kimconyc

I like drafting people on tri-bikes--I have no idea if they are really triathletes.

It's even better when they are super serious and are wearing an aero helmet and get really upset when you draft them and they try to drop you.

I always say, serious tri-bikes on 9W are the spice of life.

DropDeadFred

fixed

StanSeven

It's not a fact. The geometry makes very little difference - a degree of so in the head tube and a couple degrees in the seat tube and shorter stays - most people can't feel that much. What takes getting used to is the horns and bar extensions over dropped road bars.

DropDeadFred

wheelbase...wheelbase...maybe thats what I meant....if thats not included in the geometry...which i think it is...then im wrong but the wheelbase is smaller, where the handlebars sit as well...it makes it a more figgity ride compared to a road bike

patentcad

I used to live in that area (about 8-9 miles from 9W in Bergen County). I don't ride on 9W that often these days, but when I do (maybe once a year) it's like some giant game of Fred Pac-Man.

wannaride

I'd simply find another group. So long as you're not riding on the aero bars when you are not in the lead I can't figure out why they would care.

On the other hand if you're a triathlete what are you doing training in a group? Unless you're racing ITU which they do on road bikes anyway you're not going to be drafting in a race. At least half of your ride should be solo if you really want to be race ready.

kimconyc

That game is fun but I recently acquired a PowerTap and I'm finding it more often pointless going on 9W now.

Then again, this whole cycling thing is pointless.

18hockey

The fail is strong in this thread...and I don't mean the OP or the people actually discussing what tools the guys who booted him are, I mean the people who clearly did not read his actual post and the people who think they are super cool roadies and look down their noses at triathletes.

RT

There is no piety in Uncle Pcad. And who was the Cervelo the I?

JazNine

Now that you know that tri-bikes are not welcome in this group, use a road bike if you ride with them. If you just started showing up on a road bike, all the drama would go away. It is in your power to make the drama go away. They do have a point about tri-bikes on a group ride. Maybe you're letting injured pride lead you to fight for a weak principle?

AdelaaR

Why even ride with other triathletes when you goal is to ride races solo?
I personally have a TT bike and want to train for TT's ... that's why I ride ... solo
I don't even want to ride in a group ... too much worrying about other people being blind idiots and possibly hurting me in the process.
Also a problem to find a group around here that goes on short yet very fast rides ... most groups do long and slow rides.

patentcad

Therein lies the Zen young padaweenie.

AdelaaR

Why would they get upset? They don't lose any aeroness because you draft them.

patentcad

That's what we do here Hans.

Psimet2001 

Try-athletes are try-athletes.

Generalizations typically are worthless. See what I did there?

I was listening to an Ed Norton bit last night and he said, "You can't judge a book by it's cover? Yes you can! That's WHY they have covers!"

ANYWAY - Actual TT bike have a steeper geometry that adds up to a VERY twitchy front end. When in the bars or in position the power transfer is good and the aero is good but the weight is FAR too far over the front end. This adds up to REALLY twitchy steering.

The vast majority of "try"-athletes are dabblers in cycling at best. Yes they are usually strong but they usually have NO acceleration ability whatsoever and they usually are horrid bike handlers. Putting them on a rig that isn't designed with good handling in mind is tantamount to leaving a child in a room with a lighter and then being surprised when something ends up burning.

I personally don't care who is on a group ride in terms of bikes. I have been on plenty of group rides where people are on TT bikes and can handle them. What I do care about is people that can't handle what they are on. Sure it pertains to road as well as TT bikes, but honestly the "Try"-athlete book has an interesting cover. Their frequency of inability to handle what they are on/do stupid things when on the road is well known for a reason.

If someone doesn't want someone on a ride then respect their wishes. This is a hobby for all of us and it would suck if you seriously had a problem with TT bike and the roles were reversed.

Personally I have been unofficially kicked of of group rides (for political reasons) and would never dream of going back on them. i have also kicked someone off of our group rides and had them ignore that request. It's at that point that an individual becomes a d-bag.

kimconyc

Cat-6 MUP battles; I've seen people make an "attack" on a crowded MUP and then nearly emotionally implode when they think one is actually riding with them and they can't "drop" said person.

All the nonsense just justifies this whole stupid sport. It makes sense when you think of it that way.

DScott

See? High school.

I told you so.

kimconyc

High school on wheels?

kimconyc

For mtn. bikers it's probably high school off the wheels too

DropDeadFred

Pcad Sr. of course...he rode on wooden wheels with bronze brifters...long before the age of steel

DScott

Pretty much describes just about any riding group, IMO. Not to say there aren't plenty of folks who can ride together without all the drama...

DScott

I see what you did there.

hhnngg1

Seriously, the twitchiness of a TT bike is WAYYY over-rated. Yes, it's a hair slower on the turn than a road bike, but you can easily compensate for it without being some expert rider. Just takes a bit of getting used to - usually an experienced road cyclist can ride a TT bike just fine after like 20 minutes of getting used to its cornering. It's literally like 98% the same.

And if you claim you actually NEED to corner that fast in a group/paceline during training, you're doing something grossly wrong. If anything you should be happy that the lead guy is on a less twitchy bike, since he's less apt to dodge something last-second unpredictably. Would you like the guy ahead of you doing quick dodging of obstacles requiring last-minute rapid direction changes?

But I do agree that a lot of triathletes aren't into road cycling/group handling skills, and will thus be far inferior to a dedicated roadie in terms of bike handling. Usually that self-selects though - if guys are strong enough to ride with me, there's not a single instance where they are such sloppy bike handlers that they're a hazard. You can tell the FREDly bike handlers from miles away because they're going half your speed.

RT

Psimet, those are awfully broad strokes you are painting with. I usually agree with you, but how would anyone who has never done a group ride on any kind of bike ever be accepted on one if they weren't allowed in initially? I assert that it is best to judge a participant by their ability, not by what they ride. If the cyclist is not good in a group, or is not behaving according to the covenant laid down by the group leader, then your philosophy applies.

DropDeadFred

I can say this, there has been a huge influx of Try-athletes in my area lately now that our city has inducted 2 tris into our schedule. I notice people running (incorrectly) buying bikes and riding them (incorrectly) and worst and most unsafe, swimming (incorrectly). Many people do tris because it's what they here people do, it's the thirty something year olds grasp to hold on to the health of their twenties. They think if they do a tri or a half iron man that they are the shiet. Most of them just finish, in a non impressive time and brag about how they did a tri. You see them "training" incorrectly and just wonder how much better they would be if they focused on being good at one...I personally feel that I am a strong rider and swimmer and not am awful runner...but I hate running, and I don't want to swim unless there is a beer in my hand, so a Tri just isn't for me. I enjoy cycling, and I stick to it because I know if I practice at one thing I can become really good at it rather than being mediocre at 3 things...