What makes new TT bikes faster than old ones? (or Optimising older bikes)

Gear
21

Ha ha

Well done, made me laugh that

22

Yep.

I need short and tall

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23

Brakes would from an aero perspective, especially at the front. Sticking a tririg on your front end would clean things up quite a bit, and save a few watts based on various testing.

Edit - I see you actually referenced the tririg but that they’re, I’m guessing, too pricey. They’ve just released the third iteration, so you may find some used ones showing up soon. My TT still has the first iteration. But as I’ve found them fine for technical descents like Nice and Mallorca, I really can’t see the need to upgrade (as the later versions supposedly have better stopping power as well as being fractionally more aero). But some domestic testers would probably want the marginal gain.

The fact the front brake has been shown to save a few watts alone does make Matts statement that the bike as a whole can at most equate to 30w seem surprising for me.

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24

It seems to me that companies like Canyon have invested a lot of thought into how the feeding systems are integrated into the frames and I’d have thought that this would be a very large watt saving you’d get in a new frame, compared to an old one. I think I saw somewhere that the speedmax frame tests faster with the aero bottle on than without. I would doubt that would be the case for most old TT bikes, even with a well thought out and applied retro fit drinks system.

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25

I like the idea of these

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26

I thought that was true of a lot TT bikes, including older ones? As in an aero bottle on the down tube.

I was thinking of getting the PD aeria hydration bottle to help clean the front end of my TT bike which is old.

27

I’m sure you could knock your own up - for a lot less than $750 - like Jonathon Shubert…

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28

Exactly.

I’d seen his before seeing the Tri Rig ones

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29

Personally, I dont think I am fast or flexible enough to ride one of these rigs and make good use of it.

Often though I see on eBay Tri frames that have been set up for road use and I wonder if this would make any difference.

Obviously it depends on the frame - some of the old PX frames have a pretty standard seat angle so could probably be used like this without issue.

However there are others - there is a P3 being sold currently, that just look like torture devices.

30

I rode an Argon E-112 converted to drops for a while; including the Cotswold Spring Classic 100mi route in some terrible weather. I managed fine, but that may have been more down to me than the suitability of the bike.

Strangely I didn’t manage to sell it as was; I had to break it down.

31

Interesting, my immediate assumption is that a bike set up in this way would be torturous to ride, possibly because I have so much trouble getting a good, comfortable fit.

Could be the time of year, could be the general rush towards disc brakes, but there seem to be some bargains about at the moment, I am half wondering about buying something cheap and setting it up in a halfway house way - Drops and tri bars.

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32

The problem with converting non-road frames to drops I have found, is reach. I have done it with a TT frame and an old MTB frame; both are very stretched-out. Basically I can only use the drops descending, otherwise it’s just bar tops/hoods. With a TT frame, you will generally find the saddle-bar drop too high as well, if the steerer tube has been trimmed.

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33

Yes, you are probably right.

I have a weird short leg/long body thing going on I am 178cm but generally ride a Small or 50/51 ish frame with a long stem, most bike shops try to put me on a 54, which just never works.

Thanks though, will put that though to the back of my mind.

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34

Yes, I am long in the body too; 182cm. Ride a M Canyon, but L Speed Concept.

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35

I think this is me too, 178cm but short ish legs. I have a suspicion that my TT frame (Dolan Scala medium) is too small for me. Waiting for a bike fit to confirm and to see if a longer stem can sort it.

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36

The older Cervelo TT frames suited people with longer backs iirc; namely the P3C & P4. They had big reach numbers and short headtubes!

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37

Challenging looks.

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38

That’s been for sale for months…

It’s come down a few quid, the reviews weren’t very good compared to other super bikes

I think it looks nice

39

Wasn’t there some big bustup on Slowtwich between Dimond and one of their athletes? They came out and called it borderline dangerous and then the manufacturer sued them or something like that.

40

Yeah I remember that, he got a bit of stick as he’d been bigging it up and encouraging people to get them right up until the point he left and said it was dangerous.
ETA - it was Jordan Rapp, there’s a long thread of him asking for funding to fight it.