Tri Bike or Road Bike?

Adam wants to know the difference between a Triathlon bike and a road bike set up, we try to show what they are and the uses they are best put too. Can he use his bike for regular riding or does he need two? We talk through his options

Question: Hi Sam,
I have another question for you, what differentiates a Triathlon bike from a regular road bike? Are Tri bikes applicable for regular riding and training?
Thanks, Adam.

Hi Adam,
The more questions the better, so just keep sending them in!

You can ride a Triathlon perfectly well with a normal road bike set up. In some cases a normal bike set up can be an advantage over an out and out Tri bike. If you are racing on a hilly, twisty or very technical course, then a normal bike is better suited for handling purposes. A special Tri bike with a low profile set up with aero tri bars and an exaggerated forward position can make cornering and climbing trickier. Its swings and roundabouts, on flat or undulating roads a special bike will save you seconds, but in technical situations could loose you the race.

You should train on the bike that you are going to race on as it gets your body used to that position, maybe you would use heavier wheels with harder wearing tires, but the same bike. If you are just going for a pedal with the guy’s then an ordinary road bike is preferable. In the end its horses for courses or use the correct tool for the job.

A Normal Bike for Tri

Setting up a normal road bike for Triathlon is usually a case of fitting clip on Tri bars for a better aero position and you can also experiment with forward seat pins to change your position on the saddle to make it more like a running position for your legs to help with the transition between cycle and run.

A Special Tri Bike

A special bike is similar to a time trial bike with aero bars and a low profile position, the difference is the saddle position as it is more forward for the reasons I have already mentioned. The set up on the bike makes for a very aerodynamic position but is not made for technical, twisty and hilly roads.

So you either have one road bike and adapt it for Tri use or you have a Tri only bike and use it all the time which is good to adapt your body to that position, but you have to be careful when riding. If you have the money then get two bikes, the road bike for training and racing in tricky conditions and a Tri only bike for the days that are flat and straight. The choice is yours!