Are you just doing this for the Duals or are you planning on racing TT's

I'm throwing a set of clip on's on my SuperSix but that's to gain some additional positions for a 336 mile 24hr trek I'm taking...and to get a little more areo in head winds.

Best thing I ever did was to sell my Q Roo...I have no use for TT bikes, even if I decided to get back into Tri's.

If you plan to spend lots of time in an aero tuck, I'd look into a TT/tri saddle that is a little wider and more cushioned up front. That body position shifts weight off the sit bones to the, erm, "other" zones...

I'm already tentatively planning to get the SMP tri saddle, since I have SMPs on all my other bikes, aside from my 29er (weird saddles, but dammit if they don't work like magic for me.  I must have tried at least a dozen other saddles before sucking it up and investing in one of those...and then promptly buying 2 more).

Slo_Hand, mostly just sticking to dus.  Maybe a TT here and there, but likely not more than a few short ones/year.  Today's race had a fair amount of climbing in 17 miles.  In that respect I think my road bike was no disadvantage.  I was on the hoods at least 1/3 of the race.  In a flat race I'd be in the drops close to 90% of the distance.

 

Truth is that you may or may not be faster with either.  It's likely more of a comfort element.

And that's one thing that will probably keep me from ever bothering with an actual TT bike.  I have no goals of ever doing anything longer than the nearby half du (HIM minus the swim)...and that may not ever happen, either, since it's in late Aug. and the thought of a potential hot deathmarch HM in the blazing sun after riding >50 miles on the bike isn't entirely appealing.  Oly distance may be the longest I ever do and for 25ish miles it hardly seems worth the $$$.  I know several women who dumped $$$ into TT bikes, only to sell them a year later.  A lot of us chicks just can't get comfortable in that position, likely due to anatomical stuff.  I'm comfy in the drops, so I'd assume I'd likely be comfy on aerobars and a true TT setup...?  But I'd hate to sink tons of money into a bike, only to find out that's not the case.  I don't know anyone my size with a TT bike that I could even test for some miles, unfortunately.

You know the best way to climb hills is to set back in your saddle...here in the midwest, your ability to handle the hills is the largest determining factor.

'Tis true.

 

I am intrigued and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

I do actually right for a newsletter, here's this months submission;

Biking or just bikes for that matter are never a thought that is far away. I tell people all the time; If I had nothing to do tomorrow I would ride my bike. And probably drink a beer.

I get why some people don’t like cyclist. What I don’t get is why someone wouldn’t want to be a cyclist. One of my strongest childhood memories is the day I learned how to ride bike. I’ll spare you the details of that day but the memory is vivid. I didn’t say accurate. As a parent of three, I also have strong memories of their first solo flight on two wheels. It is a rite of passing that almost every single American child experiences. It almost rivals their first steps and it is a whole lot less nerve racking than the first time behind the wheel of the family sedan solo! And finally as an adult I have countless memories and have forged numerous relationships by riding a bike. I like to look at group rides as being the great equalizer. It’s like a brotherhood or sisterhood, a common bond.

Personally I cannot think of a single able bodied person that does not know how to ride a bike. I do however have a friend that claims he knows of such a person. I understand that his person does want to learn. It is true. Once you learn how to ride a bike you never forget.

The bike itself is quite remarkable. Even in all of its simplicity it proves to be the most efficient means ever invented to move people. To start with, a single speed bike can deliver nearly 99% of the energy input from the rider to the wheels. When we add in gearing this drops a little bit but from an input power efficiency standpoint it’s still quite remarkable. When looked at it terms of energy consumption the bike is 5 times more efficient than walking. If cars ran on calories then 100 calories would move a car 280 ft…A bicyclist would travel 3 miles. There are other estimates that compare a cyclist to getting 300mpg.

I love reintroducing people to bikes. Some people have stuck with it, some have not but one thing is for sure, they all had fun…even if it was for a little while.

I don't believe you can convert a road bike to a TT bike just as you can't convert it to a cross bike. It just becomes a road bike with clip-ons. The TT bike is different animal.

I don't believe you can convert a road bike to a TT bike just as you can't convert it to a cross bike. It just becomes a road bike with clip-ons. The TT bike is different animal.

It would be difficult to make a road bike into a cross bike but I have seen several outright road bikes in cross races. Just need to pick your course conditions. The two things you need to make a good cross bike are what it will accept for tire width and a higher bottom bracket. Those are two things you can not change on a road bike.

The biggest difference between a TT and standard road bike is the seat tube angle. The more forward angle of the seat tube on a TT allows the rider to stay in the aero position. This forward angle consequently engages some other muscles that some believe make it easier to transition from the bike to the run...another discussion...

Zoomy mentioned a forward angled seat post. By adding this you can get pretty close to mimicking a TT. Adding a set of bull horns and clip-ons would force the rider to stay in the aero by taking away the other hand positons a drop bar provides.

Todays TT bikes resemble nothing of the TT's of old with the aerodynamic shaping, tucking of the back wheel, special headsets. But it's the bikes build geometry, Seat tube angle and shortend chain stays that really make it what it is.