Triathlon bike

tonyeynon

Hey Guys,

Here comes a real stupid question but, what are the main differences between a triathlon bike and tarmac bike, say if they were around the same price - arnt they sort of amined at achieving the same thing? IE, both go on the road as fast as possible? My cycle to work is ready for renewal so Im getting excited!

Percy Vera

Triathlon frames have a steeper seat tube, to allow the rider to get over the bb more easily, whereas road bikes are more 'laid back'.

tonyeynon

How does thate affect the rider, are they less comfortable?

Percy Vera

Not sure... in theory yes, especially on hills as it's more comfortable to sit back on a hill rather than the forward position.

Check out the angles of the 2 frames you are looking at, and see what the difference is

tonyeynon

Thanks mate - anyone else?

I quite fancy the look of em and wondered how they compared to bikes in the same price range?

chriskempton

Tri bikes are great for TT and tri, but not very good for much else.

I've got the impression you want to use one as a normal road bike, but I think that would be a mistake......

The ride will be harsh and the steering twitchy due to the steep low fronted position, the bars will offer you limited hand positions that will likely become uncomfortable, the braking will be compromised by the brake levers on the bar ends etc etc...

You normally get a lower spec at the same price point vs a road bike as it's more of a niche market, and the frame and extensions are more spendy.

Eau Rouge

tonyeynon wrote:

arnt they sort of amined at achieving the same thing? IE, both go on the road as fast as possible?

Not really. A Tri/TT bike is designed to go as fast as possible over relatively short distances, whereas a normal road bike is desinged to cover longer distances. It's a bit like the difference between a proper sports car and a Grand Tourer.

Anonymous

A realistic solution is to buy a road bike and get some clip on tri bars. You can adjust the seat angle and lateral measurement to TT position as well. Also a different stem and spacers can help converting position. best of both worlds really.

chriskempton

Clip ons get in the way of a lot of handlebar and make most road bikes ugly IMO.

tonyeynon

I suppose I just want a good allrounder - something I can tarin on and put in the long days and then something which will help me out on race day.

Im serously considering the Planet X SL deal?

Mister W

If you want an all-rounder then you don't want a tri bike. Get a road bike... and the Planet X deals are cracking good value... then use clip on aero bars if you want to race time trials or triathlons.