Fifty Plus (50+) - Tips for a budget TT bike for old pharts

So I'm prolly gonna get back into USCF racin next season. Will do the local/near crits and RRs, but also think I want to try my hand at TTs. I've always been a massed-start kinda rider and the last TT I did was in '97 - respectable with older clipons on the roadie...
But now I think I will need a TT bike of some sort to have any reasonable opportunity within my age group.
So I figured I'd start askin here... of the experienced TT riders
These are equipment questions. I can;t/don;t want to spend $4k for this machine, less is even moe betta.
I'm 62+, 5' 10" , 163 lbs, ride a 56/57 roadie, long leg short torso, now prefer to ride a gear at 105 rpm rather than a bigger one at 90 although 90 is comfortable enough. What I'm sayin is I have less power now than what I remember as having, even 10 yrs ago. - although I'm workin at it hard...

1. If you were gonna build a budget TT bike - where and with what would you start?
2. Which component elements do you find are the most important for speed and setup?
3. Is there any advantage to using a 50 ring (with appropriate cassette) over a 52/53?
4. I don;t think there are any flat TT's around here, so I'll be contending with some up and downgrades - but prolly not climbs...

all suggestions gratefully considered...

I will be lookin local for any used machines which might work...
thx

This looks pretty cheap and old. Although the double disc will be difficult to handle in the wind.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/TT1AD6L5QG-OldSkoolCaveTT.jpg

There are no old farts in USCF racing. Instead they are called "Sir!"

We have a couple of local TT clubs and they welcome newcomers at any fitness or age level. The advice they give is come and join in a Race on your current machinery and talk to the riders. They can put you right on the size of bike- type of bike and how to set it up.

Far cheaper to talk to the right people and get the right stuff than turn up on a TT specific or bike modified to suit and then find out you should have bought/ built differently.

One of the clubs has a specific Newcomers section and you stay in that for a year- if you want to. The girl to beat does it on an old Mountain bike with 26" wheels and aerobars.

This looks pretty cheap and old. Although the double disc will be difficult to handle in the wind.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u250/rallen94402/TT1AD6L5QG-OldSkoolCaveTT.jpg
I bet that rig has the original Brooks saddle.

This looks pretty cheap and old. Although the double disc will be difficult to handle in the wind.

Thanks anyway...
I did nose around a bit last nite, and found some info I was lookin for

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/04/biggest-bang-for-your-buck-in-time-trial-equipment/
http://masterscyclingmag.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/time-trial-racing-equipment/

I guess position, taming the furrr and Ming the Merciless helmutt are more important than wizbang Buck Rogers frame and wheels...
see ya down the road...

Are we talking budget TT bike or BUDGET TT BIKE?

In one case you might find that the 2010 QR Tequilo is still available and can be had for like $1199
http://www.all3sports.com/product_info.php?pName=quintana-roo-tequilo-complete-bike-2010

Then you can spend all your time worrying about whether you should have bought a better bike or upgraded a couple of parts.

But if you are talking BUDGET TT BIKE, like you've been doing triathlons on your comfort bike and you're sick of finishing 20 minutes behind a couple of fat porkers you can outrun and outswim all day long but you're a little short of $$ then you want to find a thrift store 10-speed, get a light chain on it, some clip-on aero bars, and a good saddle and you'll shave 30 minutes off your time to the tune of about $200. And if you train hard, you can probably be competitive right up until you are ready to spend $3000 for something with a carbon frame.

In one case you might find that the 2010 QR Tequilo is still available and can be had for like $1199
http://www.all3sports.com/product_info.php?pName=quintana-roo-tequilo-complete-bike-2010


A pretty decent deal for getting started in TT, but they only have 49cm and 55cm still available. The 55 might work for a 5'10" guy.

Are we talking budget TT bike or BUDGET TT BIKE?

In one case you might find that the 2010 QR Tequilo is still available and can be had for like $1199
http://www.all3sports.com/product_info.php?pName=quintana-roo-tequilo-complete-bike-2010


I've looked at a bunch of bikes like this... Not a problem for doin Tris, but if I went to the states, might not pass regs. Does anyone know/have experience in making these steep seattube bikes (76 - 79 deg) comply with the 5 cm rule in USACycling/UCI ? I'm fairly certain that I wouldn't pass the morphology test to allow more forward position.

This looks pretty cheap and old. Although the double disc will be difficult to handle in the wind.

Damn. You got me beat:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/09Varsity/100_0075.jpg

I''d be looking on E-Bay or Craigslist for a used machine.

A lot of the more recent TT/Tri bikes had a somewhat more relaxed ST angle when they went to 700c wheels, and you might find somebody selling a used machine if they are trading up.

Or maybe another road bike that you can put a forward seat post on with a set of clip-ons.

Check this out: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/tri_bikes.htm