A really hard decision comes up time and time again. The road bike or the triathlon (TT) bike? For multiple reasons, this question comes up. One of them is for training purposes. I have both a triathlon and a road bike. Albeit the tri bike is essentially my wife's. I go back and forth myself deciding which bike to ride for a given scenario. Mostly during training. Race day, it's the tri bike. However, there is also the question of what to buy when you're just getting started in the sport, and are not totally sure. What bike should you buy?
I'll start with the second question first.
To me, it all comes down to commitment from the athlete. If this is the person's first bike beyond the old mountain bike in the back of the garage that hasn't seen the light of day in 5 years, I really try to question their dedication to their new found sport. Not to try to push them away from buying a triathlon specific bike, but to really help them understand the differences and how each bike will benefit them as an all around cyclist, beyond just the triathlon racing and training.
If this person is just a casual triathlete, looking to do some sprint and olympic distance races here and there with some friends, I would generally lean them towards a road bike, while pushing aero clip-on bars on them as well. The reason for this is that should they fall out of love with triathlon, but still enjoy the biking aspect, they aren't stuck with a triathlon bike they threw a few thousand dollars at every time they try to go out for a charity ride or just a ride with some friends. It's just a lot more versatile.
Another reason I may push a road bike is if the athlete isn't very aggressive and/or flexible. Tri bikes put you in a much more forward-leaning position than a road bike. At least right off the floor they do. I have flipped my stem and slammed my handle bars all the way down as well as flipped my seat post around to mimic the setup of a tri bike, and it does pretty well. If the athlete really lacks some flexibility in their lower back, hamstrings and upper body, the road bike has a more relaxed geometry. At least the capability of a more relaxed geometry.
As for pushing a tri bike on someone... this is someone who comes in ready to make the plunge. They've probably been around the sport for at least a year or two, riding the aforementioned road bike and consistently getting faster. They will most likely come in with some knowledge, knowing that this bike can get them more aerodynamic in their own position, as well as the bike itself being more aero. Since tri bikes generally don't follow UCI standards for tube shape ratios. Mostly that in the headset/head tube area. They can be fully integrated to present the least amount of drag at the front of the bike.
I also ask questions about longevity in the sport. If the person really seems to have aspirations to excel and progress in the sport, let's do it. Get you on that fast bike and let it rip. Let's also check your checkbook and see how fast we can get you. At least from a bike standpoint. Can you afford all the carbon fiber? Or do you need to stay aluminum? Can you upgrade to some carbon wheelset and aero helmet? These things are all factors beyond the bike purchase itself, too. I see too many people worried about getting the aero carbon wheels before 1.) a fit 2.) an aero helmet 3.) TT bars. The biggest drag you can present on a tri bike is yourself. If you're not fit properly, you could be your own worst enemy when it comes to a drag coefficient. Next, getting into some TT bars is a huge aero upgrade, and then the helmet. THEN the wheels. While they look and sound cool. They tend to have the least amount of effect on how fast you go compared to the other things I have mentioned.
So before you go out buying one bike vs another. Truly ask yourself your goals. And be honest with yourself. It's like putting a guy on a hybrid bike who came in looking for a mountain bike. He's not going to be hucking off drops and rolling logs, he's just romping around town. Same goes here. If triathlon is a rare hobby to just have fun with, maybe the road bike is the better decision.
-Dave
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