What makes a Triathalon bike special?
05-17-04, 06:37 PM
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What makes a Triathalon bike special?
I see that some companies make Triathalon bikes.. what exactly is the difference between that and a road bike?
05-17-04, 07:03 PM
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the biggest difference would be the geometry. tri/tt bikes are designed where the most efficient position would be on the aerobars. to do this they increase the angle of the seat tube. take a look at these
Cannondale team replica (road bike):
https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/geo-14.html
Cannondale Ironman 5000 (tri/tt bike)
https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/geo-10.html
the seat tube angle on the roadie is between 73 and 74 where the tri/tt is between 77 and 78....hope that helps
another thing is a lot of tri/tt bikes use aero tubing and also have 650c wheels vs 700c usually found on a road bike
Cannondale team replica (road bike):
https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/geo-14.html
Cannondale Ironman 5000 (tri/tt bike)
https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/geo-10.html
the seat tube angle on the roadie is between 73 and 74 where the tri/tt is between 77 and 78....hope that helps
another thing is a lot of tri/tt bikes use aero tubing and also have 650c wheels vs 700c usually found on a road bike
05-18-04, 07:15 AM
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Originally Posted by JasBike
I see that some companies make Triathalon bikes.. what exactly is the difference between that and a road bike?
2) A tri-bike will have a steeper seat tube angle to rotate the rider forward - road bikes are typically 73-74 degrees while tri-bikes are usually 76-78 degrees.
3) A tri-bike will typically have a shallower head tube angle to increase stability - road bikes are usually 73-74 degrees and tri-bikes are 72-73 degrees.
4) A tri-bike will have a longer front-center dimension (front hub to center of bottom bracket). This is to keep a good weight distribution on the two wheels.
05-18-04, 11:30 AM
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UCI regulations limit the gemoetry of a road bike. Tri bike designers and riders have much more freedom to experiment.
Tri bikes are designed for strong athletes who are not experienced riders. They are tight at the rear triangle, but relaxed at the front end. The riding position is a relaxed touring position, rotated forward onto aerobars. This gives good aerodynamics, and favours the well developed muscles of a runner.
Tri bikes are designed for strong athletes who are not experienced riders. They are tight at the rear triangle, but relaxed at the front end. The riding position is a relaxed touring position, rotated forward onto aerobars. This gives good aerodynamics, and favours the well developed muscles of a runner.
