The recent thread on "local animosity" has gotten me curious about so-called "tri bikes". I was going to post up and ask about them, but then I did some googling and came across the following page:

https://www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/difference.shtml

This page seems to do a pretty decent job of explaining what tri bikes are all about. I just thought I'd pass on the link.

So no question -- just a good link for anyone else like me who wants to learn a bit about other styles of riding.

If you really want to know about tri bikes, go to slowtwitch. Newest tri bikes:

Ceverlo P4
Giant trinity SL {out this summer}
Trek TTX replacement {out in 1 to 2 years}
Specialized shiv {out in 1 to 2 years}

If you want to get into the real nitty-gritty of what types of bikes are allowable in sanctioned road racing, you'll need to check the UCI Rules.

As a USA Cycling mechanic, one of the duties I may be called upon for is determining compliance.