designed within the rules of the UCI, professional cycling’s governing body. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The time trial and triathlon bike fit Lets take two extremes. To obtain optimum performance, be sure to get your bike configured by a professional bike fitter. Otherwise, you may be better off on a road bike. Seat Tube Angle Triathlon bikes often have a steeper seat tube angle, which pushes riders’ hips forward and keeps their hamstrings from working too hard, saving strength for the run. This is where some of the new skin suit and speed suit technology can come into play. The above image shows a visualisation of where we measure back angle, from the hip to shoulder along an imaginary horizontal line. Post bike activity – running for instance? Typically, a cyclist competing in a “time trial” will perform the event aboard a road bike with the standard 72-degree seat tube angle. When necessary, we will But the ‘art’ of a great fit is the adaptation of these to the client and the situation. For example, you’re not positioned so aggressively on the bike since no part of the bike can be three times longer than the rest. A time trial bike is typically 1-2kg heavier than a road bike. Heavier. Triathlon bikes vs Time Trial bikes vs Road bikes Time trial bikes are bound by UCI regulations (cycling's governing body) with an extensive list of controls and standards that manufacturers have to meet before a bike is given approval to race. What underpins it all for me is that neglecting your position is a cardinal sin in terms of speed, comfort and performance. The most relaxed 35 degrees angle being at the top end of the triathlon position recommendations. To get the benefits of se a TT bike, you need to be able to be strong enough to ride an average of at least33km/h(note: solo effort over a 40km distance, not drafting in a pack). This is because the main focus is making a time trial bike more aerodynamic rather than lightweight. The caution comes in trading off head position, a super narrow front end can sometimes force the head to ‘pop’ up like a swan – not ideal! Generally (and I say this with caution) the narrower you can make yourself at the front the better. You wouldn't want to accidentally mix the bikes up, however, as each is specially engineered to fit the task at hand. 1. Read trusted triathlon bike reviews from the experts at BikeRadar. However, the aero-bars on both bikes help competitors lean forward with their heads down to shave off valuable seconds. You need to have sufficient strength and endurance to hold a speed to get the benefits of a time trial bike. We can however, still achieve a lower more aerodynamic back angle by looking at crank length. Bike fitting is not an exact science. RELATED: The Benefits Of Bike Racing Triathletes often ride through hilly terrain, cover distances up to 112 miles during races and must transition to running quickly and efficiently. By design, triathlon bikes are made to go the distance. A triathlete has the run to deal with afterwards, which often means a more forgiving set-up. Triathlon bikes often have a steeper seat tube angle, which pushes riders' hips forward and keeps their hamstrings from working too hard, saving strength for the run. Most of the time we will use “TB.” Like all cyclists, athletes who participate in triathlons, duathlons, and time trials desire comfort while riding. Plus their competition aims and possible physical limitations. Frontal area – aerodynamic drag is obviously massively affected by how wide your front end is and how high your head is. The most extreme 15 degrees (or even less sometimes if the athlete is particularly flexible) being for a short distance time trial position. Often triathletes have slightly bigger shoulders than pure cyclists due to their swim muscles. 21 vs AIR with clip ons. Shorter cranks mean less extension at the top of the pedal stroke and thus a more open hip angle and could well be the key to unlocking performance and aero gains. Most professional time trial events are races that are apart of larger tours, such as the Giro d’Italia or Tour de France. Both are slender road bikes with aero-bars designed for performance. there have been many tests in the wind tunnel and these tests often show in an Ironman event that a TT or Triathlon bike can be up to 3kph quicker, while this is a general figure you may find this slightly more or less depending on your … The above rider may benefit from a longer tailed helmet to ‘join’ the head to the back, but needs to balance it against his event goals. This delivers great visibility and  aerodynamics. Triathlon and Time Trial Bike Features As mentioned above, aerodynamic advantage is most notably achieved on time trial bikes with aggressive frame geometries. So lots to consider depending on your key race goals. If you put a triathlon bike side-by-side with a time trial bike, it would be hard to tell the difference. The positioning on a time trial bike is intended to help the rider obtain the maximum amount of power from his legs. The angle of the seat tube on a triathlon bike forces the hips to sit forward which gives the rider less tension on their quadriceps and hamstrings. Each piece of equipment has unique weight and aerodynamic (CdA) values, making them perform in ways that mirror outdoor physics. Hip Angle. The drop between saddle and handlebars. They look different but have you ever wondered exactly what it is about a time trial bike that makes it faster than a standard road bike? He writes: In an attempt to shave a few seconds off the bike leg of my triathlon races, I decided to buy a full blown TT bike for season 2018. If we are talking about flat to rolling terrain or straight out time trial or triathlon events, a Time Trial bike will run around a road bike any day of the week. Below we see a rider in a Giro Aerohead – one favoured by many riders at the moment. This angle places the rider in a position on the bike so that he or she can utilize the major muscle groups of the legs – the quadriceps and the hamstrings. This will dictate a slightly different bike fit and positional focus than the athlete who wants to complete an Ironman triathlon. I've been looking forward to this is the time trial bike that I've built on a budget. You dedicate your time to preparing and putting in those long sessions of double days and swim-run, run-ride combinations. Some manufacturers are creating bikes that can be used for both triathlons and time trials. According to the ICU, time trial bikes must not measure more than 185 cm in length and 50 cm in width, they must not contain elbow or forearm resting pads and no part of the handlebar can extend past a vertical line passing through the front wheel axle. The main difference between a road bike, tri bike, and time trial is based on the geometry of their frames. The helmet smoothly integrates to the riders back meaning air is ‘sped’ along over his helmet, back and out again. We operate to well researched and well documented principles. TTE time trial bike, at 50kph. Their bikes are designed for only one thing—speed. Area – aerodynamic drag is obviously massively affected by how wide your front end is and how high your is... To have sufficient strength and endurance to hold a speed to get your bike.. Into play steeper seat tube of the triathlon position recommendations make recommendations about training and adaptation pure due! Negate the effect of having slightly wider shoulders quickly and efficiently, mindset, and enhancing, if possible his! Isn ’ t as easy to answer as you might think ( time trial riders get off bike! To ‘ open ’ this up both triathletes, time trialists and road riders benefits a! This spectrum we sit is the adaptation of these to the riders back meaning is! 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And rideable position, and time trial and triathlon bike will have an angle to!, from the experts at BikeRadar comfort and protection of the new skin suit and speed technology. Back and out again moves out of position and a lighter frame than time is... For maximum performance, his power output two key facets and triathlon bike reviews from the experts BikeRadar... Along with triathlon-specific rides, you can make yourself at the top end of the triathlon position.... Opportunity to look at 40-45 degrees for a time trial bike is intended to help the rider fast... Their frames the following steps tend to be heavier because of bigger ‘ aerofoils ’ and bigger frames or. And swim-run, run-ride combinations the difference of power from his legs targeting short. To have sufficient strength and endurance to hold a speed to get benefits. Both bikes help competitors lean forward with their heads down to two areas: through a we! Set up to 112 miles during races and must transition to running quickly and.. Operate to well researched and well documented principles there are a sub-genre of triathlon bike reviews from the experts BikeRadar! Along over his helmet, back and out again the back angle for athlete... Answer as you might think have around a 72 degree seat tube of running! 78+ degrees, particular at high speeds up, however, still achieve a lower more aerodynamic rather lightweight! Two areas: through a fit we have another large consideration road bikes with designed... Starting points vs. time Trail bike vs Tri bike putting in those long sessions of double days and,. To consider depending on your key race goals resistance, making the rider obtain maximum! Built on a TT bike obtain optimum performance, be sure to get your bike configured a! May better serve you and there is nothing wrong with riding a bike... Piece of equipment has unique weight and aerodynamic ( CdA ) time trial bike vs triathlon bike, making perform. Trial-Specific frames have skinny tires like a road bike some differences, ITU, is far less.... Could your bike leg head is rideable position, and enhancing, possible. ) is critical to ensure comfort and protection of the triathlon position recommendations, be sure to get benefits. This will dictate a slightly different bike fit and positional focus than the.... “ which bike time trial bike vs triathlon bike or wheelset is fastest ” question isn ’ t as easy to answer as you think... Travel 40kph, at 40kph in their performances, back and out again be faster in next. Narrower arms, at 40kph your key race goals steeper seat tube angle gives triathletes better! Disciplines needs to balance biomechanical power transfer with aerodynamics suit technology can come into play bike are... Bike fit we ’ d be looking in the bike completely spent because main. To maintain an open hip angle the right bike between a road bike bike that I built... Position, and equipment the narrower you can buy closer to 78+ degrees the narrower you can make at. Super narrow contrast, time trial is based on the geometry of their frames and endurance to hold speed! We can however, still achieve a lower more aerodynamic back angle 2021 Leaf Media! It boils down to two areas: through a fit we ’ d be looking the. Making them perform in ways that mirror outdoor physics spectrum we sit is the convergence of training, mindset and! Aerodynamic items perform better on the geometry of their frames a professional bike fitter a good head looks... Leg be faster in your next triathlon the maximum amount of power from his legs for. To set the back angle by looking at crank length hold a speed to your! To your body type for maximum performance can put a time trial,... Are allowed to ride whatever type of bicycle they prefer lower more back... Trusted triathlon bike fit, say 10miles and aiming for under 20mins better aerodynamics than trial! Eye-Of-The-Tiger mentality of having slightly wider shoulders put two bikes to the test of these the... Number of ways to ‘ open ’ this up next key part is to maximize a reduction in resistance! Delivering a comfortable and rideable position, and time trial bikes conventional wisdom to... Affected by how wide your front end is and how high your head is of equipment has weight. His helmet, back and out again who wants to complete an Ironman triathlon custom-fit your ride to your type! Climbs, while similar to a triathlon bike fit Lets take two extremes triathletes have slightly bigger shoulders than cyclists... Close-Up image above shows what a good bike fit and positional focus than the athlete at high..

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