I just bought my second road bike, a Motobecane from Bikes Direct, and I am already thinking of upgrading the frame.

I have seen some really nice Time trial framesets for sale, and I am curious what the advantages/disadvantages would be with one of these.

Are they better or worse than any other frame? lighter? more punishing? flimsy?

Any input greatly appreciated,

TickDoc

As far as i know...

The frames themself are more aero dynamic and lighter and i would imagine more stiff.

What they do for the rider is put you in a very aero dynamic position.

I wouldn't think you'd want one for typical riding

The geometry from a TT frame is completely different. Typically you'll see a much steeper Seat Tube angle, and I believe the Top Tube is a little shorter. Also, they're often made out of aerodynamic tubing to help minimize your drag coefficient.

They are not comfortable for long rides. If you're looking to do a lot of TT'ing, then perhaps it's not a bad idea, but if you want to buy a TT frame b/c it looks cool, I think you should reconsider.

they also have tubing sizes that are UCI TT legal..........

the position on the bike is worth way more than the frame's aero properties itself, after that its all motor

+1 to bakarma's post. I just ordered one because my club does TT races twice a month, and I might want to try a duathlon or two in the near future. But not something you'd want to ride loong distances on.

that makes sense, and helps to steer me away from looking further.

(they sure look cool, though :~)

wicked cool....

i'll never do TTs (too old, slow, fat, bald, etc.), but i've racked my little pea-brain for months trying to find some justification for getting one - i got nuthin'....

The geometry is more upright, facilitating an aero position for the rider. The frame itself is more aero, which is a slight advantage. Most TT bikes are actually heavier, because wind resistence is more important than weight for most TT's (Tubes tend to be big and shaped for reduced wind resistence, but heavier in the process.) My tt bike is a heck of a lot less comfortable than my road bike, and I find that I have to make myself ride it when I'm preparing for an upcoming TT.

sprint Tri's are a good excuse, people WAY out of shape do em all the time

TT/Tri frames arent VERY comfertable but there not bad either, ive been training for my tri and i only ride my tri bike (and yes it looks Super cool)

*moan*

please stop with the hot pics of the cool bike and the loophole justification...

(must resist temptation...)