Bike question -- can I buy speed?

i would guess going from a hybrid to a road bike would give you atleast 1 mph. .

FWIW - on my mtn bike,  i have to push pretty hard to avg 15-15.5 mph (it has 2.5" wide tires).  on my road bike, for the same effort, i would be in the low 19's.  of course, a hybrid does have skinnier tires, but a road bike is going to be smoother and faster, and will likely make you train more, which is what does the most benefits for speed.

If anything, you'll FEEL faster.....that translate into more speed for me.

Speed comes from the engine. However, the device being powered can impact the speed. I won't venture a guess on the answer to the difference between the road bikes, I'll leave that for someone more knowledgeable. Fit and comfort are also factors, I road many brands before deciding what felt best.

I can answer on the hybrid to road bike because I was fortunate enough to go from 1 to the other. First day out I saw a 2 mph improvement. In the 3 years I have had my road bike (almost 4, gee might be time for a new bike) I have seen another increase of 3 to 4 mph as my skill/technique have improved.

So to answer the question, yes a road bike will help, but you also need to be patient.

Simple answer, yes you can pick up a lot of extra speed.  On my mountain bike (with hybrid tires) I average about 15 MPH on my most used course (Some hills but not mountainous).  On my old road bike I average 17 MPH without aero-bars on the same route.  With clip-on Aero bars, that goes to almost 18 MPH, if I stay down on them the whole ride.  On my tri-bike, which puts me into a better aero position, I am closer to 19 MPH.    

That said, the difference between a low-end, cheap, used tri bike and the highest level, most expensive, tri bike is probably extremely small.  It may not even be measurable.  The wheels and your helmet are far bigger factors. 

A clarification: The speeds given are averages over many rides of the same route. Wind speed, wind direction, elevation changes, body type, flexibility, and many other factors can effect your results. These are just data points from my own experience and my habit (over ten years) of recording average speed for every ride I ever do.

Edited by JJohn 2010-01-05 5:51 PM

Best way to buy speed is to pay with the sweat of your effort and your time in the saddle. Take your highest logged mileage month (July, when you logged ~125) and work your way up to that being your weekly mileage. Hold that for a few (18-24) months and you'll get that 3-4mph.

That said, if a new bike and the investment therein gets you to that mileage level, then you can say you bought the speed. Some people need that motivation that an expenditure brings, and a newer, nicer bike encourages most people to ride more.

Here is the ultimate link to buying speed...
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5749137/

Now that is really funny.

If you want to be even faster consider skipping buying the road bike and go straight for tri bike.

I went from upright hybrid that I think I averaged 12.6 mph in my first tri to just under 17 the following year with a road bike set up in tri position. Following year I bought a tri bike and bumped up my speed. Clearly my training helped as well.

Lots of folks like me get a road bike and within a year they get a tri bike. I've been on BT since '04 and seen it happen over and over again.

Mostly because the ruling body for road racing does not allow TT bikes during road races.  Individual and team time trials are an exception to that rule.

Also, in road bike racing, you get the benefit of drafting, so aero bars are not needed, although Scott did try to make a road race legal aero bar a looong time ago.

If you watch the pros do a time trial, which is much more like the bike portion of a triathlon, you will notice they are all using TT (tri) bikes with aero everything.With regard to the original question, I think if you are comitted to tri training and racing you can easily justify the upgrade from a hybrid bike to a road or tri bike. I have no doubt you will see the 2-3 mph you are looking for. As far as which one, that depends on what type of riding you do. I only train alone or with another triathlete or two, don't regularly ride with the roadies, don't to tours, centuries, etc, so I went straight to a tri bike. If I did any significant amount of those other things I would have gotten a road bike for sure if I was only to have one.My personal opinion is unless you are racing for money, which very few of us are, It's purely a decision on what you want and can afford. There is really no use justifying it, or even trying to. The amount of speed gained from a sub-thousand dollar basic roadie or tri bike to the most expensive carbon beauty is what? 1 mph, or 3 minutes on an OLY course?? Pretty hard to make a good case for unless you are making money at this. However, here's the beauty of hobbies. They aren't supposed to make economic sense. The only questions you need to justify is can you afford it? I wouldn't mortgage my house, my kids education, or my retirement, but if you have the cash, why not? It's every bit as justifiable as that 2k ski trip, or whatever, or even more so in my mind. I intend to spend a lot of hours on a bike, and use it for years. Having said all that, I bought a Cervelo P2 SL, last years model, aluminum tri bike with Ultegra components, last years model for 995 bucks last spring. I'm easily 4-5 mph faster than my mountain bike and couldn't be happier, but that's just me. I have too many hobbies to have the highest end stuff for each one.

Edited by dscottmd 2010-01-05 10:14 PM

Actually the biggest bang for your buck is probably coaching, swim lessons, or a good bike fit.  Another best bang for the buck is to hire someone to clean your house or do the gardening and then you can spend that new found free time in the saddle.  

But, yes, of course, given a certain fitness level, the aero bars, wheels, helmet, and frame will make a difference.  My data a few posts up shows that.  Do a goggle search and you can find several articles that rank the above items as to their benefit.

In my opinion, you can see a couple MPH increase going from a 26" MTB with slicks to a road bike and maybe a 1-2mph increase going from a road bike to a tri bike IF you are in aero on the TT bike.  If you are sitting up and on the bar, it's no faster than a road bike.  The biggest reason a tri bike is faster is because it lets you ride in aero.  In fact, many a heavier than their counterpart road bike (same components, frame material...) 

All the other things?  Wheels, earo helmet, etc WILL get you speed, but not enought to be quantifiable by looking at the bike computer...  It's only seconds per kilometer...

This is not based on any science I can reference (well, I can point you to the earo bennefits of certain gear), but more from personal experience.

You are at a speed disadvantage on the hybrid.

You will see a significant difference if you switch to a road bike (any new road bike) as it is lighter, has less rolling resistance, and most significantly your position is more aerodynamic.  I'm not sure if it will be 3-4mph, but I would not be surprised by 2mph "out of the box" as you say.

If you switch to a tri/TT bike with aerobars, it is reasonable to get another 1-1.5mph over your speed on a road bike in the drops.

The difference between one road bike versus another is comparatively very small.  Choice will come down to personal preference for fit & riding characteristics.

Edited by dredwards 2010-01-06 4:41 AM

Much like Kidos point about needing to stay aero on a tri bike, a road bike brings it's maximum gain if you ride in the drops and not on the top of the bar on on the hoods of the shifters. I went to a seminar where the speaker presnted data showing 15% gains switching from the bar top to the drops.

See Kim's avatar for perfect positioning!

The UCI limits TT bikes to TT's because while the bikes are fast for their intended purpose, there are other events that they are poorly suited for.  Most road races are draft legal and using a TT bike in a peloton is a really bad idea.  Due to the geometry and weight distribusion on a TT bike, they are designed to go really fast in a straight line but are usually not the greatest handling bikes in the world and if you are in the aero position, your hands are not close to the brakes.

Even draft legal triathlon (ITU elite) limits the size and type of aerobar that can be used and the majority of the field are riding road geometry with shorty aerobars.

Shane

x2, on a hybrid you are definatly at a disadvantage.

OK, thanks. That makes a lot of sense. I hadn't thought of it in terms or drafting, and didn't know about the rules.

I've also read that tri positioning uses the hammies more and saves the quads for running. I found having to lug 10 extra pounds of bike up a hill makes a big difference...never mind 10 extra pounds of a$$ (sorry, that's my motivation creeping back home -post in COJ)

This is what I was hoping to hear.  There does appear to be consensus that there are some speed improvements to be gained going from the hybrid to the roadie.  Even more going to a tri bike -- but I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet.



This is what I know to be true.  Ah... BT, you are so fickle.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughful responses.  I wonder if I can rent a roadie and try it for myself.  Think I'll put in a call to my LBS.