Bicycle Taxonomy – The Time Trial Bike
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- September
- 27
What is it? It’s a time trial bike (or TT bike), also sometimes called a Triathlon bike, depending on who is using it.
What’s a time trial? A Time trial is a specialized racing event in which (generally speaking) individual cyclists ride a fixed length course one rider at a time (separated by intervals) competing for best-time across the course. In some races a team will do a time trial as well, with a minimum number of riders that must cross the finish line. Time is counted when the last of this minimum crosses the line. Triathlon, arguably the fastest growing sport, is essentially three time trials combined (swimming, running, cycling) and so as the popularity of triathlons grows these bikes are increasingly marketed for this sport.
Why does it look like this? Cyclists create significant drag when they’re riding and sitting upright. By sitting forward with one’s hands on the “aero bars” (the parts of the handlebars sticking forward) it’s possible to significantly reduce drag, and increase one’s speed.
If it’s so much faster, why doesn’t everyone ride with aero bars? There are a few reasons. The first is that not everyone needs to go as fast as possible, and that the aero position isn’t terribly comfortable. Even professional cyclists who compete in time trials will keep different bikes for normal stage races and for time trials. They also tend to be expensive, as weight also is a significant factor in cycling speed. The lighter the bike, the faster it’ll go with the same effort. Light, cheap, durable—pick any two.
Possibly more important, time trial bikes are notoriously lousy when going uphill. The position is all wrong for extended climbs, so they tend to not be too popular in hilly areas.
The wheels look different, why? The wheels have what’s called a “deep dish” a section on the outer rim that’s designed to reduce drag. Think of it sort of like the spoiler on a sports car. These aren’t such great all-around performers, so that’s another reason that time trial bikes are usually their own breed. (Even with the many bikes in my stable, I don’t have a TT bike since I don’t race.)
How much do they cost? Top end TT bikes can cost upwards of $10,000, though honestly top-end models of just about any type of bike cost that much. However, time trials and triathletes tend to spend more on these rigs than they do on other types of bikes, because every ounce shaved off the bike and every bit of wind reduced means faster times. When you’re racing for a cash purse, every second counts.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, September 27th, 2008 at 7:47 am by David Schloss. 
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