I’m wanting to get a TT setup. I’ve ridden/raced road and MTB for over a decade now and am feeling like improvements are becoming harder to come by, but TT would be a new discipline to explore and improve in whether that be via fitness or fit/setup. I have no idea where to start in terms of a bike though. I am likely looking to buy second hand for the $ to value that delivers. For those of you who know these types of bikes well, what models/years would get you excited? Any historical industry trends that should be avoided? How much decision weight should I put on the bars/extensions or will I inevitably want to switch those out? I’m assuming I’ll do a general TT position bike fit first to figure out the size(s) that would work - is that like MTB where you can fit on a couple sizes and then its a matter of choosing the size for handling characteristics? If I’m not racing UCI, is a triathlon bike a good idea?
For a bit of additional context for my specific case, I won’t be doing big climbs/descents, but the routes I want to race on aren’t flat either - some short steep climbs and some rollers. Weight probably isn’t a big concern for that and rim brakes would be ok, though running some 28s at least would be valuable for the road surfaces we have. I’ll do some shorter efforts (15-30 mins) and would also love to be able to use the bike for some bigger days trying to set FKTs or whatever though I know that is a bit of a different use case! I can probably reasonably spend $5k (USD) all in with a bike fit and whatever bits I need to get it to fit right for me.
I haven’t done TTing for a long time, but it used to be my thing. Some of the people currently racing will have some ideas. My experiments between 2 bikes showed that its not so much about the bike. Good wheels and a good position is the main thing I reckon. From memory the Giant Trinitys seem to be highly thought of. Ronan McLaughlins performance process podcast is full of aero nerdery! If you are doing super long rides then something with a bit of give in the frame could be helpful for comfort.
It is a bit of a cliche, but see a fitter first. They can determine the right stack / reach for you and then you can make a bike decision from there. Road bikes can be a bit more flexible, but for a TT bike, fit is critical. A good fit on a “slow” frame will be faster than a poor fit on a “fast” frame.
My immediate thoughts are:
I’d be wary of going rim brake. On TT bikes they can be incredibly fiddly and prone to not slowing you down very effectively. And will be harder and harder to sell on.
Agree that it’s about wheels and position. Maybe look for any reputable brand (have pros won TTs on it?) and look for a lower spec model to upgrade bars, wheels etc.
A fit is good but if you want to buy a bike then optimise your fit, I think in general my rule would be to go for the smaller size if you’re between two. You can always add risers if your position demands more stack.
I used to race around 10-15 TT’s a year, won local stuff, and normally finished top 5 in big comps.
My understanding is the new disc TT bikes aren’t faster than the previous rim-brake models, though, as others have said, getting rim brake parts is harder. You might also struggle to fit 28s.
If you do go for a rim brake - P3 / P5 or Trek Speed concepts are the ones to go for. The newer style integrated extensions, which run along your arm are supposed to offer decent watt savings.
stuff that’s important:
Putting power out in position - you need to spend time on the road in position at speed
Aerodynamics - realy big savings here but you really need to test properly (or get lucky)
Clothing - helmet, skinsuit and daft socks, big watts to be found here
Tyres - corsa speed or Veloflex
Wheels - go with whatever depth you feel comfortable riding on the extensions with, when it’s windy you will feel it more and tense up or go out of position
Frame - mainly to facilitate your ideal position
Probably the biggest thing is trial and error, testing different positions and kit is really the only way you know if they work for you. Took me a couple of years to get this right and that was with professional aero testing as well.
That’s all really good advice. I have always been very skeptical of disc brakes on TT bikes, but APPARENTLY the later bikes have been optimized to the extent that they are faster, I just can’t recall how, Im still skeptical, but there is an excellent podcast of @Ronan_Mc_Laughlin where he talks to an aero specialist and they talk about all the basics, sail effect, the mantis position, water bottles etc. I will try to link to it. The bit on disc brakes might be in part 2, not sure.
Episodes 52 and 53, a 2-parter.
I think the main thing to avoid would be an early adopted disc bike. A rim braked bike could be super cheap, but quite possibley be short on tire clearance.
I recently started doing TTs, first on my road bike, and recently picked up a TT bike. I looked at going used but couldn’t find anything close enough to my fit that I wouldn’t have to spend quite a bit of money to correct. I decided to go new and disc because of the lack of rim brake wheel choice.
The site is harder to navigate now and I’m not sure how much is paywalled, but Dan Empfield’s older articles on slowtwitch are an excellent resource when it comes to selecting Tri/TT bikes. ie what features to look for, particularly wrt fit, adjustability, etc.
I just sold a 2009 Cervelo P2, great frame, rim brake limited to 25mm tyres, but easy to set up and adjust, no weird brakes, etc. and still decent aero shaping. Very long and low, great for being able to set up a fast body position with the right saddle and bars.