The time trial bike is a type of bicycle designed to be faster in a race against the clock. The rider will have to ride as fast as possible while maintaining an aerodynamic position and staying on the designated course.
Triathletes choose TT bikes over other bikes because they have a more aerodynamic design, which is essential when competing in such an athletic event. But this isn’t the only reason for choosing TT bikes.
This type of bicycle offers many benefits for triathletes who want to train in their own time but still compete at high levels. We will go over some things you need to think about, and you will know why triathletes use TT bikes.
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Time Trail Bike is Faster
The time trial bike is faster than the traditional road racing bicycle. When riding on a flat surface, tt bikes can go up to 80 km/h while climbing, and they will be able to reach speeds of 50 km/h; this makes them ideal for triathletes who want to train more efficiently and not worry about traffic or other factors that could decrease their speed.
Time trial bikes need to go as fast as possible, so they offer an aerodynamic position and make it more difficult for the rider’s hands and feet to slip off the handlebars or pedals. This is important because triathletes have to ride at top speeds while maintaining their form.
This also makes time-trial bicycles great for training since there is no need to worry about traffic or other factors that could decrease your speed during practice rides.
The bike will be set up with components designed specifically for racing on flat surfaces to maximize efficiency and velocity when riding against an opponent such as another cyclist on the flats, primarily using tt bikes.
TT is Lighter
A TT bike is built for speed. It has a lighter frame and stiffer, aerodynamic components like deep-section wheels and handlebars that taper to the stem at an angle of minus ten degrees or more. The rider’s body position on these bikes also allows them to be as narrow as possible to slip through tight spaces with ease.
Features such as disc brakes allow riders to stop better when corners are taken too aggressively while still maintaining control over their bicycle even if it’s wet outside from rain or foggy due to weather conditions (like what you find in many cities).
They also have wider tires than regular racing bikes to maintain traction better without being afraid of slipping out during complex braking maneuvers.
With such characteristics, TT bikes are the perfect racing bike for triathletes. This is one of the main reasons why the majority of triathletes use TT bikes for races.
Different Frames
You need to choose a different kind of frame for your time trial bike. The most popular types of frames are titanium, aluminum, and carbon fiber.
Titanium is the most expensive, but it’s also the lightest; this is the favorite choice between triathletes because they can get the most speed with the least drag.
Aluminum is strong but a heavier frame that’s also very popular among triathletes because it provides more excellent stability and durability than titanium for less cost. Aluminum is cheaper than titanium and heavier than carbon fiber and is probably the most used by beginners.
Carbon fiber frames are lightweight and robust, but they’re more expensive, they are costly as well, but they’re super light (which makes them perfect for time trials).
Balanced Stiffness
The triathlon frames are stiffer than racing frames because stiffness helps transfer power from the rider’s legs to the bike.
Some riders might find a TT frame too stiff, but they’ll need this level of stiffness for their muscles and joints not to fatigue as much while riding on flats or downhills.
Since triathlon bikes are used more on flat roads, some riders prefer a softer ride that absorbs bumps better without causing discomfort during long rides (especially if these riders don’t have a lot of experience with time trial cycling).
If you’re someone who needs comfort over lightweight handling, then consider going with an endurance road bike instead-it’ll be worth it when your next Ironman comes around!
Difference between Triathlon bike and TT bike
The two most significant differences between a triathlon bike and a TT bike are the frame’s geometry and gearing. The aerodynamic shape on the tt frame is different from that of a traditional road racing or touring bike and having more aggressive angles to help riders achieve optimum pedaling speeds.
A typical Triathlon Bike will have gears with significantly narrower ranges than those found on Touring bikes but somewhat wider gear ratios than what you’ll find in an endurance (road) bicycle.
TT frames also usually include disc brakes for better grip when descending mountain biking trails during triathlons. At the same time, their wheels are lighter, so they can be spun faster at high RPMs without losing traction from wind resistance. This same thing happens when you’re on a time trial course, but not when you are riding on the streets or touring.
The tt bike is also designed to be as aerodynamic as possible for the rider to go faster and minimize the energy wasted from wind resistance. One of the most popular ways triathletes does this is by ensuring their tt bikes have no brakes mounted at caliper level because they know which way air flows around them while they ride, so they need these extra features anyway.
Comparing TT Bikes To Time Trial Courses: A good analogy would be comparing a car’s speedometer with its odometer; both measure distances traveled, but one measures it over shorter distances than the other case, kilometers per hour versus miles.
There are also many benefits to using a bike with triathlon-specific geometry, like increased ground clearance and lower standover height. The result? More power transferred from your pedal strokes into forwarding momentum-a must go for any competitive cyclist! These are, in our opinion, the three reasons that make TT bicycles a better choice for triathletes.
