Is it realy that much faster to have a carbon time trial bike in triathlon

M

Mike

New member
compared to an aluminum road bike? I have a new aluminum road bike with carbon front forks, I compete in triathlons, and find myself falling far behind to the guys with full carbon time trial bikes with aero wheels only to catch them again on the run with times 10 mins faster over the 10km. I dont think it is my fitness on the bike that is lacking but does a bike in the $5000 range actually shave 5-10 mins off a bike time compared to a bike in the $900 range over a 40km time trial?
 
The materials on the bike do not matter in most cases. You are fully capable of beating a carbon frame with an aluminum frame. Now if you're comparing a $5000 bike vs a $900, then there may be some differences. Most likely the wheels. Aerodynamics are the key here: A deeper rim will reduce drag by a lot. That's why they sometimes use discs or Zipp 1080's, for example.
If you don't have Aero bars, that will make a huge difference. An Aero helmet will also help.
Forget about weight, it is irrelevant unless you're climbing or have very heavy wheels that are not aero.
I can't look at your bike and tell you what's wrong, but there are plenty of articles that can help you reduce drag by making adjustments to the bike (like lowering handlebars) and to your riding position.
 
The materials on the bike do not matter in most cases. You are fully capable of beating a carbon frame with an aluminum frame. Now if you're comparing a $5000 bike vs a $900, then there may be some differences. Most likely the wheels. Aerodynamics are the key here: A deeper rim will reduce drag by a lot. That's why they sometimes use discs or Zipp 1080's, for example.
If you don't have Aero bars, that will make a huge difference. An Aero helmet will also help.
Forget about weight, it is irrelevant unless you're climbing or have very heavy wheels that are not aero.
I can't look at your bike and tell you what's wrong, but there are plenty of articles that can help you reduce drag by making adjustments to the bike (like lowering handlebars) and to your riding position.
 
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