TT Bike vs Standard Road Bike

[Chrisz]

Back in the mid-80's I used to race a lot of 10 & 25 TTs (often 3 a week). A mate of mine had a similar question so we decided to experiment on Weds evening club TTs - both of us alternating between a "standard" set up and a full-on disc, pointy hat, skinsuit, aero bars etc set-ups. We both found, after an eight week trial (4 rides on each setup) that we were one to one and a half minutes slower on our standard bikes! Given the advances in aerodynamics these days i would imagine that the difference is probably even greater now!

 

[grellboy]

Thanks for your answers everyone. So if I deduct 90 seconds from 29:21 that equals......me still being pretty rubbish haha! Good to know though anyway.

 

[S-Express]

Thanks for your answers everyone. So if I deduct 90 seconds from 29:21 that equals......me still being pretty rubbish haha! Good to know though anyway.

It's quite possible you could lose that 90secs through training, if needs be.

 

[grellboy]

It's quite possible you could lose that 90secs through training, if needs be.

I figure if I keep doing it and use Strava to work out which segments I'm worse on then I will improve that way. Not that scientific I know but suits my lackadaisical approach!

 

[S-Express]

Not sure what the route profile is like, but I would think it could be possible to knock off another 2-3mins on a standard road bike...

 

[Smokin Joe]

Thanks for your answers everyone. So if I deduct 90 seconds from 29:21 that equals......me still being pretty rubbish haha! Good to know though anyway.

Or maybe not.

Remember that a rider who can do a ten in 25 minutes will get more benefit from an aero bike than one who takes thirty minutes, the effect of aerodynamic equipment increasing the faster the speed. To give an example a pilot who lowered his landing gear at cruising speed would have it ripped from the aircraft.

 

[Justinslow]

My first attempt at our 10 course with road bike and tri bars was 28.30 ish
My best on our 10 course with added skin suit shoe covers pointy helmet was 24.29 (and a whole heap of training)
My best with TT bike was 23.55
Once you've lopped off the big time gains and got down to 24-25 minutes the rest comes much more difficult!
The best I've seen from road bikes and tri bars on this course have been around 24 minutes mainly because anyone who's any good will have already switched to a TT bike to get better times before then. I'm sure a GOOD rider on a road bike and tri bars could set a quicker time than that though.

 

[HLaB]

Its a bit more complicated than this but on our club 10:
2013 with no aero I was 27:27 pb
2014 with Clip On I was 27:13 pb
2015 with a modified sportive bike (Forward facing post, disc cover and tt bars) I was 26:06 pb
and 2016 with a TT bike 25:52 pb
I've got more familiar with the course and I think fitness levels slumped from 2013. I am a lot fitter this year but road works have meant I'm still to do a club 10 and I suspect until chippings have bedded in the sporting course will be slow

 

[Tin Pot]

Because why not? Why can't someone ask a perfectly reasonable "I was wondering [this] does anybody know the answer?" Without some berk or other pitching up with why, what does it matter, why do you need to know etc etc etc, it doesn't farking matter why they were asking a question, they were interested in the answer, why does there always have to be an explanation why someone asked a question?

But why?

 

[S-Express]

why does there always have to be an explanation why someone asked a question?

For context. That's why.

 

[Justinslow]

for those that regularly do 10 mile TT style routes, if you do them on standard road bikes and then again on bikes with a TT set up, how great a difference do you notice in times recorded on these different bikes?

It doesn't need context it just needs answers!

 

[palinurus]

A quick look at my times shows there are two seasons where I rode a basic TT bike (tribars, regular spoked wheels) and also rode the same course (once in each case) using a standard road bike (of similar quality)

2009 TT bike (mean of 11 rides) 24'10", Road bike 25'18"
2010 TT bike (mean of 8 rides) 24'49", Road bike 25'54"

About a minute
(Weather was on average a bit more crap in 2010, plus I was keener in 2009)

 

[clippetydoodah]

Interesting thread. A mate got me some aero clip on bars for my birthday. Put them on for my road bike for my 15 mile commute this morning. I haven't looked at that stats yet, but it will be interesting to see what Strava says later. I quite enjoyed the aero position. Looking at the data on route, it did seem quite quick. A good time for 10 miles for me is just over 30 min, but it depends on the wind etc.

 

[KneesUp]

Aerodynamics meant that Laurent Fignon was known mainly as the guy that lost the Tour de France by 8 seconds, rather than the guy that won three tours.

 

[Tangoup51]

Aerodynamics meant that Laurent Fignon was known mainly as the guy that lost the Tour de France by 8 seconds, rather than the guy that won three tours.

View attachment 349204

Ow. That picture makes aerodynamics seem really distressing

Stupid air. What's it good for anyway?!