Aero road bike with clip on bars vs tt bike?

BMKN
BMKN Posts: 222
edited June 2013 in Road buying advice
I test cycled a tt bike yesterday, decided I don't like the way the gears are only on the aero bars, in the shop I saw road bikes with the same tt frame and seat post as the tt bike, minus the bars, I have clip on aero bars, will this b the same gain?

Comments

  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    No, a TT bike will be faster, it is designed for one single purpose

    However, a road bike will be much more useful and if you don't already have a road bike I would get one and put the TT bars on when you are doing a TT event.

    You need to tell us a little more about your riding and intended use and what bikes, if any, you have already to get the answer you are looking for.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    It's down to the position of the rider, pure and simple - TT bikes have a shorter toptube and headtube which allow you to get into a lower position - if you can't get into a low tuck with narrow frontal area then investing in a TT bike is kinda pointless - like all those tri bikes you see with 3 inches of spacers under the stem.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    You could always fit STI/Ergopower/Double Tap shifters to the TT bike, rather than the bar end shifters.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    BMKN wrote:
    I test cycled a tt bike yesterday, decided I don't like the way the gears are only on the aero bars, in the shop I saw road bikes with the same tt frame and seat post as the tt bike, minus the bars, I have clip on aero bars, will this b the same gain?

    If they built a a road bike out of a TT frame then they're doing it wrong as the geometries are completely different.

    You get used to bar end shifters pretty quickly. I love my aero road bikes, but I can't imagine doing a TT (other than a mountain TT) on anything other than my TT bike.

    As has been mentioned you won't get the same gains on an aero road bike as a TT bike mainly due to rider position.

    You could always go Di2 and get the satellite brake lever shifters.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • pkripper
    pkripper Posts: 652
    Grill wrote:
    BMKN wrote:
    I test cycled a tt bike yesterday, decided I don't like the way the gears are only on the aero bars, in the shop I saw road bikes with the same tt frame and seat post as the tt bike, minus the bars, I have clip on aero bars, will this b the same gain?

    If they built a a road bike out of a TT frame then they're doing it wrong as the geometries are completely different.

    You get used to bar end shifters pretty quickly. I love my aero road bikes, but I can't imagine doing a TT (other than a mountain TT) on anything other than my TT bike.

    As has been mentioned you won't get the same gains on an aero road bike as a TT bike mainly due to rider position.

    You could always go Di2 and get the satellite brake lever shifters.

    Yup, what he said. the primary difference is the geometry - at a guess I'd say you probably saw a felt B-series and an AR series - they look very similar apart from the cockpit and the geometry.

    You can get *closer* to the aero gains of a full TT set-up with an aero road bike, but if you're planning on doing Tri's, one useful factor of a TT bike is that the geometry (depending on fit) generally allows a more open hip angle, making running off the bike a bit easier.

    However, if you're thinking of doing a hilly or technical (tight turns / corners) TT, there are advantages to an aero road bike in that it's a bit more forgiving handling wise in those situations.