Triathlon Bike Vs Road Bike - What’s The Difference?

[@gtn]

Which do you ride: a TT bike or a road bike?

[@carlbyronrodgers]

Road bike.Reason,stability.

[@wilfdarr]

Road bike with clip-ons: and it's sh!t. Mostly I just use them to hold my shopping (seriously). The angle between your upper body and lower body is too closed (cranks are ~10° further forward on a road bike), making it harder to breath! It's a good thing I'm skinny 'cause if I had a gut it wouldn't work at all! It'll work until I scrape up enough for a TT bike.

[@ericmain30]

Almost exclusively TT

[@ngdawgs1]

Basic Road bike with aero bars 😎. Enjoy passing the super TT bikes during events 😂.

[@felixblock1542]

Both. However, I only really ride the road bike a lot in autumn and winter and on certain days in training otherwise. Say, recovery or individual training sessions or when I ride with my father when he rides the TT bike - M70+. If it has to be fast - and I love riding fast - then the triathlon bike (Cervelo P3 Rim) is actually always the way to go. Roughly speaking, my TT bike is set very very sharp in the TT position, as I only did time trials for a long time. My road bike is a Cervelo S5 Rimbrake, which is not slow either. On flat tracks, the TT bike should always be about 8-12% faster. In addition, many people often choose their road bike more "comfortably", i.e. often one frame size higher than one would have to by racing standards. However, my comparison refers to a road bike WITHOUT clip-ons. With clip-on bars you can quickly achieve 1-2 km/h faster average speeds. Nevertheless, a road bike with clip-on bars is always a compromise. Either you buy a very small road bike frame for a low stack, so that it is normally rather uncomfortable to ride, and then you have to get the saddle with saddle support far enough forward. This can be more difficult with today's frames with non-interchangeable seatposts. And in the end, the handling is often relatively nervous due to the often shorter wheelbase of a road bike. In this respect, yes: you can convert a road bike into a TT bike with a lot of work. And then it's hardly any slower, but the normal road bike position then suffers again, of course. If you want to go fast and still be comfortable, in the long run there's no getting around a triathlon bike. What speaks against it are the insane prices. In the meantime, the parts have become incredibly expensive, but that's also the case with road bikes. Unfortunately. Many people would certainly be faster with old, used TT bikes than with new high-end aero road bikes, especially if no clip-ons can be mounted on them. Bike position is (almost) everything. On a relatively flat 40km route, 267W would probably result in 44.2km/h for the TT bike. Road bike 40 km/h, road bike with clip-ons approx. 42 km/h. So the time differences are already relatively large with 54:18, 60:00 and 57:17min. Since I ride my TT bike a lot and am also trained to ride curves fast, the only thing left is to ride uphill. However, even there the differences are relatively marginal. Some of my training routes are 3.2 km with 6%. Most of the time I am almost as fast with the same power. It's possible that I could go a bit faster on the road bike on all-outs. Since I am also faster downhill with the TT bike, the TT bike is considerably faster for me in the vast majority of cases.

[@deanb61]

Someone close to me was selling an old TT bike so I couldn't resist giving it a go. I was surprised just how much faster it was than my carbon frame road bike (Giant Defy). I upgraded it slightly, alloy aero wheels, 165 cranks etc, and took a trip to Matt Bottrill, who replaced the old style flat aero bars with something more raised. Overall, it's about 5kph faster than the Giant. Doesn't sound like much, but it's about an hour in an ironman!

[@davidporter2828]

H'mm, I have a Giant Defy as well, love if for training and general rides on multiple surfaces, but always feel relatively "slow" in a Triathlon!

[@deanb61]

@@davidporter2828 yeah, it's a fine bike for sportives and general rides, but a proper TT bike is significantly faster. The TT bike is also quite different to ride, you can't just ride it for the race, you have to train on it as well.

[@davidporter2828]

Thanks Dean, good reminder about the need to train the TT bike. My swim is slow (but improving), run OK, and it's the bike I feel really let's me down. I need far more bike fitness AND a Triathlon specific bike. Cheers!

[@el_chico1313]

yel thats true😂 i competed with my gravel bike and sir I was outclassed! going with a tuck tuck against a ferrarri

[@lewisdacris1]

Would be interested to see how much of a TT set up you could get a road bike. As you say you could adjust saddle position & slam the stem, have the same deep section wheels, mount the bottle cage behind the seat, add storage boxes that fill in some of the frame space, even add electronic shifters to the ends of the aero bars. I'm sure you guys could think of more! Be cool to see how much you can cut down the difference between the two, and how much that will cost to do!

[@coachjohn]

Totally correct information. Only 2 reasons to ride a roadie in a triathlon 1. It's your only bike 2. You don't trust your abilities to go downhill at a fast pace

[@funguy74]

If money is an issue the answer is simple, use a road bike for training and rent a bad ass tri bike for race day. Maybe rent one for a few practice day too to get the feel for it. That's the practical thing to do.

[@danmckenzie5395]

I understand that another advantage of a Triathlon bike (even as opposed to a TT bike) is that the geometry suits muscle saving for the run. I'd be curious to see a challenge where you do a brick session off of a Triathlon bike and a road bike and see how you feel and your times for the run?

[@allisonscanlan4144]

That's a great idea!

[@nightsfalling]

I like that Mark and James rodé both bikes in all the scenarios. I have done the same and I’m faster on my TT bike. The results seem pretty consistent.

[@niceracleous9999]

Prefer a comparison would’ve been to use an Aero road bike with deep section wheels, this is far more likely to be used for triathlon,

[@miguelbrito7099]

I should be training now, even if it's cold and miserable outside, but you guys had to go ahead and drop a new video... thanks a lot, GTN... :)

[@wilfdarr]

I'm watching this after my fast run (takes less time 😄). 加油(jia you: roughly translates to "step on it")! 🍻

[@jeansim3127]

I love Marks style of presenting, he just seems like a genuinely nice bloke.

[@abhinavwitty]

Its quite a combo with these 2 - Mark and James. Fun and Banter included

[@JoeBackspaced]

Incredible video guys, this is what I’ve needed. I would really liked to have seen an older bike like a p1 and maybe an older road bike with clip on bars added to the mix to see exactly how different each level is. Most people who are new to triathlon would like to see where the money would best be spent and I think testing all 4 kinds of bikes would make that decision much easier- even if we know which one would win it is nice to see how much speed you are buying at each price point. Thank you! And great job

[@stolts34]

For normal humans who will never crack the top half, a road bike is by far the better choice because of it's versatility and weight. Saving 2-8 minutes on the bike ain't doing nothing but give me more time in transition to have an extra peanut butter cup and do a little more people watching while I absorb the experience.

[@cesarmorales3721]

It is for a full Ironman race .

[@SBoots29]

I was scared you guys were going to take my dream of owning a TT bike away. Currently I only have a LOOK 695 road bike with clip on aero bars. It does the job and I have fun. I want to get a TT bike if nothing else just to look fast. When you're an old age grouper Vanity is everything.

[@Aeronwor]

My first triathlon was a draft legal sprint distance, where the bike course was 5 laps of a 4km flat route with 6 tight corners per lap, this more or less meant I felt no disadvantage on my old steel road bike compared to the guys on fancy new road or TT bikes. I did feel a disadvantage, when I went an extra lap because I cannot count beyond 4. I felt a slight disadvantage, on my 2nd, an olympic distance, non-drafting race, but nothing compared to my crappy swim and nothing, that couldn't be fixed with just peddling harder and faster. I have more work to do on my swim before I can justify a bike upgrade (also a long talk with my better half on why I *need* a new bike).

[@DigininjaRobin]

I asked this very question on two forums last, both agreed I should be going for a TT bike so I'm off for a fit for one next week. I'm going to ride through the winter with clip ons on my indoor bike then get a TT in the spring when I'll be able to take it outside to ride.

[@Cookefan59]

After a few years with a beautiful Specialized Carbon fiber road bike, I was elated when I first found out about clip on aero bars. My first time out on them I noticed I was going 2-3 mph faster on a flat surface. Going downhill, in a tuck, I was 5-7 mph faster! My economical situation demands I buy a used TTbike. There are actually some very good deals out there. My issue will be finding the right one for my size at 6’2” and 220 pounds. Great video although Mark seemed to be talking over his co-host a bit much to the point where I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. Cheers!

[@cmarnold78]

Yeah, I was amazed how much faster they made you for only about $100. Got them for my Domane this year for my second Tri. So much better!

[@nickbell6435]

this will be my first year of triathlon and after a gym membership to get access to a pool, a wetsuit and a couple race entries the bill are steadily totting up, so for now it'll be a set of clip on bars and a clip on disc wheel cover to get some gains for much less cash.

[@timandkristigeddes1997]

I chose Road bike with clip-ons due to budget. Merida Scultura 4000. Not even an aero frame but I've made it as aero as possible for Tri's and its a dream as a road bike. I consistently place i the top 3rd in my age group Triathlons passing many TT bikes, but would one day love to have a TT. Everyone knows TT bikes are faster, its all about budget.

[@RafaelTorres-ll9bl]

I think that a good demonstration will be after ride around 2 hours (TT and Road with clip) check the performance running. This case is not only about speed but muscle conservation to complete the triathlon.

[@joshspencer6240]

I've got a gravel bike 😬. I bought it before trying triathlon. I could switch, but invested a lot in it and I do appreciate the occasional versatility. To try to cut down on the disparity, I bought a super deep wheel set, fast tires, and aero bottles. I'm also traveling at a lower speed than you guys (~35kph) so the aero penalties are reduced. I had seen one formula for aero conversions where you cube the two comparative speeds, so 35^3/45^3=0.471, meaning I might only experience 47% of the aero penalty you guys do.

[@el_chico1313]

would u do a triathlon with that?

[@joshspencer6240]

@@el_chico1313 yes, all the way up to 70.3 distance so far

[@alansmith2593]

I think it would be cool to have a cheap bike only triathlon:)

[@stevezphone]

This was good information regarding the bike geometry differences! Thank you

[@felipethomas3828]

I guess a better comparison would have been an aero-road bike with similarly deep wheels than the TT bike😅

[@dylangowland]

Black Cervelo Caledonia-5. I absolutely adore this bike but I am looking forward to the day I get my hands on a Canyon TT bike. Thanks for all your videos, they've helped my training immensely!

[@wilfdarr]

I'm keenly aware I'll never afford a Canyon TT, but there are other decent TT bikes out there!

[@avivgol3319]

Just bought my first road bike after riding on a mountain bike. I am transitioning from running to triathlons and still cant drop that amount of money on tt bike

[@funguy74]

Use a normal road bike for training and rent a bad ass tt bike for race day.

[@GorgieClarissa]

​@funguy74 you can rent tt bikes!?

[@Digitalbath570]

Can you look at how the position differences between both bikes and how they effect and make you feel on the run

[@jamiefuhrman403]

My understanding is TT bikes significantly reduce the strain on your quads for the run portion

[@maciejglon]

for me best combination it TT bike and gravel, nearly all terrain covered and can be done on the budget (sort off)

[@smithy1011]

Would love to see a full race between the 2 and to see the time difference at the end.

[@jazznroll5]

I have a good aero road bike with rim integrated brakes, wireless shifting and 50mm middle of the road wheels. With pedals and a bike computer it is 7.3kg. For triathlons i add: clip-on bars, wireless blips, torpedo water bottle between arms, bento box on top tube, aero bottle on down tube and one or two water bottles behind the saddle. It doesn't get closer to a triathlon bike than this. I don't think a triathlon bike would be faster, especially the disc brake versions and it is lighter and more versatile.

[@Kieran0]

Your body position is the biggest factor for aerodynamics. A tt bike will help you to hold a better position so it will be faster.

[@wilfdarr]

I have basically the same minus the torpedo, and it'll do for now, but the geometry isn't good: the seat being so far back rotates you up so you have to fight much harder to stay aero. It's fine for community triathlon, but if I'm going to race in a "real" event I'll need a TT.

[@jazznroll5]

@@wilfdarr You can change stem length (in you don't have one piece system), seatpost offset (if your bike allows for different seatpost), saddle fore-aft position and get in a good aero position. However the biggest limiting factor to a good aero position is your own body and your flexibility. No bike can get you in a good aero position if your body doesn't allow for it.

[@Kieran0]

@@jazznroll5 I think no matter how much you adjust your road position w/ saddle fore/aft and stem switch you're still not going to get the same geometry as a tt bike. You're right that your flexibility makes a big difference but in my experience it's a huge bonus for the TT bike since it's designed to help put you in an aero position, I recently picked up a 2nd hand TT bike, prior to that I've been using tri bars on my road bike. Due to the road geometry I have found it a struggle to stay on the aero bars for 10-15mins at a time, it makes my back hurt and I have to stretch myself out periodically and I find myself just moving around a lot trying to get comfy. On the TT bike I can stay put on the tri bars for 30mins+ without much difficulty and I haven't really been training since the weather has been awful. It's entirely possible that this is placebo and I've just tricked myself into thinking it's more comfy to justify spending more money but I'm pretty sure that's not the case. If you haven't already, I'd recommend trying out a TT bike if you get the chance.

[@wilfdarr]

@@jazznroll5 Unfortunately the seat post is proprietary and I've already done with the stem what I can: measuring the "crank-seat-bar" angle is about 70° (good angle if you're sitting up) where a TT bike is more like 80~85°, so when you're on the aero bars you're thighs are literally touching your stomach as they come up because the seat is too far behind the cranks, so though flexible can be a factor, it's not in my case, the position is literally affecting my breathing. I just bought a 5cm longer seat post today (literally arrived at 9am this morning) that should move my stomach up away from my thighs, but raising my seat will also push my reach out 2cm even more, so really I'm just trading one issue for another: I think I'm at a point where I'm flexible enough and strong enough to manage it, but i guess we'll see. Certainly a seat post is cheaper than a TT bike, but at some point I'm just going to have to make the jump!

[@adyparipurna6325]

Will it differ much if using aeroad instead ultimate?

[@guyholbrow5143]

What would you guys suggest for a course like IM Nice? Interestingly when Gustav won the 70.3 there, he rode a road bike; not sure whether there’s a higher percentage of climbing between the full and half distance! Also if IM Nice gets chosen for the men’s IM world championships next year, might we see both road and TT bikes out on the course?

[@Oue22]

I ride both depending on the purpose, but just entry level (105 components, aluminum frames). Which led to a question my friend and I were debating. Would you rather have one nicer road bike (carbon di2), or two entry level bikes but each with a different purpose? I think the aero setup on the mechanical tt bike would outweigh the better groupset/weight savings of the nicer road bike for triathlon, but I don’t know….

[@wilfdarr]

I think you're right, especially on the TT side where your not flicking gears up and down on a technical course: I'm confident you'd do just fine with a Tiagra on a TT. The road bike might take more of a penalty for it though, depending on the course...

[@dagondon]

In zwift. The crappiest TT bike (the free one you get at level 1) out races the most expensive and fastest road bike without drafting. I won't say their stats are 100% accurate buy they do try to approximate reality.

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

Youse guys should have Ollie from GCN for the climbing portions. Cool video I hate hill but, not so much riding my Atheos.

[@iang7007]

HI, is there any advantage as a triathlete to also riding a road bike in your training, or for that matter an endurance bike? Or are we better with 3 to 4 rides / week to just use the triathlon bike and get maximum position adaptation and specificity? Thanks :)

[@nickvandam1214]

How long is a "standard distance triathlon" as mentioned in the results?

[@victorjld]

Nice video! I would love to watch the comparison between the standard clip on road bike vs ITU clip on

[@pipapo3424]

Does it still matter? Aren't they banning clip ons for draft races completely starting in 2023?

[@marlenebean]

What about flat bars with clip on aero bars? Is that a stupid question?

[@alexanderhall4281]

I would love to try a TT bike or triathlon bike . I have a racing bike at the moment. Great video. I noticed that you two had slightly different helmets which may have had an impact.

[@dominikweiss1996]

Hi! What kind of wheels are on the Ultimate? They look amazing, but can‘t see any branding on them. Thanks in advance!

[@valfssantiago]

it might be a running joke here, but isn't TT stands for TimeTrial? In here it seems like TT is used as TriaThlon

[@matthewferri5609]

I got a new to me Cayon speedmax and I cannot get comfortable on the bars. Has anyone fit drop bars to their TT bike??

[@mathewkirk1748]

Being 6’2, 92kgs, and living in New Zealand means I’m on an aero road bike….. Finding a good TT without waiting for months and months and/or needing a second mortgage is almost impossible

[@izi941]

Well, a disclaimer would be nice…especially in long distances Tri, the bike with (for you) most comfortable position would be the fastest. No help all this X watts saved if you average 2X watts less because you’re not used to the aggressive position.

[@jamiefuhrman403]

#gtncoachescorner would you suggest cleaning a racing bike in the offseason if it's just sitting indoors? I use a road bike attached to my trainer during the winter months. If so, how frequently?

[@aragonarathorn5713]

Why do they never ever test an Aero Road Bike with clips aerobars vs a TT bike

[@wilfdarr]

What's the difference? Basically they took a D6 and a scatter dice and moved the points of measurement that many centimeters in random directions! 😁

[@joyridaz]

But doesn’t thé tri bike keep the legs fresher for the long run? Maybe u can tag on a marathon test to the end of this, haha jk but some type of shorter test would be interesting but not sure how to replicate since volume does matter

[@wilfdarr]

I don't know about that, but the geometry is way better: that 10° difference on the seat post is really apparent, and no matter how much you bring the seat forward on a road bike it's not going to offset that!

[@neilawuk]

Yes! They need to stop just comparing road vs tt bike and more comparing the overall effect, I.e. bike time and run time as tt bike saves the legs

[@francescogalet9950]

What kind of tests are those?? Way too short to give any kind of reliable result..

[@ArtistDaynz90]

Dont know much about cyclists, but I feel like they are the dorks of the biking world.

[@MohamedAyach]

Have both

[@JonatanSanchezEstevez]

Unless your name is Taylor Knibb it makes no difference

[@serisingh]

4:13 I’d rather the bike feel fast than actually be faster. I’m in it for enjoyment and feel of the bike is everything.

[@BethanyBlount]

Saving for a TT/triathlon bike which also gives me time to 1) figure out where to store another bike and 2) convince my husband I need another bike 😂 Actually, I had originally bought clip-on aero bars as another hand position for an 80+ mile loop I'd created. They worked great for a local tri too though.

[@cmarnold78]

Yep, they are about the best $100 you can spend. Although spending more on a TT bike WOULD be more fun though :)

[@stephenboshears4832]

The UCI removed the 3 to 1 rule already

[@nickm2752]

Let Nixion be an inspiration to us all.

[@markhansen4301]

Random question but why isn't James listed as a presenter on your website? Love your channel as always. Thanks for all the great content 👍

[@taicelhar6618]

I want battle pass plad

[@DjCringefest]

gtn : it's an emotional psychological decision tt numbers gains tt .40 minus tt two to tt one 3.14titigains humanoid : for fun

[@nemure]

As usual you made same mistake as gcn. Aero is always better than light weight. You mention under 15km/h speed barrier but you completely forgot head wins. Climbing at 10km/h with a head win is equivalent to going much much quicker depending on the wind speed

[@KingFrid-t5y]

Pfeffer Viaduct