Do You Need A Triathlon Bike? | Road Bike To Tri Bike On A Budget

[@gtn]

Who's doing their first triathlon in 2020!? Leave us a comment!

[@karimdjidel9352]

I’m looking forward to!👍🏻 🤪

[@deogratias948]

Compétitive swimmer transitioning to triathlon in 2020.. we'll see ;)

[@slaughter950]

Lakesman 2020 ✌️

[@blinzi69]

im training like a beast - already did a sample training session of a sprint in just under 90mins. still undecided of what bike i should buy though - budget only 1000 euros.

[@JAGJEET45]

Fingers crossed to get the first completion medal this coming year! 🤞

[@andrewrobbins4469]

You cant beat the feeling of overtaking some guy with the tri bike and aero helmet while im on my second hand road bike 😂🤣

[@d3t3]

That's really what I did in my first Ironman. "Felt" amazing overtaking them all.

[@thanhcongTDT]

at least try that in the first few miles and then ... slow to our own pace :))

[@Jazon2901]

Ha ha I bought my first ride bike the night before my first tri for 200 bucks

[@allisonscanlan4144]

Or on a hybrid/mountain bike 🚲😅

[@Alex-kr7zr]

Did my first triathlon on Brompton folding bicycle, overtook quite a few road and tri cycles, best feeling ever.

[@stianpollestad754]

I've done quite a few triathlons, but only sprint and olympic distances. Still using my roadie with clip on bars and I have an aero helmet. My key purpose of doing it is to stay fit. I'm 44 with no ambitions of going to Kona. If I end up in 89th or 120th on the result board, I don't care. As long as I have fun, meet friends, complete the race and have a few cold ones afterwards. Cheers :D

[@firminodias4419]

This weekend I did my first triathlon on a Mountain Bike…

[@RizB0T]

Firmino Dias nice one man

[@lisadorsey9354]

How was it? I'm going to do my first triathlon on a mountain bike. I'm wondering if I need to get thinner wheels for it. What do you think?

[@firminodias4419]

Lisa Dorsey it was a very good experience, but for a competitive person like me, a bit frustrating. I don’t think it worth to do improvements on the mountain bike. Do the triathlon and if you really want to continue, buy a road bike. I have one already.

[@petel8559]

Entered my first tri ever, a sprint followed by an enticer. Was changed to run ride run in both due to dangerous seas. Completed both without stopping or walking, so stoked and hooked, going to do another sprint in 2 weeks. Never really run at all in my life and have started training after losing 65 kg over a year and half and at 47 years of age. Never too late, get out and do it!!

[@heavyhues]

"So the best thing to do, I'd say, is to draw a line in the sand and figure out how much money you're willing to spend" that's not how it works, that's not how any of this works. First you pick your favorite bike and wheels and then you think about where you can sell one of your kidneys to afford it.

[@khaki.shorts]

syntaxerror147 I think I’ll have to sell both... less weight I guess!

[@feedbackzaloop]

@@khaki.shorts don't need to go so extreme: start off with less useful organs like spleen, pancreas, reproductive system, second eye at least...

[@d3t3]

Actually a good video. People get caught up in all the gear and not really on how you can optimise your current roadie and still be able to do a Triathlon on a budget.

[@JK-ig2jp]

I used a hybrid mountain bike for my first triathlon, Olympic distance. I finished and that is all that matters.

[@peterparahuz7094]

key advice at 7:23

[@ederlikessoccer]

I did my first triathlon (70.3) and firt full Ironman in my trusted steely road bike. I'm doing another 70.3 next year in my entry level road bike.

[@gregoryvassilakos9972]

It's a bit of a jump to tell folks they can do triathlons on a mountain bike and then show an "entry-level" road bike with SRAM Red.

[@timwiste9536]

Easiest way to turn a road bike into a tri bike is the Switch Aero System. The seatpost adjusts on the fly and the aerobars are quick-release!

[@markosverdhi]

I'm going to do it. It'll be on a fixed gear bike, but I'm going to do it. Definitely checking out those clip on aero bars, thanks!

[@ngregerman]

Same, just have a single speed fixie and gonna do it. Did you do it?

[@ahfodder]

Doing my first triathlon in August 2020! Ironman Kalmar. Eeek!

[@brandonnielsen694]

So happy they started with real life situations instead of jumping to the most “basic” version of high level road/TT bikes

[@dblevins343]

As someone who's been asked to join in a relay as the biking leg, I'm really not interested in riding my entry level hardtail with road tires the whole way (which is still a better option than my full-sus). Thus, here I am trying to figure out what type of roadbike to invest into to not only race, but train for this on. Im an MTB guy at heart (and downhill at that) but this is an exciting challenge.

[@patosiegl7920]

Sram Red on "entry bike" well i havent got that on my racing bike and i am going to 70.3 worlds

[@patosiegl7920]

Fraser Cartmell thing to chat about on Challenge Samorin. GTN could also do some Budget bike Tour maybe

[@diggerdave519]

Just signed up for my first triathlon in May 2020 at Port Stephens, NSW Australia. Gonna be a cold one.....great channel btw.

[@ЛадаЙовович]

My first triathlon bike was a classic, Soviet 1972 production of the frame of the Kharkiv Bicycle Factory (KHVZ) "Sputnik" (in the USSR, the manufacturer qualified it as a "light road sports and tourist bike" (that is, in fact, at that time it was something like modern grevel, cyclocross and touring bikes, "in one bottle"). It is completely made of iron (not chrome-molybdenum) and has a weight of 18 kilograms (with chrome mudguards-wings, and a rear trunk + an aluminum aerobar nozzle). It was redesigned for modern bushings and a carriage with a square and 3 stars in front (48/38/28) from MTB (I live in the mountains, so 3 stars on this heavy bike are justified), in the back instead of stock Soviet 4 stars, put 8 (12 - 30). At the same time, the shifter system on the lower tube of the frame coped with such an upgrade without changes (native Soviet shifters designed for 2 stars in front and 4 stars in the rear work without problems with a system of 3 stars in front and 8 in the rear, and know-how Chinese switches (front and rear)). On a stock 38 mm wide "ram", an aerobar/sunbed attachment was installed on top. Stock tires were 32 mm, replaced first with 28 in front of 32 behind the "KENDA", then changed to a Continental 25mm, and now there is a 38mm Continental Contact. In 2020-21, about 6,000 km were covered on it, with 3 collisions (through no fault of mine) with cars, and at the same time the bike is still "alive", and quite in good condition. Used to this day by me, as a household city bike, exercise bike (for training trips), touring / grevel - off-road (without heavy dirt), as well as a road bike for winter and bad weather (it has mudguards-wings). And sometimes used as a TT bike. The funny thing is that so far, in my region, on this particular bike, I have taken several CoM, and some among men and women (this is despite the fact that athletes from all over the country come to my region as a resort to train in the mountains in the autumn-spring period when it is warmer than in the north). In general, I am happy with this bike and still use it (now, by the way, its time is coming, the autumn period with rains and fogs) =)

[@VadimKudim]

Господи, и тут ХВЗшники

[@guillermo6533]

I have just added aero bars to my road bike. From 32 to 35 kmph increase in flat. Just with the aero bars.

[@Nessunego]

I'll use only my road bike in 2022 shifting from sprint to olympic distance races (they are almost all draft-legal races). I will save money and at the end of 2022 I will buy my first triathlon bike as in my plans I will train for 70.3 ironman in 2023, starting racing them in 2024 (I plan to race only a few olympic triathlon races in 2023). I would like rim brakes and mechanical gears on my triathlon bike, so I think I will have no choice other than used ones. I cannot stand the complications and potential vulnerabilities of hydraulic disc brakes and electonic gears, especially travelling around the world to race. If I survive 2 years of 70.3 ironman races, maybe I'll train for full ironman for the next 2 years before attempting my first full ironman race.

[@NRVE8]

I love how all these guys say you don't need any of this fancy gear, yet that's all they use haha

[@JakobPuchmayr]

thanks for this video👍🏻 could you also make a video on using a gravel bike for a triathlon? Regards, Jakob

[@gregoryvassilakos9972]

Talk to Heather about that bullet-shaped Profile Designs water bottle. You are mounting it backwards. If the bullet-nose cap is pointing forward, the speedometer mount is in the wrong place for easy viewing. Everyone I know who has that bottle has turned it around with the bullet-nose cap pointing aft. Heather has the same bottle on her bike with the bullet-nose cap pointing aft in one of the GTN videos.

[@heedeimanaga]

Gonna be 17 years old this December 11. Gonna do my first sprint distance triathlon around February and I'm planning to race a half marathon. Gonna do my 2nd duathlon this December 8.

[@patricksinnermachinations3591]

Im 17 also. December 4th. Training for my first ironman before my 18th

[@andreizelchenko934]

A bottle of water! 👍 Of course. Thanks for video.

[@juliahulbert7552]

This is fabulous thank you

[@toshman696969]

only bike a first time triathlete needs is a road bike...most would probably faster and more comfortable....

[@jason200912]

Poverty tt bike: Use any bike you own. Buy aero bars. Done Now next you can go buy a rear disc wheel cover plate for $100-250.

[@trepidati0n533]

A bit of feedback. I felt this video could have been broken up into a 2 or 3 part series. Water bottles, the strap on versions, how to use them effectively, clean them, etc all could have been a nice 7-10 minute video without more information on how us them. Look at the different levels of clip on aerobars and saddles that can either be shifted or have ability to have two positions, etc. I almost feeds like the team is trying to "over produce" the videos which makes them look pretty but makes them feel a bit hollow. Thanks.

[@gtn]

Thanks for the feedback

[@nealeclark4552]

What sort of performance increase could you expect from a full on tri-bike vs a road bike with all the aero add-ons. I guess I'm asking how much does the triathlon geometry increase performance.

[@d.w.evans1182]

But just putting arm rests on a road bike doesn’t really work, at least not for me anyway because you’re too stretched out to be comfortable, you also need a seatpost that pushes the saddle forward to effectively shorten the top tube, and most modern bikes now use a teardrop or d shaped seatpost so thats not really possible.

[@stijndeklerk]

I'm surprised you didn't suggest a seatpost with a positive setback and a tri saddle. Without them, the reach to the clip-on bars becomes to big and the hips close up. Leading to discomfort , extra fatigue, a bad run off the bike and possible injury.

[@jonathanzappala]

stijndeklerk because it is an exaggerated misconception. That moves the saddle forward only 2.5 cm. There is probably that much adjustment available on the saddle rails if you want it. The difference between a road bike and a tri bike is only a few cm. Also clip on handlebars have a higher stack above the drop bars, coupled with drop bars already being higher and closer than tri bike bars, means you can’t get an aggressive position on a road bike requiring a steeper seat angle.

[@stijndeklerk]

​@@jonathanzappala I'd have to dissagree, moving the saddle 2.5cm forward from a standard road position is not nearly enough & there are plenty of roadbikes with a low enough front end to get an agressive enough position on if need be on a size smaller, except maybe for the ultra flexible among us.

[@jonathanzappala]

Interestingly a fixed gear bike isn’t allowed under usat rules. But that would be a bad choice if it’s not a flat course haha.

[@jameskilgore8104]

I just did my first olympic triathlon on a Trek 1000 road bike. I loved the experience and I want to do more triathlons and an Ironman once I turn 18 and am allowed to do one. Is it realistic to do an Ironman on this bike?

[@corywaltz7238]

I'm surprised you suggested carbon wheels before an aero helmet. From the testing done on GCN the aero helmet is a bigger bang for your buck.

[@DARKFURY51]

it has suspension forks

[@santranimboo4027]

Still a student, idk probably around 2024 or something

[@sail5820]

Go for a little and local one! That's what I've done & it was great!

[@MrBlowfish78]

Another Great Video Well Done GTN. Got my first 70.3 Next Year (Weymouth) if you are adding Clip on TT Bars how much should you raise your seat by ? is there a rule/guide ?

[@patosiegl7920]

Well that's personal preference and keen on your body type. If you have longer legs you raise your saddle bit more and if you have longer torso you put your tribars closer to 0 deg. Useful thing for that is spirit level app on your phone. But i recommend profesional bike fit - the best upgrade for your bike

[@MrBlowfish78]

@@patosiegl7920 thanks Pato for replying much appreciated. Had a bike fit but I know some bike physios so I'll ask them

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@ljk5708]

I do swimming and running already and will be looking to getting a bike some time soon. I already know that I’m getting a bike so that I can do triathlon, so shouldn’t I just go for a tribike strait away? A road bike is going to be more versatile but I’ll just end up putting all the add ons to make it as similar as possibile to a tribike? Road or Tri ?

[@jonathanzappala]

Liam Knight I had that debate and went road bike. It is more versatile, but yes you’ll want a tri bike after you get hooked. I would get something second hand, road or tri. Because when your hooked you’ll want a nice tri bike. If you skip buying the entry level one now, your saving yourself money later when you buy a nice one. Group rides of non triathletes frown on tri bikes, if you’d want to be group riding. The position is most of what counts, after that clothing and after that helmets. I would spend my money in that order (I should have done clothing sooner). So a 10 year old tri bike with good clothing and a helmet would be faster than a new tri bike without clothing and a helmet.

[@patosiegl7920]

Road bike is more versatile and difference between well fitted road bike and tri bike is in speed of 35k/h only 3 watts. Soo road bike is cheaper and more versatile. Probably it is better to invest into Road bike on Ultegra than into TT bike on 105. This is more difference

[@jonathanzappala]

Pato Siegl I would completely disagree the difference between 105 and ultegra is only weight. They are functionally the same. And no, the difference between a road bike and a tri bike is not only 3 watts. If you set up your road bike to have the same body position as a tri bike, it would no longer be usable as a road position bike.

[@lukasweigel3699]

I've done two triathlons in 2019 and I'm looking to do more in 2020.. I own a canyon road bike (64inch) but want to upgrade to a real racing rig. PROBLEM IS: I am 6'8 and I cant seem to find an entry level TT-bike, any suggestions here?

[@jonathanzappala]

Lukas Weigel TT bikes usually only come in 4 sizes, so your going to have to go for the biggest one and make it work. As long as you can get your saddle height, the stack can probably be made to work. Not every brand publishes how adjustable the front end is, but they publish maximum saddle heights. If you find a shop that knows what it’s doing, they can tell you if the front end will be tall and long enough for you. Regular height guys ride M and even S when they are on road bikes that are L because generally the right size tt bike for you is smaller than for the road.

[@khaki.shorts]

Lukas, generally for a TT bike a smaller bike size is fine, so if you normally ride an XL frame just pick a nice bike and get their biggest frame size (probably large)

[@patosiegl7920]

Good advice is spend more on bike that fits you rather than trying to fit on a bike. Advice for bike: Entry level Scott plasma in XL size.

[@luis-gk9ri]

The timemachine from bmc is pretty cheap 👍🤙

[@TIM123451ERR]

Could I have subtitle in English?

[@pentatopComment]

Do you recommend a noraml city person to buy a Triathlon bike in the city?

[@edwardzx7]

Just buy a normal road/commuter bike, and do upgrades! No need to buy a 3-4K bike for normal use.

[@jamesward8140]

This kind of bike is good ,*pulls out full carbon bike with sram red that costs more than a car*

[@Marko-sh5tn]

Pro tip: never buy 2nd hand from a pro!

[@pollackrocket]

Thats not entirely true. Lots of pros have back bikes that rarelyget used, but are still very well equipped. You do need to be very discerning when looking the thing over before purchase though, no doubt!

[@hatimelm2869]

i will say only one thing : the 14 people disliked are either stupid or fools 😂. thank you so much !!!!

[@princejanluga2808]

Can you give me a t shirt of GTN . .im a number one fan here in phillipines