What is special about triathlon bike?

SEAT POSITION

One main difference is simply the way the seat is positioned. On a triathlon bike, the seat tube is steeper than a road bike. 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.

What is the point of a triathlon bike?

Triathlon bikes are used to accomplish fast rides on flat roads as opposed to bumpy trails and terrain. This is because the primary usage of triathlon bikes is in the competitive discipline of triathlons. Triathlon is a sport that's made up of three stages; running, cycling, and swimming.

Can you use a triathlon bike as a road bike?

So if you'll be converting your triathlon bike into a road bike, the first thing to buy is the handlebar. Triathlon bikes use aero bars while road bikes use regular drop handlebars. Changing this puts your tri bike well on its way to becoming a road bike.

Are triathlon bikes hard to ride?

Triathlon bikes are squirrelly aerodynamic beasts. They are great for speed, but frame geometry, riding down on aerobars and weight distribution (especially with bento boxes and bar-mounted hydration systems) can make tri bikes especially difficult to handle as compared to road bikes.

Why are triathlon bikes heavier?

A triathlon bike is heavier than a road bike by 2- 4 lbs or 1 to 2 kg. The reason is that the aim is to make a triathlon bike more aerodynamic rather than lightweight as it is in road bikes. The triathlon bikes come with bigger aerofoils and bigger frames than the road bike.

What Is A Triathlon Bike?

How uncomfortable is a tri bike?

Triathlon bikes are not designed to be comfortable, they are designed to be aerodynamic, light, and to allow the rider to exert maximum effort against the pedals to get the most speed out of the ride.

Do triathlon bikes go faster?

It's generally known that triathlon bikes have aerodynamic and geometric advantages that make them faster than road bikes. With all variables remaining equal over the bike leg of a triathlon, the tri bike wins in speed.

Why are triathlon bikes so different?

It's the frame geometry that makes a triathlon bike different to a road bike as the aim is to get your upper body lower and further forwards. This not only makes you more aero but also opens up your hip-leg angle to make it easier to run off the bike.

Are triathlon bikes good for climbing?

When cycling uphill you'll benefit from a lighter road bike, as the geometry allows you a more comfortable and efficient ride. The aerodynamic advantages of a tri bike are negligible when climbing and you may be forced to utilise the quadriceps more, which can hinder your run performance.

How much faster is a triathlon bike vs road bike?

The BikeRadar website claims the advantage a TT bike gives you is 60-70 watts at 40 km/h, that is, it takes 270-280 watts to ride a road bike at that speed and 220 watts to ride a TT bike. Translated into seconds, a TT bike gives you 9 seconds per kilometre advantage. This is six minutes in a 40 km time trial. Insane.

Do triathlon bikes have gears?

Your standard racing bike (triathlon or road) has 10 gears attached to the rear wheel, collectively known as the cassette. Each one of those gears is a cog.

What is difference between road bike and triathlon bike?

How They're Different. The most notable difference is the design, or geometry of the frame of each bike. Triathlon bikes have a steeper angle of the seat. Seats on a road bike are positioned at, on average, 78 degrees while the angle on a triathlon bike is closer to 72 degrees.

What is the difference between a TT bike and a tri bike?

The most significant difference is comfort. By design, triathlon bikes are made to go the distance. Triathletes often ride through hilly terrain, cover distances up to 112 miles during races and must transition to running quickly and efficiently. In contrast, time trial riders get off the bike completely spent.

Do you need a tri bike for an Ironman?

If your goal is to complete the race and you're not worried about competing in age group or overall awards, a road bike will work fine, in my opinion. If your goal is to be more competitive, perhaps a tri bike should be your choice. Next, terrain makes a difference in the bike portion of your Ironman.

Why do pro triathletes use road bikes?

Road bikes are super lightweight and great for climbing

If you live somewhere that has any sort of undulating terrain, a road bike is a great tool to be able to fly up the climbs. Often times when climbing, even if on a triathlon specific bike, you are not in the aero position.

How fast can you go on a tri bike?

Triathletes are some of the fittest people on earth. So it's not surprising they able to bike at the speeds they do, but how fast do triathletes bike? Well, it depends on the event you are looking at and the distance of the course. But you can expect to see ranges from 27 km/hr up to 46.5 km/hr.

How do I train for a triathlon bike?

Do a long, slow ride once a week. Increase the mileage of this ride by 10 percent each week until you reach your goal mileage, which should be at least the distance you plan to complete during your longest race of the year. Ideally, you'll want to be on the bike for at least two to three hours.

How much faster is a triathlon bike than a road bike with aero bars?

TT bikes have only a marginal gain of 17 seconds over a road bike for a 40km distance. In fact, what you are buying is the position rather the frame; that is the major benefit if you opted for a TT bike.

Why are road bikes faster than hybrids?

Why Are Road Bikes Faster Than Hybrids? Road bikes are faster than hybrids due to a few properties: weight, riding position and tire width. Road bikes have very lightweight frames, especially more expensive ones. They also have smaller and lighter wheels.

How much difference does a triathlon bike make?

At this speed, the saving afforded by the time trial bike shot up to 5.9 per cent – 21 watts faster than the AIR with clip on bars, equating to a 55s saving: a valuable near-minute for a competitive tester.

Why do triathlon bikes have aero bars?

As the name suggests, they allow you to get into a more aerodynamic position by lowering your upper body and bringing your arms in-line with your torso. Unlike other handlebar positions, aero bars provide both hand grips as well as arm rests, allowing you to significantly reduce the pressure on your wrists and hands.

Do triathletes use TT bikes?

Conclusion: Which bike should I use for a triathlon? TT bikes and triathlon bikes can both be used for triathlon racing.

Can you use a hybrid bike for a triathlon?

One of the more common questions we get from beginner triathletes is if they can use their mountain bike, commuter bike, or hybrid bike in the triathlon. The answer is yes, absolutely – especially if you are doing a sprint or perhaps even an Olympic distance.