Tri Bikes Blog

Triathlon Bikes versus Road Bikes

What is the difference between road bikes and triathlon bikes?

To understand the difference between triathlon bikes and road bikes, it helps to understand the difference between road racing and triathlon racing.

In the majority of triathlons, the biking leg is an individual event.  Each triathlete begins their bike leg when they finish the swimming portion of the race.  As a result, racers are leavning the transition area with their bicycle every few seconds to minutes rather than racing as a large group.  Each rider must depend only upon his or her own strengths to finish the bike leg as quickly as possible.

in contrast, when road racing, athletes use one another to strategically rest and attack througout the race, changing speeds frequently, even coasting through parts of the race.  The varied speeds and body positions of road racing are simply not practical in triathlon bike racing, thus some of the equipment is slightly different.

Saving it for the run

Another major difference between triathlon racing and bicycle road or criterium racing is that the triathlon bicycling leg is follwed by a run of anywhere from 5 kilometers to a full marathon depending on the length of the triathlon.  A triathlete must be able to conserve energy in the legs even while riding the bike in order to have enough strength and endurance left to complete the running portion of the race.

Road riders and racers on the other hand are able to “leave it all” on the road, working as hard as their legs can possibly work, without having to worry about another race leg ahead of them.

It’s all about energy conservation

In order to finish a triathlon race well, a triathlete must conserve as much energy as possible while still riding as fast and efficiently as they are able.  If it sounds like a tricky balance, you’re right, it is.  That is why training and equipment play such an important role in triathlon.

What makes a tri bike different?

THe key features that make a triathlon bike different than a road bike are:

Steeper seat tube angle and/or a forward seat post

A steeper seat tube angle, a “forward” seat post or both, position the riders hips further forward in comparison to the bottom bracket where the cranks are located.  This shifts the emphasis from the major muscles used in the biking portion from the hamstrings to the quadriceps.  By conserving energy in the quadriceps, more energy is available for the triathlete to participate in the run leg of the race.

Aero bars / bullhorns

Maintaining an aerodymanic position helps a triathlete spend the majority of the bike race riding at a steady state speed.  While the lower position can result in more “twitchy” steering and handling, since the triathlete rides solo, rather than in a pack, there is more leeway for bike maneuvering  without being concerned about running into another bike wheel and causing an accident.

Staying low in the aero drops also relieves pressure on the athletes hands and arms with the upper body weight supported by the skeleton…a nice comfort when arms may be tired from the swim.

Reduced Wind Drag

As bicycle speeds approach 18-20mp or more, reducing drag becomes a significant part of improving bike leg performance.  Small design elements contribute to the “space age”  look of triathlon and time trial bikes. Examples included contoured frame tubes with teardrop shaped cross sections, aerodynamic water bottles, water bottle cages stored behind the seat, rather than on the down tube and even frame “cut outs” allowing the rear wheel to take advantage of reduced drag by tucking in behind the seat tube.