General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race? Rss Feed  
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2017-08-19 12:00 PM


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Subject: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?
Hello, I am new to the site and fairly new to triathlon. I started in the fall of 2015 with very little cycling experience and did not know how to swim. Fast forward many months and I had a few triathlons under my belt and was on the verge of doing my first half ironman. I actually got pretty good at swimming and a lot better on the bike. I had purchased a new Felt B-14. I was a bit wobbly at first but after a lot of practice I got better, but to be honest, I still felt I was behind with some mechanics. I live in North Georgia so a lot of hills. I felt pretty uncomfortable going down some of the these hills. Then one week out from the Chattanooga Half Ironman, I crashed going down hill when I hit an obstacle in the road. Luckily my body broke my bike's fall so it was ok, but I broke my clavicle in 6 places and tore all the ligaments making up my AC joint (Grade 5 AC Joint Tear). I had to have surgery and am almost 12 weeks post surgery now. I am back to running, but I cannot get bend my arm in the aero position still (only riding on the trainer). I have no plans to ride outside anytime soon. I have been contemplating selling my tri bike and getting a good aero road bike. I still want to do triathlons, but I want a little more versatility that a road bike can bring me. I am not set on this yet, but just been thinking about it. Any thoughts out there about this? Also anybody had AC joint surgery (I had a modified weaver dunn procedure to repair my shoulder) and if you did, how was your recovery? Sorry of the long post.


2017-08-19 2:23 PM
in reply to: jparker0682

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Grapevine, TX
Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?
Originally posted by jparker0682

Hello, I am new to the site and fairly new to triathlon. I started in the fall of 2015 with very little cycling experience and did not know how to swim. Fast forward many months and I had a few triathlons under my belt and was on the verge of doing my first half ironman. I actually got pretty good at swimming and a lot better on the bike. I had purchased a new Felt B-14. I was a bit wobbly at first but after a lot of practice I got better, but to be honest, I still felt I was behind with some mechanics. I live in North Georgia so a lot of hills. I felt pretty uncomfortable going down some of the these hills. Then one week out from the Chattanooga Half Ironman, I crashed going down hill when I hit an obstacle in the road. Luckily my body broke my bike's fall so it was ok, but I broke my clavicle in 6 places and tore all the ligaments making up my AC joint (Grade 5 AC Joint Tear). I had to have surgery and am almost 12 weeks post surgery now. I am back to running, but I cannot get bend my arm in the aero position still (only riding on the trainer). I have no plans to ride outside anytime soon. I have been contemplating selling my tri bike and getting a good aero road bike. I still want to do triathlons, but I want a little more versatility that a road bike can bring me. I am not set on this yet, but just been thinking about it. Any thoughts out there about this? Also anybody had AC joint surgery (I had a modified weaver dunn procedure to repair my shoulder) and if you did, how was your recovery? Sorry of the long post.


If your budget is limited a get a good aero bike. I have done that plus some top notch clip on aerobars. I did have to work on the bike fit for the bars, but its as fast as many tri bike setups. In fact, most of my training is on a regular road bike. More fun.

I had shoulder surgery to repair 13 broken areas 5 years ago (strange, 2nd post today this came up). Total recovery took awhile especially the ability to drop into aerobars. But frankly I just kept working it without forcing it and eventually it solved itself. I can't remember the last time I noticed an issue.
Certainly do all the PT you can.
2017-08-19 6:01 PM
in reply to: FranzZemen


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Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?
Thanks for the feedback. What aero road bike do you have? Yes, I do all the PT I can. I certainly do not want to have this type of injury again. It sucks.
2017-08-19 6:12 PM
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Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?
Originally posted by jparker0682

Thanks for the feedback. What aero road bike do you have? Yes, I do all the PT I can. I certainly do not want to have this type of injury again. It sucks.


I have a Willier Gran Turismo (I think this now evolved to the Willier GT) with Shimano Ultegra components. Great all purpose high end carbon Italian bike. I have Profile Design Carbon T3+ clip on aerobars and to get the right fit I have an extra long stem. The ISM saddle that I have on it has enough travel to help with that fit. I may buy some racing bars at some point ... not sure.

fyi I ride a Cervelo P3 at most shorter races. I also just purchased a Diamondback Andean.

Edited by FranzZemen 2017-08-19 6:13 PM
2017-08-19 7:51 PM
in reply to: jparker0682

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Ventura, California
Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?

I myself just started triathlons in the fall of 2015, I have been riding a 1988 Peugeot Triathlon steel frame road bike (NO clip on aero bars), don't mind the model name as it is indeed a standard road bike setup. I have done 6 triathlons with this bike and 1,000's of training miles on it, Including IM St George 70.3. I did alot of training in the Tehachapi mountains and could get up to 50+mph on downhill descents and into the mid 40's on twisty mountain roads, I would NEVER even think to have aero bars with that kind of speed and technical descents. 

Hope your shoulder gets better soon and your back on the bike soon. I know you will enjoy a solid modern road bike setup, you will do just fine. Look at the ITU pro series, they are all running road bikes, mostly due to being draft legal and you can't be jostling around close quarters like that all squared up in  the aero bars.

Best wishes on the recovery!

 

2017-08-20 11:09 AM
in reply to: jparker0682

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Katy, Texas
Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?
To answer the question in your subject line frankly; No, not the fast ones. Not in a race anyway. A lot of fast (which is what I think you meant by "experienced") triathletes will train on a road bike (some almost exclusively) but not race. With your injury, it seems you don't have much of an option at the current time. Personally, I wouldn't be racing if I was in bad enough shape that I couldn't get down on aero bars. So instead I'd just be training on a road bike until then.


2017-08-20 11:32 AM
in reply to: 3mar

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Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?

Most people can't ride a "Tri-bike" well enough to make much difference....and then a bunch more are fit so poorly it doesn't give them much advantage. Find a decent road bike and get a great fit on  it.  Ride it on the road, on a trainer, in group rides, on hill climbs, in races (both triathlon and crits if you have some local ones) and become a good bike handler, along with getting faster.  The day may come when a tri bike is the right choice.......but you will get MUCH more use out of a road bike if you can only have one.

2017-08-20 3:40 PM
in reply to: jparker0682

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Subject: RE: Do experienced triathletes still use a road bike to race?
I use both. Some of my races are draft legal and a road bike is required (you will get turned away if you show up race morning with a tri bike). Its fine to ride a road bike with clip ons... I did from 2000 to 2009.
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