on the trails i ride i have never seen a single Tri/TT bike and i suspect there must be a reason for this.

but i would like to know what it is rather than just assume that it's a good one.

the only one i can think of is having to switch between different grips to go from brakes to shifters - do i understand that correctly ?

when i ride there are often highway overpasses where you have to make FOUR 180 degree turns to cross the highway as it looks a bit like two flights of stairs on each side. now when i am making those turns i am shifting and braking at the same time on my road bike - how much of a trouble would i be in on a Tri/TT bike in that situation ? are there any other reasons i should not use a Tri/TT bike ?

the reasons i want a Tri/TT bike in the first place is because when on my road bike i try to use the drops my speed DROPS instead of increasing. i tried it many times. the seat tube angle just doesn't work for me when i am on the drops. i really need the seat to move forward.

my other concern is - will i look like a douc4ebag ? also right now when i get passed by faster cyclists i feel ok about it. if i got passed by somebody on a mountain bike i would feel pretty bad about it. now if i go with TT bike i will only maybe gain 1 - 2 mph so i am still going to be passed by roughly same number of cyclists - but it will be about 10 times more embarrasing

hm - some dilemma !

TT bikes are a little wobbly and yeah you can't shift and brake at the same time. That makes them less safe than road bikes... although depending on your skill it doesn't necessarily mean you'll crash into someone.

Why are you riding on trails? Find a nice open country road with little traffic, good shoulder and no stops or intersections, and go have fun.

I gave up on trails years ago and I gave up on my local popular cycling routes (bike lanes within the city) last year. They just aren't useful for training. Maintaining the same speed for a few hours without being interrupted is the proper way to do it.

Something isn't right. Normally going to the drops isn't doing anything other than getting your head down to reduce wind resistence.

I suggest taking your bike to a LBS with a knowledgable fitter and take a look at your position. If seat tube angle is a problem, it could be anything from the wrong seatpost, too short a stem, or the wrong size frame.

I was having the same problem as you when getting on the drops in my bike. I wasn't used to using the drops on my bike until recently and that's when I figured out my fit was all off. I paid $100 for a pro fitting and now I feel very comfortable on the drops.

IMO - you always look like a d-bag whenever you're going <20mph on a flat on a TT bike. But that doesn't stop 95% of triathletes from using them, so it's all good.

I ride my TT bike as my only road bike. I have no problems with the handling or braking.

FWIW, the riding you describe doesn't sound like you need a TT bike.

Of course, everyone is free to ride what they like but, TT bikes are specialised bits of kit , not really designed for general cycling. There are plenty of loons ( self included) who ride them all the time cause we lovethem/need the practice/can'tafford2bikes.....but they are still specialised and that means compromises. Maybe you're better off on a good road bike and just add some aero bars if you want to use that position from time to time. Focus on good fit & the issues you face will go away. If you buy a TT bike, you'll still need to get it fitted - maybe even more so.

best of luck.

so how fast are you going on your regular rides ?

so if u had ( or if you have ) both a road and a TT bike would you still use a TT bike on the kind of trail that i am using which makes probably about 8 x 180 degree turns in about 6 miles plus a few tunnels that are only about 6 feet wide with cyclists going both ways at top speed ( they accelerate towards the bottom ) at the same time and limited visibility ?

i already almost got killed when i rolled down to about 25 mph into that tunnel and there was another id1ot like me going the other way. and we only saw each other around the turn from about 15 yards away. it was scary as hell. there was another guy on rollerblades nearby who thought it was hysterical though.

hi man,

Tough call - both could probably work. But to answer your question, if I had two bikes and was riding in the area you describe I'd probably favour the road bike.

But........I don't feel compromised in balance/control on my TT ( Cervelo P3) at all so its not really about that. Its more that TT bikes suit longer, flatter, more open roads where you can get up to and maintain a high average speed. With all those turns and tunnels you are minimising the value of the TT bike set up in my view.

I'd be more inclined to look at where you are riding, rather than what you are riding. Just a thought.

Heading into a tunnel at 25mph does sound pretty hairy to me too BTW.

I recommend the first step of getting off the trails and getting out on the roads.

thanks guys i think i get it now.

i'll stick with trails and road bike for now.

if i ever start doing more serious rides i will consider getting a TT/Tri as a second bike.

I wouldn't dare take a tt bike on the stevens creek trail, or any other MUP, for that matter. you need the stability of a road bike to get around those turns. there are often people coming the other way on those turns, and you have to make that turn on your side of the trail, something not easy on a road bike, much less a tt biket. A tt bike is for going long distances at a time without having to avoid people, purse dogs, other cyclists, rollerbladers and other obstacles. You are also an effing ****** for going through the underpasses at 25 mph when you can't see the other end, and you are going hurt either yourself or someone else for being so reckless. People like you are the reason that pedestrians and motorists alike hate cyclists.


I know you like to troll and all, but seriously, you keep trying to show like you are some sort of hot-shot cyclist who would drop the noon peloton with a mere thought, and its so laughably stupid when try so very hard to sound like you actually have an honest question. FFS, you are supposedly afraid to ride where there is traffic, and yet you wanna take a tt bike, a bike you have no idea how to control, on an effing MUP when you can hurt other people with your ignorance and inability to control your bike? How many other forums are you going to troll before you get a clue?

i never alluded to that and have specifically stated that this is not the case about a dozen times already.

you people have wild imaginations. i am pretty sure it's somehow related to pedaling - endorphins ?

well air travel is supposed to be the safest form of travel and driving a car is supposed to be the most dangerous. but i feel safe in the car and nervous when i fly. does this make sense ?

at the same time when i am in the car but somebody else is driving it i am scared to death ! even though the actual probability of us dying is about the same as if i was driving, in which case i would be completely relaxed.

so it's not so much the actual risk as it is the feeling of being in control vs the feeling of being at the mercy of external factors.

i am also afraid to get a motorcycle because i am afraid to ride with the cars on it. even though if i had one i would probably end up killing myself somewhere on an empty road at 3AM and 120 mph instead of actually being run over by a car.

who ever said that fear must be logical ? if fear was logical politicians wouldn't use it

I avoid the MUPs with my TT Bike except for one and only early in the AM, reason being is it is wide, fairly straight, and fast and slightly hilly with no real blind points or sharp turns. Its a rare one though on the route to the beach. Otherwise I always ride my Road bike, too many idiots, bumps, and sharp turns to get what I want out of the workout. You can't get into your aerobars and "in the zone" when you have to make changes in your position and maneuvers to avoid all kinds of stuff.