What to Look For When Upgrading Your Triathlon Bike

Submitted by: Stephen Harrington

So you have done a season or two and you feel it is time to move up a level or you have entered a half or full Ironman event and are thinking there is no way I am going to do that on my current steed!!

So you have 2 choices, either upgrade your race bike or go for a full TT/ tri bike, or better still why not both!!

I use a Cannondale 6 for training and hills and a Boardman T1 for racing (which I have pimped up to the max!!) see below...

Bike fitting

Before you do anything it is a really good idea to go for a bespoke fitting so every angle can be measured. Believe it or not 2mm on a crank can make a difference and the same goes for seat post etc. There are quite a few choices and they cost between 100 and 300 and take a couple of hours to complete.

If you can get a fit for your race set up and training bike set up that is ideal but if they only have time for one then do it for your race set up and use as much of those dimensions as you can for your training bike..

Once you have your measurements take them to the shop if you are buying from a shop and get them to set up your new creation EXACTLY to the specifications on your bike fit. Don’t take "oh this frame is nearly the right size", or "that will do", it won’t and you need to be pedantic.

If you are buying a frame and putting it together find a good bike engineer who can put the bike together for you and get the measurements right.

What type of road bike?

Road bikes are plentiful and the price ranges are huge, so pick your budget and go from there. Often worth looking for one in last years colours as it does not really matter that much and take advice. Always worth reading reviews and seriously think about your bang for buck. I bought my Cannondale because it was just about in budget and all the reviews I read said it was the best value or at least top 3 in that range.

You will probably have to spend over 1,500 to get a very good road bike and you can spend 15,000!! Think "would I notice the difference and what am I paying for?"

What type of TT bike?

As 80% of reduction in speed on a bike is wind resistance then TT bikes are faster. Apparently 1-2 MPH on average, which over a long race adds up. They are harder to climb mountains on and I know people who have done 70.3 races on road bikes and left their TT bike at home because the course was too hilly.

For me once I read reviews and got the top 3 frames I liked I went for the look as my view was, if I'm going to do this, I might as well look good!!

I got all the parts separately and picked everything based on reviews, advice from elite athletes I knew and then basically colour. My bike is black and yellow so everything had to be black and yellow.

Once I got all the parts and bought them in the UK, Germany and the US online (saving a lot of money in the process!), I handed them with my measurements to a bike engineer who I trusted and he built it.

It is well worth spending good money on these parts (probably in order)

•Frame

•Group set (gears)

•Power mete

•Wheels

•Saddle

Most people however purchase everything in 1 go, however the mistake they often make is that shops generally only specialise in a few models and don't have the full supplier range. If they have a sales promotion on you could be buying what they want you to buy and not what is best for you. So, read reviews, make up your own mind and get bike magazines and become a bike nerd for a while, you will be spending a lot of money so enjoy the process and know your stuff!!

You will probably need to buy race wheels separately regardless and you need to be slightly careful here as the type of power meter you choose will influence what type of rear wheel you can get so check. For example a SRM will allow you to have any wheel but a Power hub will not.

So get measured, get a bit nerdy and have fun investing in your new race machine.

About the Author: Triathlon success http://www.triathlonsuccess.co.uk is dedicated to all things triathlon especially beginners triathlon

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