Riding a TT bike when not going flat out
Discussion
Has anyone ever done this? I'm just getting into cycling seriously and trying to get fully immersed in it. I've been looking at all the tech changes to bikes and TT bikes caught my eye. Obviously, they are pretty extreme machines and only really optimised for speed.
What has surprised me is that I've seen a bloke riding a TT bike a few times now on my evening training loop on some local roads. He seems to be going at a decent rate but nothing extreme, certainly enough to shout a cheery "Hello" when passing without sounding flustered. He doesn't use the aero bars and arm rests, doesn't wear aero or even tight kit when I see him, just an average bloke in average clothes, with a backpack, most likely riding home from work.
Now, more power to the guy, ride whatever you want, wear what you want, but it did get me thinking about what a TT bike is like on the road as a do-it-all bike for all types of road rides. Has anyone tried this? Are they uncomfortable? Is the handling nervous from the geometry or bars? Are they hellish to ride on windy days?
I thought it might be one of those cases where the bike is just less ideal than a normal road bike in just about every way except when you're on the aero bars, going really fast on a flat, smooth road. It reminded me of a bloke I used to work with who had a Skoda Octavia but drove his Lotus Elise to work no matter how bad the weather was, putting 140,000 miles on it, because he'd rather drive his pride and joy, no matter how bad it was at coping with winter as he loved the car that much.
What has surprised me is that I've seen a bloke riding a TT bike a few times now on my evening training loop on some local roads. He seems to be going at a decent rate but nothing extreme, certainly enough to shout a cheery "Hello" when passing without sounding flustered. He doesn't use the aero bars and arm rests, doesn't wear aero or even tight kit when I see him, just an average bloke in average clothes, with a backpack, most likely riding home from work.
Now, more power to the guy, ride whatever you want, wear what you want, but it did get me thinking about what a TT bike is like on the road as a do-it-all bike for all types of road rides. Has anyone tried this? Are they uncomfortable? Is the handling nervous from the geometry or bars? Are they hellish to ride on windy days?
I thought it might be one of those cases where the bike is just less ideal than a normal road bike in just about every way except when you're on the aero bars, going really fast on a flat, smooth road. It reminded me of a bloke I used to work with who had a Skoda Octavia but drove his Lotus Elise to work no matter how bad the weather was, putting 140,000 miles on it, because he'd rather drive his pride and joy, no matter how bad it was at coping with winter as he loved the car that much.
sociopath said:
Was it a TT bike or just a road bike with clip on TT bars?
Not sure it's really feasible to use a full on TT in ordinary clothes with a rucksack on your back
Pretty sure whatever it is, it's a proper TT bike. It looks quite a lot like the one in the pic below, without the big built-up top tube. The seat tube, seat post and bottom bracket look quite distinct and "TT". Deep section wheels, super cool. Not sure it's really feasible to use a full on TT in ordinary clothes with a rucksack on your back
The bloke I see riding his bike doesn't use the aero bars, he is leaned over but not in a typical TT position by any means, about the same as you'd see on a road bike rider on the drops. It doesn't look uncomfortable.
I suppose my main curiosity was around stiffness, compliance, whether they'd be hair raising in the wind. I did wonder if you can fit a normal road saddle instead of those little stubby TT-style things, which it looks like you can. I still don't think I'd take one over a good road bike, even though my riding will mostly consist of relatively short, fast (hopefully!
) rides around local quiet roads.
I must admit I'd love a go on a TT bike just to see what they feel like, or even just a top end aero road bike with all the gubbins. I am thinking about getting a Canyon Aeroad or similar next year with some aero wheels, but I've got a few pounds to lose and some fitness to build before I'd consider myself worthy for such a bike.
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.
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.
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