Get Cervelo P2C or use my Giant TCR C1 2006
 

A newbie, about 17 months into biking. Been a swimmer, not recnetly though, for 8+ years. Probably can average 20.5 mph on the flats on my Giant TCR & can hit or should I say touch 30 MPH on the flats with no wind. Anyway my question is should I get a used CERVELO P2C or keep my Giant TCR C1 2006. Been working on my cadence & some inervals - need to get faster.

Have been told I can save anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes/hour. Do not feel it will be that large of a difference but I am unsure. Expect it woulld cut 30-45 seconds/hour, & will make the run in the triathlon/duathlon a bit easier. Local LBS or actually TRIATHLON shop is a Cervelo dealer with a swap meet in two weeks. LBS will give you a preliminary fit on the used bike for free to make sure you get the right size. Is stem length an important factor for a TRI-Bike? Anything in particular other than the obvious - scratch(s), dents, wrecked, wheels out of true, cracks, etc - that I should look for? Sorry for the questions, thanks for the time.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

This was posted in tour magazine a while ago:

Needed Watts for Speed = 45 km/h :
Stevens San Remo bike with normal handlebar 465 Watts needed to go 45 km/h
Same bike Hands down the drops: 406 watts needed
Same bikeEaston Aeroforce bar: 369 Watts
Same bike Triathlon position (5.5 cm lower bar, saddle forwards): 360 Watts
Same bike Triathlon position (5.5 cm lower bar, saddle forwards) and
carbon Tri spoke wheels front and rear: 345 Watt

Cervelo + Tri spoke front 328 Watts
Cervelo + Tri spoke front + disk rear wheel : 320
Cervelo + Tri spoke front + disk rear wheel +Giro helmet: 317
Cervelo + Tri spoke front + disk rear wheel +Giro helmet + speed suit: 307
Cervelo + Tri spoke front + disk rear wheel +Giro helmet + speed suit +
saddle 3 cm further back: 293 Watts

Assuming you can hit those speeds, 45km/h (28mph), you're looking at ~406 watts in the drops on your road bike vs. something like 328 watts with a TT bike with aero wheels.

You can also use this calculator to calculate:

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

If you can average 20mph on your roadbike on the hoods, you're putting out on average something like 230 watts. On a tri bike, you're looking at around 24mph. So going from 3 min mile to 2:30 mile. You save 30 sec per mile. Looking at a half IM distance tri, you're looking at saving around half an hour on a TT frame.

Of course if you're talking averaging 20mph in the drops, its gonna be less time savings going to a TT bike. Try racing first, if you realize the difference between you and say a top 5 finish is within half an hour every time, then get a TT bike. Otherwise, if you're like middle of the pack and an hour away from being top 5, spending a lot of money on a TT bike will only get you to like, top 30 or whatever, you might as well just spend your money on training. I'm not one to make judgement but it might feel more gratifying for some people to "earn" the ride.

Plus there's the joy of knowing that if you're within 20-30 minutes of top 10, then buying a new bike might really put you on the podium.

Did not realize it would be that much. When I ride I stay on the hoods 95+% with most rides being 100%. Trying to compare apples to apples on my training/progress. If want you say is true, then I should see an noticeable difference. When I hit 30 MPH my position is in the drops, not usre but my top speed on the hoods is about 27 mph.

Will do some more research & see what i can come up with. Thanks again.

This actually shows the difference the bike makes.

So if you can jam your seat forward and drop your bars, better yet, get a set of clip-on aero bars, you are almost at the same wattage needed without having to buy a new bike.

That said, I suck and have a road bike and a tri bike, so throw common sense out the window and get the Cervelo!