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TT Bike

by edd23
Tue, Apr 21, 2015 14:05
10

Hi, I was looking for comments on how quick TT bikes are compared to normal road bikes with clip on bars?

I have done various TTs (10m, 25m and hillys) over the last 18 mnths on a good road bike and averaged anywhere between 31km/h on the hillys to 33km/h on the flat 25m ones.

Does anyone have any experience of switching from a road bike to a full TT bike in such circumstances and how much faster did they go?

At present looking at £2k budget for TT bike, probably Planet X or Dolan

Any comments much appreciated.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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10 comments

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AJ101 | 9 years ago
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Yeah power meter would be awesome but on a budget a bit harder to justify. The benefits from a £20 HRM from Lidls on the other hand...!

OP don't forget the Belgian warm-up balm. Not because it will warm you up but because you'll smell like a proper tester when you're walking around the HQ in your underpants!

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AJ101 | 9 years ago
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Indeed. I only say HRM as it will give an insight into consistency, effort, targeted sessions and the need to recover.

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Shep73 replied to AJ101 | 9 years ago
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AJ101 wrote:

Indeed. I only say HRM as it will give an insight into consistency, effort, targeted sessions and the need to recover.

Oh it will certainly help. If the OP buys the bible then a HR monitor is a must. A power meter would be ideal as well.

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AJ101 | 9 years ago
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Following on from what 2WI has said if you really do want to spend money then the best bang for your buck will be a heart rate monitor so you can train more effectively and ride at your optimal effort consistently through a time trial. You don't need to spend a huge amount on one of these - a simple one with high and low limit alarms is pretty effective.

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Shep73 replied to AJ101 | 9 years ago
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AJ101 wrote:

Following on from what 2WI has said if you really do want to spend money then the best bang for your buck will be a heart rate monitor so you can train more effectively and ride at your optimal effort consistently through a time trial. You don't need to spend a huge amount on one of these - a simple one with high and low limit alarms is pretty effective.

My only gripe with this is the fact the HR on its own is not a true indication of fitness , I would recommend the OP to invest in Joe Friel's training bible. All is explained and how to plan your own training. Probably the best money you will spend and you will see gains if you stick with what you learn. My other recommendation is a set of rollers. Start working on your peddling technique on them and use for base miles and zonal training.

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2 Wheeled Idiot | 9 years ago
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If you are averaging around 33 km/h I wouldn't bother with a full on TT bike, it seems fairly pointless whem you could get a much larger gain from improving your fitness, it is possible to do 22 min 10's on a road bike in a jersey and shorts with a standard helmet.
Spend money by all means but I think you would see the largest gains from a training plan and sticking to it.

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Simon E | 9 years ago
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+1 to everything olic wrote.

2 minutes for bike+wheels+skinsuit+smurf hat in a 10 mile TT (compared to std road bike) is often quoted as a rough guide.

For a road bike these are where you get the best VFM:
- fit tri-bars, move the stem so it's below the spacers
- wear a tight fitting jersey or skinsuit (and get your number pinned on neatly)
- fit fast rolling tyres like GP4000S, Ultremo, Pro4 SC
- wear a TT helmet

But in the end you'll improve your times most by:
- riding in a compact aero position
- learning to pace your effort (don't go off too hard)
- getting fitter

I put the figures from the Bikeradar article into Excel, see the attachment.

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AJ101 | 9 years ago
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If you're buying soon then Spokely's found Neil Pryde TT bikes at Wiggle with 40% off - £1800 with Ultegra if you fancy something a little different.

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edd23 | 9 years ago
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Thanks, interesting article...

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olic | 9 years ago
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http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/how-aero-is-aero-19273/

There's a fair few similar articles around the net.

In summary - an aero helmet and clip on bars are brilliant £/watts. If you've not got such a helmet already that would be a good start to save time. A TT bike & good position will take you a step further, and lastly a decent set of wheels

Also, do read the small print before anyone repeats the old 'it only helps if you can do 50km/h to start with' myth, as per the article "You will save more time but fewer watts at slower speeds with these improvements. The constants are the percentage aero drag savings."

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