Riding a TT bike when not going flat out
Discussion
Yup, the 'theory' is rather more than theory, it's just specificity! And you don't need to be elite.. I'm nothing like, but I commonly do long 'training' rides on it.. I would suggest you need a good reason (i.e. being acclimatised to the position, training your body to hold the position, put power down in a different way, etc).. and you definitely want to be spending most of the time out on the poles, so at least the weight is on your elbows not your wrists..
If I didn't need to ride that position for 5 odd hours, I'd certainly take something else. Basically if I didn't race on a TT, I'd not ride a TT - it's awesome at what it does, but in any other respect, it's far too awkward in not-fun ways. Putting it in car terms, it's not a caterham, it's far more focussed. The roadbike is a caterham.
For the OP, I honestly think you'll have far more fun with the aeroad.. and don't underestimate the power of a shiny new toy to get you out and help loose the kilos. You don't have to be 'worthy'..
If I didn't need to ride that position for 5 odd hours, I'd certainly take something else. Basically if I didn't race on a TT, I'd not ride a TT - it's awesome at what it does, but in any other respect, it's far too awkward in not-fun ways. Putting it in car terms, it's not a caterham, it's far more focussed. The roadbike is a caterham.
For the OP, I honestly think you'll have far more fun with the aeroad.. and don't underestimate the power of a shiny new toy to get you out and help loose the kilos. You don't have to be 'worthy'..
Edited by upsidedownmark on Wednesday 19th August 00:04
king awful 
The obvious answer is - he's a triathlete.
It's true that the position requires effort to adapt to. My saddle was much lower than road, much more crunched up of course. I found that rather than do any rides on it at all outside (I rode it fewer than 5 times outside when it wasn't a race), I'd do all my turbo stuff on it, and in position for the harder stuff. It was the harder efforts in position that helped most with adaption for me. Some people never get anywhere their road watts on a TT bike.
Beiruttaxi who is this ELITE you speak of? (p.s almost everyone is below 20 mins for a 10 these days).
It's true that the position requires effort to adapt to. My saddle was much lower than road, much more crunched up of course. I found that rather than do any rides on it at all outside (I rode it fewer than 5 times outside when it wasn't a race), I'd do all my turbo stuff on it, and in position for the harder stuff. It was the harder efforts in position that helped most with adaption for me. Some people never get anywhere their road watts on a TT bike.
Beiruttaxi who is this ELITE you speak of? (p.s almost everyone is below 20 mins for a 10 these days).
upsidedownmark said:
For the OP, I honestly think you'll have far more fun with the aeroad.. and don't underestimate the power of a shiny new toy to get you out and help loose the kilos. You don't have to be 'worthy'..
Oh I'm not going to buy a TT bike, I just wondered what they were like to ride. I did get a used Planet X road bike recently and upgraded a few parts on it. Next year I'll probably get a proper aero bike from Canyon, though LaPierre and Orbea make some really nice looking stuff too.Edited by upsidedownmark on Wednesday 19th August 00:04
My fitness is improving quickly, I'm really enjoying getting out for short road rides at the moment and doing structured training on Zwift. I didn't want to get something brand new in case I had an embarrassing clipless pedal incident at traffic lights or do something else stupid to damage a new and valuable bike. Not to say the Planet X was cheap but I got it significantly cheaper than it was when it was new and the Ultegra groupset looks like it has barely been used.
As others have said, if you race a TT / Tri bike, you need to train in the position, it's not as simple as just switching from a road bike. Steady rides are a great way to do that and to train the muscles you need to adapt to ride in that position.
I tend to do this on the turbo, but there's no substitute for doing it outside. The turbo doesn't replicate the bumps and shocks you get on the road, of which there's plenty in the UK!
I've actually moved away from training 'flat out' on my TT on the road. They're just in too poor condition around me, so would rather do speed work on the turbo and steady rides on the road.
As for generally riding it, if i had a commute that didn't involve towns and lots of traffic lights, then maybe, but if you're spending most of your time on the basebar, you're negating the point of doing it (i.e. no muscle adaptation to the aero position), so you'd be better off on a road bike.
I tend to do this on the turbo, but there's no substitute for doing it outside. The turbo doesn't replicate the bumps and shocks you get on the road, of which there's plenty in the UK!
I've actually moved away from training 'flat out' on my TT on the road. They're just in too poor condition around me, so would rather do speed work on the turbo and steady rides on the road.
As for generally riding it, if i had a commute that didn't involve towns and lots of traffic lights, then maybe, but if you're spending most of your time on the basebar, you're negating the point of doing it (i.e. no muscle adaptation to the aero position), so you'd be better off on a road bike.
Main question I'd ask would be 'What bike geometry is right for you?".
In theory I'd love a Venge/Aeroad/atarmac S7 etc but in I have long legs and short arms so an endurance bike is a better fit.
No point being fast, but bloody uncomfortable. It will probably give you back pains and may not be an optimal for you to get the power down.
Also got to look at the state of the roads you ride. I do a mixture and some are smooth, but many are poor and a bit of compliance helps comfort and safety.
In theory I'd love a Venge/Aeroad/atarmac S7 etc but in I have long legs and short arms so an endurance bike is a better fit.
No point being fast, but bloody uncomfortable. It will probably give you back pains and may not be an optimal for you to get the power down.
Also got to look at the state of the roads you ride. I do a mixture and some are smooth, but many are poor and a bit of compliance helps comfort and safety.
I ride my TT bike outside a of racing almost every week. They’re definitely ‘interesting’ to ride sat up, which I often do between intervals or warming up, when it’s windy. The you get on the aerobars and it’s like the wind almost goes away. Crap integrated brakes aside it’s still less pleasant for a nice Z2 ride.
Well, I still wondered what a TT bike would be like to ride, so I bought one. Since I started training in at the end of July, my weight has gone down from upwards of 16 stone, to 13 and a half stone and my FTP has gone up dramatically.
When I first started, I didn't have the core strength or flexibility to ride on the drops for more than a minute or two, then I started to find that the more weight I lost, the easier it got. I started to lower my handlebars progressively until they were "slammed" and found I could do upwards of an hour on the drops in a fairly aggressive position (for a road bike) without discomfort. Perhaps unusually, I find it easier to generate more power and spin a higher cadence when leaning forward more.
I think watching the men and women's time trials at the UCI road championship really sealed the deal for me; my riding is, and likely always will be 95% going out on my own for 40 - 90 minute rides. I have so far enjoyed watching my lap times fall on my local routes and felt that if I had the possibility of gaining the fitness and conditioning to ride a TT bike then I'd love to give it a go. Life is too short to not try, I suppose.
So, I have bought another Planet X, a used Stealth TT frame and fork with Prime carbon wheels (60mm front and 85mm back) with Ultegra rim brakes and 105 dérailleurs, chainset, gears etc. It has a ten speed cassette with a set of gears that means I probably won't be in a rush to climb any steep hills on it. The tyres are Vittoria Corsas and the saddle is a Bontrager Hill. I've got two different sets of TT bars with it and risers for the arm pads at the front to adjust my position, but the bloke I bought it off was only a little bit smaller than me, so I think I should be able to get comfortable without much effort.
So what is like to ride when not going flat out? Actually, not that bad! Yes the handling does feel quite twitchy, but the super low front end and narrow base bars will do that. It feels really good under acceleration and while I've only done a few short sections on the aero bars, the difference is dramatic. It really is a different world compared to a road bike l. I guess there must be some pay off for the other compromises.
The only area of weakness really is the brakes. Even with the Ultegra calipers with correct pads for carbon braking surfaces, they just aren't as powerful as rim brakes with metal braking surfaces or disc brakes. I wouldn't want to do any long or steep descents, or ride in the wet with these, but for quiet evening rides on rural roads like I do, I think they will be fine.
It's certainly not cutting edge TT tech; it doesn't have integrated cables, the tubes are aerofoils,
even the seat tube is an aerofoil shape, which is really cool, but again, newer designs from companies with bigger R&D budgets will be more efficient. Still, it is enough for me as a first go on a TT bike and the biggest aero gain isn't the frame or the cabling, its the riding position, so it's useful to be to unlock the potential of that position for myself.
So, on first impressions, would I recommend a TT bike for people who, like me, have no intention of formal time trial competitions? Yes, based on my short experience so far, if you have the space and want to try something similar yet different to a normal road bike. However, that does come with caveats; i wouldn't use it in heavy traffic or areas with a lot of hazards where you might need to grab the brakes quickly. This could be mitigated by riding on the base bars, but then you would probably still be quicker, safer and more comfortable on a road bike, due to the slower handling.
When I first started, I didn't have the core strength or flexibility to ride on the drops for more than a minute or two, then I started to find that the more weight I lost, the easier it got. I started to lower my handlebars progressively until they were "slammed" and found I could do upwards of an hour on the drops in a fairly aggressive position (for a road bike) without discomfort. Perhaps unusually, I find it easier to generate more power and spin a higher cadence when leaning forward more.
I think watching the men and women's time trials at the UCI road championship really sealed the deal for me; my riding is, and likely always will be 95% going out on my own for 40 - 90 minute rides. I have so far enjoyed watching my lap times fall on my local routes and felt that if I had the possibility of gaining the fitness and conditioning to ride a TT bike then I'd love to give it a go. Life is too short to not try, I suppose.
So, I have bought another Planet X, a used Stealth TT frame and fork with Prime carbon wheels (60mm front and 85mm back) with Ultegra rim brakes and 105 dérailleurs, chainset, gears etc. It has a ten speed cassette with a set of gears that means I probably won't be in a rush to climb any steep hills on it. The tyres are Vittoria Corsas and the saddle is a Bontrager Hill. I've got two different sets of TT bars with it and risers for the arm pads at the front to adjust my position, but the bloke I bought it off was only a little bit smaller than me, so I think I should be able to get comfortable without much effort.
So what is like to ride when not going flat out? Actually, not that bad! Yes the handling does feel quite twitchy, but the super low front end and narrow base bars will do that. It feels really good under acceleration and while I've only done a few short sections on the aero bars, the difference is dramatic. It really is a different world compared to a road bike l. I guess there must be some pay off for the other compromises.
The only area of weakness really is the brakes. Even with the Ultegra calipers with correct pads for carbon braking surfaces, they just aren't as powerful as rim brakes with metal braking surfaces or disc brakes. I wouldn't want to do any long or steep descents, or ride in the wet with these, but for quiet evening rides on rural roads like I do, I think they will be fine.
It's certainly not cutting edge TT tech; it doesn't have integrated cables, the tubes are aerofoils,
even the seat tube is an aerofoil shape, which is really cool, but again, newer designs from companies with bigger R&D budgets will be more efficient. Still, it is enough for me as a first go on a TT bike and the biggest aero gain isn't the frame or the cabling, its the riding position, so it's useful to be to unlock the potential of that position for myself.
So, on first impressions, would I recommend a TT bike for people who, like me, have no intention of formal time trial competitions? Yes, based on my short experience so far, if you have the space and want to try something similar yet different to a normal road bike. However, that does come with caveats; i wouldn't use it in heavy traffic or areas with a lot of hazards where you might need to grab the brakes quickly. This could be mitigated by riding on the base bars, but then you would probably still be quicker, safer and more comfortable on a road bike, due to the slower handling.
Chapeau for putting your money where your mouth is! Glad you're enjoying. TT / Tri bikes really are something else to ride.
Completely agree with your findings though - They're absolutely no fun to ride slowly when there's traffic around. They need to be ridden somewhere they can be 'let off the leash' and without cars going past every few seconds. I was out on mine for the first time in 3 months last weekend, on a coastal road, and I'd forgotten how much concentration it takes when it's gusty - I had a 110 on the front and disc on the back. Always the road bike if I'm going out for 'fun' though.
Completely agree with your findings though - They're absolutely no fun to ride slowly when there's traffic around. They need to be ridden somewhere they can be 'let off the leash' and without cars going past every few seconds. I was out on mine for the first time in 3 months last weekend, on a coastal road, and I'd forgotten how much concentration it takes when it's gusty - I had a 110 on the front and disc on the back. Always the road bike if I'm going out for 'fun' though.
When I got mine last year, the first thing I did before taking it out on the road was buy a radar and Varia vision head-up display. With an out front mount for my attached onto my torpedo, the Varia vision is overkill to be honest, but to paraphrase DC Rainmaker the radar is the something you didn‘t realise you needed until you tried it. Certainly gives me a lot more comfort in traffic and I don‘t need to upset my balance all the time looking out for cars (obviously you shouldn‘t rely on it 100%, but I don‘t think a car has ever come up behind me unannounced).
NB I‘ve found the Varia vision really helpful when out on my normal bike with the computer mounted on the stem. Allows me to focus on cadence/heart rate/power per my training session without looking down all the time, while giving me the radar detail and directions if I‘m not on my usual routes.
NB I‘ve found the Varia vision really helpful when out on my normal bike with the computer mounted on the stem. Allows me to focus on cadence/heart rate/power per my training session without looking down all the time, while giving me the radar detail and directions if I‘m not on my usual routes.
BrundanBianchi said:
What is quite funny, is if you happen upon someone riding a TT rig, and they are giving it everything in their ‘position’, and flying along. Then they hit a hill. It’s fun to ride past them giving it the full ‘YMCA’ routine, on a more ‘normal’ road rig.
What an odd statement.It's a bit like saying;
"What is quite funny, is when you're out on your TT bike and some duffer makes a song and dance about riding past you going up a hill on a bike that weighs 25% less and has totally different gearing and then five mins later when the road flattens you breeze past at 30mph barely breaking a sweat"
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