Are TT/Tri Bikes Hard to Ride

[944fan]

The annual window for the cycle schemes at my work is open now and I am seriously considering getting the Planet X Stealth. I have done a few sprint tris and my roadie has served me well. Want to step up to Oly and HM distances so think a specific bike will be worth while.

Only probably is they scare the st out of me. They look terrible hunched over the font wheel with the brakes nowhere in easy reach.

Are they hard to ride? How long would it take to get used and any tips? Other than to just ride it a lot.

[Rich_W]

No.

I went from a MTB straight to a TT. Never even ridden a road bike. (Though I do fancy a Propel ) Owned it since 2010. Do all my riding on it, so that's thousands of KMS. Yes, being on the extensions is un-nerving at first. Particularly the first time you get big cross winds. In time you'll be ok with small winds and when you get a big one you'll just revert to the base bar. The gearing is obviously for speed. So hills can be different. They say that handling is more twitchy and I can see what they mean, but it's not something I think about often. As ever try before you buy. I'm 6'1 and have a MEDIUM I'm told you generally go down a bit size wise. You will find the first few rides you get a sore neck from the position. But that passes in time. Also I recommend getting a proper bike fit (Retul) as well to make the most of it.

I find the most annoying thing when your hammering down a steep-ish hill on the base bar (I'm sure some stick to the extensions religiously but I find there's times when a little more control is required) but you've spun out whatever gear you're in. Say 53x15 but want the 11 but you haven't got the confidence/road conditions to take one hand off and move the lever down when it's all the way out front.

They are generally pretty stiff though. So depending on make you may feel it a bit on the crap roads we have over here. Mine only has 1 bottle mount (seattube) and because the seat post is very oval, a normal saddle bag has to be modified a little bit to fit. On the same note, and this is down to bike specifically. I can't find any lights that I can mount on the bike where they will be seen. There's simply not the space on the base bar or extensions. Since my hands or Aero bottle will obscure them. And the aforementioned seat post (roughly 3" by 1") means most straps on rear lights don't reach. And can't be modified with cable ties. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Any questions please ask.

[Fotic]

Why do you have one rich? I assume you do a few TTs/tris? It sounds quite compromised for normal road use.

[whatleytom]

Would agree with Rich, not any more difficult to ride than a normal road bike, generally just requires a bit more forethought to your riding, so just thinking about what's coming up, when you may need to brake etc. From then on its just building confidence to stay on the extensions as much as possible. Absolutely get a bike fit before you buy, because depending on your morphology you may require something completely different to the next guy of your height.

Worth mentioning though I absolutely love my TT bike to death (Cervelo P3), I do occasionally find its quite finicky to ride. You have to be in the mood, as its not the sort of bike you would want to just pootle around on, and thinking about everything up ahead can become tiring. Going back to a normal road bike feels like a breath of fresh air sometimes, just to ride easily and for fun. That said, it feels so inefficient!

[944fan]

Thanks.

Will defo go for a bike fitting. Think the coach who does my swim lessons does bike fitting too.

Does anyone have the Stealth, what is like size wise? I don't think I am going to be able to get to the store anytime soon (they are both miles from me) and the window for the cycle scheme closes on 6th June.

I am 6'5'', long arms, fairly long legs. I am thinking an extra large is almost a given?

[Rich_W]

Fotic said:

Why do you have one rich? I assume you do a few TTs/tris? It sounds quite compromised for normal road use.

Tri's. But have done a few other rides on it. L2B, sportive

Compromised. Yes I guess so. But I don't care. Having a nice bike makes me want to ride it. It gives me the motivation to go and train when I don't feel like it.

Conversely by commuter mtb is a work horse and again I don't always want to ride it.

[upsidedownmark]

both the Px tri bikes are quiet aggressive fit wise - long/low. But the stealth is a lot of bike for the money..

[Disco You]

944fan said:

Thanks.

Will defo go for a bike fitting. Think the coach who does my swim lessons does bike fitting too.

Does anyone have the Stealth, what is like size wise? I don't think I am going to be able to get to the store anytime soon (they are both miles from me) and the window for the cycle scheme closes on 6th June.

I am 6'5'', long arms, fairly long legs. I am thinking an extra large is almost a given?

Get a bike fit, then pick the appropriate size...

[superkartracer]

Rich_W said:

No.

I went from a MTB straight to a TT. Never even ridden a road bike. (Though I do fancy a Propel ) Owned it since 2010. Do all my riding on it, so that's thousands of KMS. Yes, being on the extensions is un-nerving at first. Particularly the first time you get big cross winds. In time you'll be ok with small winds and when you get a big one you'll just revert to the base bar. The gearing is obviously for speed. So hills can be different. They say that handling is more twitchy and I can see what they mean, but it's not something I think about often. As ever try before you buy. I'm 6'1 and have a MEDIUM I'm told you generally go down a bit size wise. You will find the first few rides you get a sore neck from the position. But that passes in time. Also I recommend getting a proper bike fit (Retul) as well to make the most of it.

I find the most annoying thing when your hammering down a steep-ish hill on the base bar (I'm sure some stick to the extensions religiously but I find there's times when a little more control is required) but you've spun out whatever gear you're in. Say 53x15 but want the 11 but you haven't got the confidence/road conditions to take one hand off and move the lever down when it's all the way out front.

Eh?

You just said you come off the bars downhill for more control and come off when in winds!?! so you are not riding a TT bike properly then if on/off the bars all the time.

TT bikes with deep dish front wheels are hard to ride, doing 40+ downhill with 30+ mph gusts can get you mashed if not taken seriously , only takes a small error and you'll be under a car and don't forgot you have zero brakes and making a sudden steering change is very tricky.

Also riding at 18 mph on the bars v 30 mph over stty roads is a world apart, then add heavy rain .

OP - Yes and extreme care should be taken depending on how fast you intend to ride - also big difference between a TT bike and Tri bike, get a proper fit and find some very quiet roads without kerbs and have a play, the first fast downhill on the bars is a laff. Trick is to stay very relaxed and build time/speed , just take it slow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOlTmBWlNn4

^^ pro in the wet trying to avoid a drain cover on the flat!

Edited by superkartracer on Sunday 18th May 20:37

[anonymous-user]

Cyclescheme, any good for commuting on a few days a week?

[Rich_W]

superkartracer said:

Eh?

You just said you come off the bars downhill for more control and come off when in winds!?! so you are not riding a TT bike properly then if on/off the bars all the time.

Yes, I come off the aerobars. There's normally a good reason for this. Lets talk about STEEP downhills where there's actual corners (not gentle sweepers) so I need to check my line or speed, or st road surfaces (though I have often just hopped a drain whilst in position) or just traffic in general. I'm not talking a straight rise or fall. Or even a bridge. I'm talking proper changes in elevation. Though I'd like to see someone climb proper hills 6-7% upwards on the aerobars. Notice how even the pro's use road bikes with clip ons for that?

Shall we talk about being on the aerobars with significant crosswinds when also surrounded by fast moving traffic. Again not a slight wind, but the type that shoves you sideways. Yeah I'll tolerate that moving of a metre or so whilst being passed by cars doing 70, 3 foot to your right. Just so I can maintain the aero position. As apparently I must NEVER deviate from that or I'm not riding it properly

I can hold my position for the vast majority of my OD Tri's. (Sportcam pics would indicate I never come off them) But I guess not everyone's as much of a hero as you. Who apparently never comes off them regardless of the variables. How many people can do 180K/5 hours upwards and never come off them? I know I can't.

superkartracer said:

TT bikes with deep dish front wheels are hard to ride, doing 40+ downhill with 30+ mph gusts can get you mashed if not taken seriously , only takes a small error and you'll be under a car and don't forgot you have zero brakes and making a sudden steering change is very tricky.

Which basically is what I just said??? Discretion being the better choice at times. Having no brakes when passing queuing traffic? Is that acceptable to you? I guess you live in a part of the world where it's pretty flat and there's no erratic traffic to contend with.

[superkartracer]

OP asked if TT bikes were hard to ride and you said no, they are as you have correctly answered this time.

6% climb is no issue on the bars at speed, pro's don't use bars cus they are banned in group rides ( as dangerous ) , only an utter spaz would use these in a group ( bar two up and TTT )

Not having a knock... just don't want the OP having a nasty off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaQJB_bWA4c

^^ spaz on bars in group ride.

Edited by superkartracer on Monday 19th May 10:01

[anonymous-user]

Cyclists: the lead rider at the front peels off and moves towards the centre of the lane so the group behind come past without having to apply any steering input...

Triathletes: the lead rider holds his position whilst the group behind pull out of his slipstream to wobble past....

[IroningMan]

944fan said:

Thanks.

Will defo go for a bike fitting. Think the coach who does my swim lessons does bike fitting too.

Does anyone have the Stealth, what is like size wise? I don't think I am going to be able to get to the store anytime soon (they are both miles from me) and the window for the cycle scheme closes on 6th June.

I am 6'5'', long arms, fairly long legs. I am thinking an extra large is almost a given?

I'm 6'0" and this is a medium:



note very relaxed set-up for IM-distance.

[okgo]

You're brave

In answer to the OP, the answer is probably that riding them as they were intended isn't too difficult (bar wind and very fast corners, etc) but its when you want to ride it like a normal bike that they're quite cumbersome, the brakes are often pretty poor and of course the gear change is an issue (though you can get di2 shifter for your base bar). But for smashing it in a near straight line, they're pretty simple to control.

The position you ride in will dictate a lot of how the bike handles, ironingman has gone for comfort it would look like, and I don't imagine that would be an issue to ride or stay in position for a long time, the position I might adopt for a short TT would not be comfortable for much longer than an hour, and is a total nightmare to even try and ride round a normal route of lanes etc.

[anonymous-user]

Tom and okgo hit the nail: they are fine when ridden in the environment for which they were designed: ideally closed roads, no tight corners. I have ridden one in traffic, commuting, many years ago when my other bike was in for major work and it was not a fun experience. You feel like the steerer is far too close to your saddle, and they have the tight turning characteristics of a barge.

Obviously when you're on the aeros you're not near the brakes, and so descending on the aeros is a bit hair raising to begin with. But there's a world of difference between doing that trick on your local hill on a Sunday in traffic with a corner at the bottom, and doing it on a straight hill leading to a straight road on a closed road in a race.

Gusting crosswinds aren't fun on any bike when you're running a deep section front and moving at speed; they are a bit more unnerving when you're on the aeros than when you're on the hoods/drops though. That's more to do with your front wheel profile than the bike itself though.

It is important to get fitted properly, and it's equally important to have the flexibility to hold a position that the bike was intended for. Otherwise you're not getting a lot of the aero benefit that the bike is supposed to be giving you.

Here's me, at an early stage of my P3 build (hence no brakes).

It took me a lap and a half of Richmond Park to get used to that on the road. I've found that holding that position is largely ok, with one big caveat. Riding on the turbo I can hold my head still, but riding outside the uneven ground shakes it around. And that big old lump bouncing around tires my neck quite quickly. So I tend to ride mostly looking down and glance up every few seconds to scan the road. Not ideal, and it means I can't yet pair this position with my tt hat (if there's one thing worse than a tt hat, it's a tt hat tail sticking up in the air like a shark fin).

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 19th May 16:37

[IroningMan]

okgo said:

You're brave

Hey, at least it's on the big ring! I've shed a few kilos since then, too.

I think your answer to the OP is spot-on. I covered a few thousand miles with TT bars on a road bike before getting the Stealth, and found the purpose-designed TT bike much easier to control from down on the bars.

I have flipped the stem to get a lower position than the one in the picture for 5- and 10-mile TTs, and while it feels more aggressive and I can still stay down for the full duration I wouldn't want to do so for a long bike leg.

I don't use the TT bars in traffic, or on group rides unless I'm on the front, but the biggest challenge is twisty lanes: it's not easy to stay down for more than five minutes at a stretch without finding the need to brake or negotiate an unsighted corner: poor road surfaces also throw you about rather more than they do otherwise.

[Batfink]

I moved from a road frame with aero bars to full on TT bike and I would say its a little more difficult to ride, but some of this is more of a requirement of the bike to be set up so you sit in the right position. Mines a Planet X Exocet 2. I commute daily on mine although i'm in buckinghamshire so not the most heavily built up area.

I built my bike and then played with the set up until I was comfortable. With the handlebars too low I found too much of my body weight was forward which made the handling nervous. Raising it an inch made a world of difference. I've also widened the pad rests to gain some more stability and just lately had to buy a more TT specific saddle.

On the road side winds certainly catch the bike. The bike is designed for you to cut through the wind going forward so it acts more like a sail from the side. I run road wheels rather than time trial ones to help. Traffic is fine. I ride on the aerobars unless traffic is slower than me.

Brakes are fine. Common sense is when in heavy stop start traffic use the handlebars so I can hover on the brakes. Not been caught out yet.

Biggest issue was I only have one bike. Running through winter gives the interesting problem of how to run lights on a bike that has no surface to attach a light to. I used a cycle computer mount on the aerobars and a head strap cabletied to my saddle for the rear.

I've done a few long rides 30-60miles and weak neck muscles will play up. You need to get used to lifting your head. It can be ridden quite happily on the handlebars when not hacking along trying to set a land speed record. When in a group, my friends like me to use the aerobars and lead as I cut through the air better lol. My heavier friends on road bikes can still outpace me downhill with gravity on their side!

I want to do TT races so the bike lent itself to where I will progress to, but it can work day to day, just maybe not as comfortably. I love it though.

[944fan]

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I have ordered the stealth. Annoyingly planet x add on the fee of the scheme so I have to pay £120, but I am still saving a good chunk.

I have found a nice long straight wide Road to practise on with few junctions.

I am sure I will get the hang of it. It's not having easy reach of the brakes that bothers me.

[Disco You]

Greg66 said:

So I tend to ride mostly looking down and glance up every few seconds to scan the road. Not ideal,

No, not ideal at all. I take it you have heard the tales of people seriously injuring themselves by crashing into stationary objects because they do this?