Best Upgrade for a TRI Bike - (Page 2)

meh...these guys know nothing.  carbon fiber bottle cages are your best bet.

Of course if you get all the blingetty bling bling AND the power-o-meter AND the coaching AND the proper fit, 30+ miles per hour should will be within your grasp.

I don't see it NateC, if you take the info from this website (must be true it on the web!!!) and calc out the chg in MPH for a 40k ride at 20mph (1:14:30) for the wheels and aero helmet (call it 2:40), it's no more than a 0.75 mph difference.  2-4 mph would be a 6-12 minute decrease.  I believe only T.I.T.S or EPO can give you that!

Ok, I'll take you on your snide comment. I see I must have hurt your feelings because you've got your income depending on people believing that there is no possible way to improve without coaching. >>> Not at all but good try!

You charge $100 for a 90 min consulatation. >>> Only for those self-coached athletes looking for some insight about their training plans not for monthly athletes.

and then $250 a month for coaching. I have a decent background in coaching and personal training, from that I know that its going to take 2-3 months MINIMUM to see real results in sports improvement. >>> You can see improvements within weeks (actually within 5-6 weeks). In particular with beginners, in fact ANYONE can take an untrained individual and help him/her improve substantially with little knowledge of a particular activity. The other day at the gym I noticed than trainers coach triathletes nowadays! And BTW, I charge less
 
You however, require a 4 month commitment >>> yup and it has little to do with improvements. I (we) request that because we commit to each other (athlete/coach) for that period of time. Yes we charge for a service (like other professions) but we expect a mutual commitment from both parties. If the athlete can’t or won’t go that route we rather pass on the opportunity. Why? Because if an athlete fails we fail plain and simple. In the tri-coaching biz is kind of easy to grade the success of your practice or approach, and that is through results. If your athletes are achieving their goals (whether BQ, KQ, place on their AG, PR in their HIM or finish their 1^st IM) it means both are committed and working together towards the goal and having success.

For the same investment, I can purchase a set of wheels and probably an aero helmet and no matter what my level of fitness, I'll be faster than without them. >>> True, you will be marginally faster, but faster ‘a bit’ nevertheless.

Wheels and helmet are a more "cost effective" investment than coaching because they are a more lasting investment. That's why I rank them higher on the list. >>> You are mistaken. Forget about coaching, TRAINING is what’s going to make you faster more than any gadgets. Yes gaining 1 mph (maybe 1.5mph with the right conditions) with aero-helmet/wheels but unless you get on the saddle consistently and train towards improving your cycling power you improvement will be limited. If that’s your goal, it is perfectly fine.

In addition to the fact that what I have seen from far too many triathlon coaches are regurgitated programs and information that they have gleaned from other sources. >>> I couldn’t agree more with you here. Unfortunately like any other profession coaching is prone to have good ones and the bad ones and there is nothing you can do about it. With the recent boom in the tri market, more and more you find avg self-proclaimed coaches which intentionally or not might take advantage of athletes in particular beginners by regurgitating training plans from the TTB, or others sources. But in the end you shouldn’t generalize and label all under the same category.

Sorry Jorge, but you, nor any other coach possess some secret information that cannot be found elsewhere for a lot less money >>> wrong again, I have the best, super, fantastic, amazing, special training approach who will make ANY athlete invariable faster. It is an approach that it has taken me all 3 years of my coaching experience to develop and it is blowing away other approaches. It is call SUAT or Shut Up and Train. Do that every day for a 1 year (with some rest in between when need it) and you’ll be faster.

At the Camp Pendleton Sprint triathlon on August 11, 2007 I averaged in the neighborhood of 16.5-17mph.  On Sept 30, 2007 at the Las Vegas Triathlon, I averaged 21 mph on a very similar course in terms of elevation gain, and terrain. The only difference between the two rides were my clothing (one piece trisuit vs. shorts and shirt), helmet (aero helmet vs. standard road), and wheels (flash points vs. spoked). I have similar results from several different training rides that were done before and after upgrading equipment. >>> here is where your statement losses credibility and accentuates the problem with the n=1 approach. You claim your aero-helmet, clothing and deep-dish wheels helped you gain 4-4.5 mph and you didn’t even changed your bike fit? besides the fact that your avg speed can fluctuate from day to day on the very SAME course, due to changes in the temp, air density, wind speed, weight,  tire pressure, or even a lubed chain (although 4+ mph, hardly)  let’s assume you did and it was under the same conditions and nothing changed including your fitness/power… you my friend discovered a magic helmet and aero-wheels and I wouldn’t let anyone know. Of course if you break down the data and use analytical cyclist you’ll notice that your improvements as you mention are uummm, pretty inconceivable.

No, there's another huge difference you're not factoring.  It's two different courses.  Even the best race directors mismeasure bike courses at times.

If you did the same course a few days apart with the two different sets of equipment and demonstrated a significant difference, that would be one thing.  You're comparing apples and oranges.

Funny.  Actually made soda come out my nose.  Fortunately I've been doing this sport for more than 10 days which means I realize this is about as plausible as little green men on Mars.  It was well written though...nice semantics and good use of punctuation.

I know what happened....you peddled faster. 

 I don't have a Aerospace Engineering degree or Physics degree or any of the like experience and I really shook my head at this one.  It is kind of like saying it is easier to ride in a 10 mph wind than a 20 mph wind. 

I will take the side of the aerospace expert!!!

so if I was to shave my legs how much time would I save?/

is there a certain razor that will improve the airflow around my legs better than others.??