TT/Tri Bike

[Rashangler]

I am soon going to be going through the process of buying my first TT/Tri bike. The number one priority is comfort due to having had lower back surgery. The local bike shops have very limited choice when it comes to selection, they will get other brands in that they are not dealers for, but i will have to pay up front for the privilege. Can you recommend brands that are adjustable so i can achieve a good comfort level?, i am not fussy when it comes to brand names just need to be comfy. I am willing to spend around $4k on the bike plus extra for a decent wheel set.

Thank you in advance

 

[twothirds]

What are the limitations that the lower back surgery has left you with?

 

[Rashangler]

What are the limitations that the lower back surgery has left you with?

Mainly stiffness and discomfort of the lower back if i am in the same fixed position for a period of time, my current road bike is a Trek Madone which i find good as it has quite relaxed angles and the local bike shop fitted me well to the bike. I forgot to mention in my original post that i intend on doing an Ironman, I realise that after 6 hours plus on the bike i will be stiff and sore in the back i just need to try and minimise the symptons and be able to run once i get of the bike.

 

[krebs303]

I know this will raise some hackles but for a bad back this can't be beat. Jurgan Zack held the bike leg record on Kona for 8 years with one. I'll go losk myself in a closet till things die down

 

[Rashangler]

I know this will raise some hackles but for a bad back this can't be beat. Jurgan Zack held the bike leg record on Kona for 8 years with one. I'll go losk myself in a closet till things die down

Hehe thats an intresting looking ride, was it a one off build for a certain athlete?

 

[Fiemme]

Mainly stiffness and discomfort of the lower back if i am in the same fixed position for a period of time, my current road bike is a Trek Madone which i find good as it has quite relaxed angles and the local bike shop fitted me well to the bike. I forgot to mention in my original post that i intend on doing an Ironman, I realise that after 6 hours plus on the bike i will be stiff and sore in the back i just need to try and minimise the symptons and be able to run once i get of the bike.

If you have got back issues which are exacerbated with fixed position riding, why not ride the ironman on your road bike. You may get just as good a time on a road bike as you would on a TT bike with back problems.

 

[Fiemme]

I know this will raise some hackles but for a bad back this can't be beat. Jurgan Zack held the bike leg record on Kona for 8 years with one. I'll go losk myself in a closet till things die down

Try posting it in the Bike Porn thread. Then lock yourself in the closet.

 

[krebs303]

Hehe thats an intresting looking ride, was it a one off build for a certain athlete?

no back in the mid ninety's it was the most popular bike in tri. they are very aero but a little heavy. that's mine a xl and it weighs 23 lbs. Could bring the weight way down with some more modern components. UCI outlawed the design and they rapidly lost favor.

great place for that kind of info on the latest bikes is http://www.slowtwitch.com/

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I am soon going to be going through the process of buying my first TT/Tri bike. The number one priority is comfort due to having had lower back surgery. The local bike shops have very limited choice when it comes to selection, they will get other brands in that they are not dealers for, but i will have to pay up front for the privilege. Can you recommend brands that are adjustable so i can achieve a good comfort level?, i am not fussy when it comes to brand names just need to be comfy. I am willing to spend around $4k on the bike plus extra for a decent wheel set.

Thank you in advance

Only a couple of things to make sure of in any frame and [articularly Tri frames...FIT, FIT and FIT.

Can they do an anatomic fit on you on a fit cycle, see what works and morph that to a frame/bicycle?

 

[Rashangler]

If you have got back issues which are exacerbated with fixed position riding, why not ride the ironman on your road bike. You may get just as good a time on a road bike as you would on a TT bike with back problems.

This is certainly an option if I am not 100% happy with the fit and comfort of the TT/TRI bike.

 

[Rashangler]

Only a couple of things to make sure of in any frame and [articularly Tri frames...FIT, FIT and FIT.

Can they do an anatomic fit on you on a fit cycle, see what works and morph that to a frame/bicycle?

I will have to do some research of bike shops in my area to see if they can do an anatomic fit.

 

[Notso Swift]

Being Tri you do not have the same limits as a UCI TT bike, you can set it up "old fashioned" with a very high front position, high elbows, high hands

May not be the most aero, may not be the prettiest, but it will be better than a road bike and should reduce stress on your back

 

[veganrob]

I recommend getting a professional fit first. You may need custom in which case I go to Guru. Couple other stock bikes that I use for not real flexible riders are Cervelo P2 or Look 576.

 

[Rashangler]

I recommend getting a professional fit first. You may need custom in which case I go to Guru. Couple other stock bikes that I use for not real flexible riders are Cervelo P2 or Look 576.

Thats great I will check those out, thank you.

 

[slartiblartfast]

Agree it is perfectly reasonable to ride a long course tri on a road bike, particularly if you are happy with the fit. Some people put a pair of clip on TT bars on thier road bike so they have another option for their riding position.

There is no point having a dedicated tri bike if it makes you so sore that you ride most of the bike leg with your hands on the hoods, but this is a very common look.

As it happens my tri bike is the tri version of the Specialized Shiv which has a relatively high head tube and a large range of fit adjustment. Apparently when they were developing it they went out to see what the average age grouper ride position was, not what the pros wanted. The result is that the pros complain they can't get low enough on this bike, but more age groupers should be able to get a good bike fit.

 

[The_Z_man]

Hehe thats an intresting looking ride, was it a one off build for a certain athlete?

That was a production bike. Also, you could buy the Softride beam and attach it to the top tube of your bike. After Alexei Grewal was in a Jeep accident and injured his back, he rode a Serotta built for Softride.

Some guy is selling one of Alexi's on eBay.