Few general questions about TT.
 

Hi guys,

I come from a more MTB/DH side of cycling, although I have always enjoyed long distance cycling.

Recently the gang have decided to get some form of bike that will allow us to enjoy long distance, as you can imagine a DH bike is just not really enjoyable.

We started looking at Triathlon bikes as they looked great and I have always admired the areobars. It's just upon doing some research I have only just realized that Triathlons are not just cycling but they include running and swimming.

This might seem like a strange question but, would it be immoral of me to buy a TT bike with only the intention of cycling?

Does anyone else do this? Or do TT riders all partake in the running and swimming aspect of the sport too? Maybe I should get a rodie instead of a TT?

Just throwing some questions out there in the hope that someone could educate me a little in whether or not a TT bike is good as a standalone bike. I mean I love the way TT bikes look, and although I do not care what people think, I wouldn't want to be fooling my self by riding around on a TT when all I do is just cycle.

Cheers,
Tom.

I bought a TT bike and only use it for cycling. I.e., I participate in stand alone time trial races. No running or swimming involved.

Generally, a TT bike won't be as comfortable as a road bike because their primary purpose is to be aerodynamic. If the aesthetics of a TT bike are very appealing to you then an "aero" road bike may be a viable alternative as well.

What are you actually looking at? Time Trial bikes and Triathlon bikes aren't the same thing, UCI rules apply to TT bikes, not Triathlon ones.

If you are just riding on your own, just ride whatever you like; if club riding, you may not be welcome if you turn up for a Sunday run with tri-bars fitted, as they can be dangerous if you start using them in group riding.

Get an endurance style road bike if you want to do endurance riding...

Time Trial bikes are for time trials, and time trials are not comfortable, nor are they particularly long events. An endurance road bike is going to be more comfortable over longer distances and will open up the possibilities of doing group rides, which are a blast.