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| *Vultures Knob>>>Cycling |
What type of bikes are used in triathlons? |
And what are some good brands to purchase. Time Trial bikes are mostly used in Tri. That doesn't mean you can you a stanard road bike though. A TT bike is very much like a road bike the main difference is it has TT or areo bars to allow you to bend way over and rest you arms on pad to help keep you aero. These bars have bar end shifter not STI. Unless you do lots of tri I highly recommend a road bike. Tri bikes aren't used as much for training by anyone and are harder to control when in the aero position. A road bike will work great for most Tri races unless you are approaching the elite level. I recomend using a road bike and if you want to then buy clip on aero bars. At the pro level these bikes have more differences. Professional tri-athletes use bikes similar to "time trial" bikes. These have a very aerodynamic handlebars (aero bars for short) that decrease aerodynamic resistance, and provide enhanced speed for the same power output. The largest manufacturers will likely have time trial bikes. They tend to be expensive (easily starting in the $2000 range), so you should have an idea of your budget, and what you want -- a professional experience? That being said, any bike can be used in a triathlon (well, there are likely restrictions against recumbents) - but road and time trials bikes are more likely to the type of bikes found among the winners. In terms of brands -- go with one that fits you and one you enjoy riding. A nice article for what features to consider as part of a triathlon bike: http://ezinearticles.com/?choosing-bike-... One winning bike manufacturer: http://www.loribowden.com/index2.htm... Explanation of a variety of bike types: http://stlbiking.com/bike_types.htm... And for purchasing used bikes: http://ezinearticles.com/?used-triathlon... road bike get one u feel good on tris are more forgiving that cycling as for the bike, so tri bikes can be more extreme than what cycling would allow a rider to use in a TT. they often tuck the back wheel up under the rider further, use a steeper seat tube and a more agressive position than even a TT bike. all that is great if you have a sponsor paying for it, but if you arent gettting paid to do it, i recommend more of a roadbike. you can outfit it with bars and even carbon spoked wheels and do pretty good. someone riding a true Tri bike would see a little advantage over an equal rider that had a road bike, but usually on the amature level you can improve your times much more by training better than any bike will do. like the red barron said, it isnt the crate, it is the man flying it. it amazes me people spend lots of money to save grams, paper clips, and yet they carry an extra 20lbs on thier bodies. Eddie B called american cyclists fat. typically we carry way too much weight, and you are far better off to focus on your fitness than to spend a lot more money for very little advantage. You have a lot of good answers regarding tri-bikes (and TT bikes). Are you considering entering a triathlon? Do you already have a road bike or do you currently ride a bike? Before you spend a lot of money on a specialized bike, I suggest making sure you are going to stick with it. If you already have a pretty good bike. Use it for your first triathlon. You may not be the most stylish person there and you probably won't win, but if you have a good time, then you can begin to decide what type of bike to get. You might also see if you know someone who has a bike that would fit you and would be willing to let you ride it (either recreationally or in a race). Also, will you want to do riding just for fun. If you want to just go out riding with people on the roads, a tri or TT bike is not the best; a regular road bike would be better. The aero bars on a tri/TT bike do not handle the same as the bars on a road bike. I cannot add a lot to the information others have given you on what a tri/TT bike is, but since I think you are exploring the idea of triathlons, go into it with some prior planning so that you minimize the risk of "wasting" your money on an expensive bike. Good luck and happy cycling (running and swimming). |
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