Road vs Triathlon Bike

Do you have to have a triathlon bike in order to do a triathlon?

Short answer…No. You do not need a triathlon bike in order to complete or even compete at a high level in triathlon. While a tri bike has its advantages, they are not so overwhelming that it is simply a requirement in order to perform well in a triathlon.

What are the differences between the two types?

A road bike positions the rider slightly behind the pedals and much more upright with the hands further apart. This enables the rider to have more control in descents and around corners, power up hills, and have quick access to sprint away from a group. A triathlon bike positions the rider overtop of the pedals in order to engage a different muscle group in preparation for the run, higher saddle and lower front end in order to get in the “aero” position more comfortably so they can reduce their drag, enabling them to maintain a similar speed while lowering the riders effort or increase their speed with the same effort. Road bikes are traditionally much lighter than triathlon bikes, but this is made up for by the aerodynamics of a triathlon bike and the ability to carry fuel in methods that are tucked away and do not create more drag.

Can I use whichever one I want?

Most of the time, yes, as an age group athlete. There are a few races out there and especially in the Olympics and college ranks that are “Draft Legal” races. These races do not allow triathlon bikes for several reasons, but most importantly, because there is not quick access to the brakes. If an athlete is down in the aero position, they would have to completely change position before they can apply the brakes which would take considerably more time than is available in a draft legal race where athletes are separated by inches. The opposing situation is quite different in that in a “No Drafting” race, athletes are required to be separated by as little as 7 meters and up to 12 or 15 meters at some events. This removes the benefit of the draft, but also allows the athlete time to adjust position and apply the brakes in order to avoid an accident.

Which one should I get?

This is a bit of a loaded question. There are benefits to them both and have their rightful place within an athlete’s garage. If your goal is merely to complete a triathlon once or occasionally, but really just want a comfortable bike that you can go to the random coffee shop ride with friends, then a road bike is your best choice. If you want to “race” long distance triathlons and want to race more consistently with a progression to the top of your age group, then a triathlon bike is the way to go. Perhaps you live in a very mountainous area and a lot of your time is spent climbing, then a road bike may be the best for you. A triathlon bike may still be the best on race day, but if you spend hours on end out of aero climbing a mountain then you should still get a road bike to make all of your training hours considerably more enjoyable.

Can’t I just get aero bars for my road bike?

Yes, you can definitely get clip on aero bars for your road bike. While this does decrease your drag, therefore decreasing your effort for the same speed, it doesn’t decrease it as much as a triathlon bike. But it also doesn’t move the muscle group to save the opposing muscle groups for the run portion of the race. There is a substantial savings in terms of effort by just placing yourself in the aero position as well as allowing the back and shoulders to relax to some degree in the aero position. If you already own a road bike, this can be a half step towards gaining that aero advantage while saving a significant amount of money.

My opinion

I think that if you want to race triathlons and provide yourself the best opportunity for a quality performance, a triathlon bike is the one and only choice. This is especially true for the longer distance races, say 70.3 or 140.6. The amount of time and effort saved by remaining in an aerodynamic and efficient position is crucial when an athlete still has a half or full marathon left to perform. The muscle recruitment enabled by the position of the athlete creates an environment for a better run performance than one created by the road bike position. While this is all very compelling, it is all pointless if an athlete can not remain in the aero position on their triathlon bike for whatever reason. If the athlete has not been properly fitted or hasn’t spent significant amounts of time in the aero position getting their back, neck, hips, and muscles used to that position, then there will be no aerodynamic benefit and the athlete should have just remained on the lighter and normally cheaper road bike.

There will be an argument by some that a road bike is still the optimum choice on courses that are very hilly or technical and in a cursory understanding, that would make sense. But what those individuals do not calculate is that the small amount of benefit that is gained in those scenarios would be outweighed throughout the rest of the race. It could be assumed that this has more weight in short distance races, say Sprint or Olympic, where the athlete does not have the opportunity to make up the time. But even then it would still be a stretch to really quantify the differences. All of this to say, there is no correct answer. It is purely personal preference and one that aligns with someone’s own personal goals and budget. In a perfect world everyone would have both and would ride the one that fits the situation, but I understand that this is not always possible.