Sorry if been on before but couldn’t find a thread so started an new one…
With my ironman now being on hold to next June (2021) I am after advice on a TT bike, I was going to do this year’s on an giant propel advanced with bolt on bars as its my first iron distance, but also toying with the idea of starting the weekly TT races where I live as I’ve been doing some 10 mile efforts in my cycling training and loving it.
Wondering what’s best to do, realistically with the way the world is currently probably won’t need one competitively or for iron training till Jan.
Do I buy new using cycle to work, buy second hand or buy parts and build myself?
I like the idea of buying second hand or buying secondhand parts and going down that route and make it a project over the coming months.
You can often pick up an unfashionable bike with all the components you need cheaper than buying everything individually then move the frame on afterwards.
I picked up a 2nd hand frame which I built up using everything from a Carrera Virago TT that I already had. Once I’d done that I still carried on looking for upgrades but there was no rush and I had a usable bike in the meantime.
The main thing is getting the right size and/or geometry to get your fit right as there will be some adjustment but not all frames will accommodate certain fit coordinates.
The usual advice is to get a fit first then you know what you’re trying to achieve but not sure if that’s possible under current circumstances
Yeah with the current situation I think a bike fit might have to wait unfortunately.
Never though of doing it that way to get the other parts, as you say could get good components on an unpopular frame/ brand cheaper than buying all components seperate and then swap into a frame of choice.
My main concern with being new to this is it the components will fit the frame I eventually want or are they usually interchangeable? Mechanically I’ll be able to build a bike just need the components compatable.
Yeah you’ll need to be aware of that, things like BB standards and normal or direct mount brakes (plus where they’re mounted on the frame)
If you’re going for an up to date “superbike” then some of the components will be bespoke for that bike compared to a more generic frame E.g Stem & bars but they should come with the frame if that’s the case.
You’ve got a good bike already so I would spend some time looking at what frames you like, explore the sizes and how they fit (there’s a good database on Slow Twitch for popular models)
There are various calculators online that will give you a starting point for your size/fit as well as the factories often have something similar for people when ordering a new bike.
That’s great thanks, and yeah the bike I do have is aero and for my ability fairly quick. The main reason I wanted to go down self built is in the hope of perhaps getting/ building a decent ish bike for less than a new one would cost. Plus it’s a decent hobby and I’m in no great rush. Ultimately I think a TT bike will be better for tris and time trialling over a road bike in the long run.
My first TT I got as parts and built it up. It was for my first ironman and I wanted to be sure that no matter what the hell happened on the course I could fix it myself and complete the race, so building it up made a lot of sense. I automatically knew all the quirks.
Since then I have bought 2nd hand. Bit more hit and miss as there might be quirks sold with the bike that are hard to spot (e.g. stuck bolts or similar). But generally, a lot more bike for your money.
My current is a Winspace frame (plug: the bike is for sale, fits me at 6’/184cm) I got off ebay with full ultegra gruppo. I then got some older Zipp 1080s with a Powertap in the rear and it’s easily beating the Argon 18 E-112 I had before (with 60/disc).
As usual, it’s probably because this one actually fits me better. But the morale is, a cheapskate but better fitting frame will be faster than an expensive known-brand bad fitting frame. And it’s a TT - do you really care about the extra 36.324 grams of carbon?
Yeah that sounds good mate, think I’ll probably get a decent second hand bike based mainly around the framset I want and then upgrade bits and bobs as I go along to get it as personal a I want it. And to be honest I’m never gonna win any event so for what it costs for the fanciest stuff I’m not too fussed if it’s heavier but alot cheaper. My goals are against bettering myself for self gratification
I have a TT bike I built up myself. It’s an old Giant alu frame and I bought compatible parts mostly 2nd hand off ebay. I did it like that because it was much easier to afford a dedicated bike and secondly so I could get the fit right and if I then want to buy one I know exactly what I’m after. All in I spent aroun £700 on it but I don’t have any aero wheels.
FYI - Cannondale Slice 105 is on sale at Evans for £999 and if you could get that on CycletoWork it would be a billy bargain. I’m considering it if I can get a wife pass…
Normal frame to work on, fast enough if you can tweak it to fit and you’d have to spend a lot more to beat it. The money saved could be spent on on decent wheels and a power meter.
Hi mate thanks for the reply, unsure what that compares to with giant, I have xl frames and am 6 ft 3. Not in a position to buy right now but how much would you be looking for it?
I built my first TT bike from mostly used parts, with some groupset items bought new as cheaply as possible, ended up being around 700 quid. But nowadays you can get good quality used components for not a lot of money. Have a look at buying a complete used bike even if it’s not perfect in terms of the bits you want on it and go from there I reckon
Look for cockpit adjustability - base bars and clip ons with independent stack/reach is a good idea. Standard threaded bottom bracket and normal brake mounting is nicer to deal with in the real world than integrated/v brake style
Never mind, got trigger finger and agreed a price, Shimano 6870 included but no wheels or pedals. Picking it up this weekend. Just need some decent wheels to pair with it and it should be quicker than what I’ve been using. Lots of aero practice needed!
