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One more thing...I promise you there will be people that will be on road bikes in a HIM.
Matter of fact, you see them in the full Ironman as well... Just not that often. It can be done.0 -
I've just been on MFP for a week and you've all been a great source of inspiration. I wish I had found this site a long time ago. Thanks! I did my first sprint tri in August 2010 and dusted off my vintage 1992 Trek 1000. It has several thousand miles on it from the years after I purchased it. Sadly, it went into a closet when I moved to Atlanta and became afraid to ride. A friend borrowed it for a tri in early 2010 and inspired me to start riding again. Now that it's been tuned up, has clip-on aerobars, modern clipless pedals, and a new computer, it's great for training and long fundraiser rides. For racing, it needs more gears at the very low and high ends, shifting levers on the handlebars rather than the bottom bar of the frame, and although the frame and fork are aluminum, the aerobars alone weigh 2 pounds.
When I started tri's, I told myself that I would consider upgrading the bike if I stuck with it for two years. Now I'm also tying in my weight loss and maintenance goal to the upgrade, so next spring is probably the earliest that a new bike is in my future. Biking is my strongest and favorite leg of racing though, so it's fun to think about.
Questions about tri bikes... How much difference does a carbon frame make in terms of speed and comfort? Is it worth the additional cost and risk of cracks? Are there sources for summary information about various tri bike manufacturers and their relative aggressiveness in frame geometries? reviews of components? What are some things I should pay attention to when on a test ride? I'm reading "Zinn and the Art of Triathlon Bikes" and it's a bit overwhelming. Cheers and happy swimming, biking, and running, -Kathy0 -
Questions about tri bikes... How much difference does a carbon frame make in terms of speed and comfort? Is it worth the additional cost and risk of cracks? Are there sources for summary information about various tri bike manufacturers and their relative aggressiveness in frame geometries? reviews of components? What are some things I should pay attention to when on a test ride? I'm reading "Zinn and the Art of Triathlon Bikes" and it's a bit overwhelming. Cheers and happy swimming, biking, and running, -Kathy
Carbon won't be any faster. All other things equal, it can be a bit lighter, which can affect your time over a long (or hilly) course, but that's more a factor of the weight of the bike than the frame material. Comfort will vary bike to bike depending on geometry, fit, and the individual frames. An AL bike that fits you well will be far more comfortable than a carbon bike that doesn't. If both fit well, you'll likely notice the carbon being more comfortable the longer you ride (i.e. you might not notice a difference over 5 miles, but probably will over 50 miles).
Risk of cracks aren't all that great on road bikes as they see far less stress than a mountain bike. IMO, stress damage on a road bike isn't a concern. That said, if you crash the bike and it takes a serious hit, carbon has much less resiliency than does AL or steel. Entry level carbon frames are much cheaper than they used to be, and assuming a reputable manufacturer, they are also much higher quality than they used to be, so I wouldn't worry about carbon reliability/durability on a road/tri bike.
Generally the geometry from bike to bike is going to be pretty similar. What really matters is the reach and stack, which are things you'll have to be fitted for. Once you know those, you can go to the manufacturer's website and look at the geometry on different bikes and find the ones that should (on paper) fit you best. I don't know of any sites that compare geometry across several bikes/brands.
Test rides are hard because they are generally so short. I'd pay attention to saddle comfort (which to a large extent is something you'll have to grow into), and weight/fatigue in your arms/shoulders when you're down on the aero bars. Aside from those things, all you can do is trust the shop to fit you to the right bike. IMO, this is where having a good relationship with a quality bike shop is most beneficial.
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All the info out there is really quite overwhelming.
I went from an aluminum road bike to a carbon tri bike. The difference for me was night and day. That said an aluminum tri bike that fits will be faster than a $10k superbike that doesn't. So find a knowledgeable tri specific shop in your area and get fit for a bike BEFORE you buy. I found that Cervelo, Felt, and several other brands wouldn't work for my body type. Trek, Specialized, Orbea, and a few others would. So I waited for a sale and grabbed a $3k Orbea Ordu for $2k. The same fitter that pre-fit me, then set my tri bike up specifically for me.
Good resources for info would be places like beginner triathlete .com. Also find guys/gals in your local tri clubs to ask. Personally I wouldn't go under the 105 grouppo Shimano wise or the Sram Rival set.0 -
Questions about tri bikes... How much difference does a carbon frame make in terms of speed and comfort? Is it worth the additional cost and risk of cracks? Are there sources for summary information about various tri bike manufacturers and their relative aggressiveness in frame geometries? reviews of components? What are some things I should pay attention to when on a test ride? I'm reading "Zinn and the Art of Triathlon Bikes" and it's a bit overwhelming. Cheers and happy swimming, biking, and running, -Kathy
Carbon won't be any faster. All other things equal, it can be a bit lighter, which can affect your time over a long (or hilly) course, but that's more a factor of the weight of the bike than the frame material. Comfort will vary bike to bike depending on geometry, fit, and the individual frames. An AL bike that fits you well will be far more comfortable than a carbon bike that doesn't. If both fit well, you'll likely notice the carbon being more comfortable the longer you ride (i.e. you might not notice a difference over 5 miles, but probably will over 50 miles).
Risk of cracks aren't all that great on road bikes as they see far less stress than a mountain bike. IMO, stress damage on a road bike isn't a concern. That said, if you crash the bike and it takes a serious hit, carbon has much less resiliency than does AL or steel. Entry level carbon frames are much cheaper than they used to be, and assuming a reputable manufacturer, they are also much higher quality than they used to be, so I wouldn't worry about carbon reliability/durability on a road/tri bike.
Generally the geometry from bike to bike is going to be pretty similar. What really matters is the reach and stack, which are things you'll have to be fitted for. Once you know those, you can go to the manufacturer's website and look at the geometry on different bikes and find the ones that should (on paper) fit you best. I don't know of any sites that compare geometry across several bikes/brands.
Test rides are hard because they are generally so short. I'd pay attention to saddle comfort (which to a large extent is something you'll have to grow into), and weight/fatigue in your arms/shoulders when you're down on the aero bars. Aside from those things, all you can do is trust the shop to fit you to the right bike. IMO, this is where having a good relationship with a quality bike shop is most beneficial.
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I will say that as far as carbon vs. aluminum having just switched I find the carbon lessens any vibration much more effectively than aluminum. If you ride chip seal/rough roads I'd highly recommend carbon for comfort.0 -
I will say that as far as carbon vs. aluminum having just switched I find the carbon lessens any vibration much more effectively than aluminum. If you ride chip seal/rough roads I'd highly recommend carbon for comfort.
^^ This ^^
I went from an aluminum frame to a carbon frame this year and I notice less vibrations right away. I love it!0 -
Thanks for the suggestions and the reminder of the importance of fit. Even for a woman, my legs and arms are long relative to my torso. At 5' 7", my legs are only an inch or so shorter than my brother's and he's 6' 2". Along with all the other improvements in bike technology over the past 20 years, I'm hoping I'll be able to find a bike that accommodates my proportions. Getting a taller seat post may be part of the solution, but this also makes the reach longer. Ahh... a puzzle :-)0
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Thanks for the suggestions and the reminder of the importance of fit. Even for a woman, my legs and arms are long relative to my torso. At 5' 7", my legs are only an inch or so shorter than my brother's and he's 6' 2". Along with all the other improvements in bike technology over the past 20 years, I'm hoping I'll be able to find a bike that accommodates my proportions. Getting a taller seat post may be part of the solution, but this also makes the reach longer. Ahh... a puzzle :-)
You seem to be the tall and narrow frame set then. Speed Concepts would be good options. Specialized Shivs are highly adjustable. Cervelos, Felts, QRs fit more long torso type folk.0 -
You seem to be the tall and narrow frame set then. Speed Concepts would be good options. Specialized Shivs are highly adjustable. Cervelos, Felts, QRs fit more long torso type folk.
Good to know. As the bike becomes more compact, does it also get twitchier especially in the aero position? As far as tri-bike shops go, there are several in the area. I also have a friend who competes in time trials semi-professionally and he has offered to take me bike shopping. However, he's a total gear-head and my concern is that he would talk me into more bike than I really need.0 -
Revisiting the bike question again - I just went to All3Sports and got measured for a tri bike. Woo Hoo :-) As expected, my legs are long and torso is short. Top picks for my measurements and budget are the Scott Plasma II and the Blue Triad EX. All3 Sports doesn't carry Specialized Shiv's and I haven't checked models/pricing yet, but it would also be a good choice. Farther down the list are the QR Lucero Lite (high bling factor), Argon E112, and Cervelo P2. It was definitely much appreciated soft-sell customer service, but the shop seemed to be suggesting that the Plasma would be my best bang for the buck. I haven't actually test ridden any of them yet, but I'd like to have some ideas of what to look for when I test them. I'll also check the blogs on beginner triathlete and slow twitch. Any suggestions or comments?0
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Best bike deals I have found are in January / Feb when shops are trying to move their old models. Anytime you can pick up a previous year's model means big savings for you. Most times, changes from year to year are related to bike color and some minor component upgrades. Major component upgrades will start to really move the price up.
If all you are ever going to do is train for and race tris, the tri bike geometry will get you more aero but you have to have it already to get the best fit. def go to a bike shop and try out both types. You will notice that a tri bike is a lot more sensitive from a handling standpoint, shifters are out on the aero bars - you may or may not like that. Road bike gives you more options and if you set it right, with aero bars, you can get very aero if that is your goal0
