As if choosing from the variety of options of a single type of bike isn’t difficult enough, there are a number of types of bike available to confuse you. The bike industry provides an overwhelming amount of options and choosing from them can be quite difficult, especially when you do not know every feature that goes with or against a certain type of bike.
Bikers cannot have buyer’s remorse because:
- Bikes are expensive
- You waste so much of your practice time waiting for the next bike to arrive or buy another one
Most people are usually torn between tri bikes and road bikes and wonder which is the better option. If you are looking into buying either one of these bikes, it is pretty obvious that you are either an athlete already competing in races or looking to start.
Even as a professional, it can be quite difficult and time-consuming to explore all your options and get the best bike. So to make life easier for you, I’m going to endure all of it for your tri bike vs road bike quest.
To begin with, let’s start naming the differences between the two.
What is the difference between tri bike vs road bike?
The basic difference between triathlon bikes and road bikes is the geometric angle of riding, which depends on the elevation/height of the seat tube.
A triathlon bike has a seat tube angle of 76 to 78 degrees whereas road bikes usually have the seat tube angle of 72 degrees, at most.
What a steeper angle essentially does is place you further away from the handlebars which makes taking a stance that helps pick up speed easier. This makes up for a more aerodynamic structure while riding a tri bike in comparison to riding a road bike.
Let’s see if the differences can be advantageous to you or not;
Category 1: Use
Both triathlon bikes and road bikes are designed and engineered specifically to be used in road cycling competition also known as bike races. While both are supposed to do exactly the same thing, triathlons are designed to help you in shorter races and road bikes in longer ones.
This has gotten more of a connection with speed and comfort. Since road bikes are designed for longer races, they are less speed efficient and more comfortable and on the other hand, since tri bikes are made for shorter races they are more speed efficient and less comfortable.
Category 2: Flexibility
While you could use triathlon bikes for riding on the road it might seem a bit redundant to be able to muster up so much speed on the road, especially if you are riding in groups. Not to mention the constant discomfort that comes from the lean structure of tri bikes not being able to absorb any bumps that might come your way.
However, on the other end of the spectrum, it might seem like road bikes cannot be used in competition based events, all you need to do is modify the bike a bit before the big day. The only two things that you need to do are switch out the bike seat/saddle and get ‘clip on’ aero bars to set you up.
While you could make modifications on a road bike to make it resemble a tri bike, one thing that remains unchanged is the structure of tri bikes that bode to the transition of an athlete from cycling to running.
Category 3: Weight
Triathlon bikes are significantly heavier than road bikes, giving road bikes an indefinite upper hand when it comes to uphill cycling. This is because triathlons are engineered for a more aggressive racing experience as they are made for winning short term races.
They are made heavier so that they can cut through air and give you more speed and momentum through aerodynamics. Since road bikes are meant for a more relaxed form of competition, by comparison, their build isn’t as in the face as tri bikes.
Road bikes are basically designed for the bike race equivalent of a marathon.
Category 4: Comfort
As mentioned above, triathlon designs are a lot more aggressive in comparison to road bikes so if you’re looking to have no back problems, road bikes are what you should be looking for.
Triathlon bikes have a steeper angle and thus lead to a lot more strain than road bikes. Keeping in mind the long distance factor, road bikes had to be produced in a way that didn’t cause a lot of tension in any way.
Another thing that bodes to the unmatched comfort that road bikes provide is their ability to absorb a lot of bumps that might throw you off.
Category 5: Speed
The triathlon bikes have an obvious upper hand in this zone.
While you could also achieve the same amount of speed with road bikes; without additional modifications, maintaining form for attaining good speed would be quite difficult.
The aero bars help in maintaining a form well enough for your body shape to facilitate gaining more and more speed. When it comes to speed, the triathlon bikes are unmatched and rightfully so.
Category 6: Energy conservation
Triathlon bikes are made to exert you whereas road bikes are specifically designed to conserve energy over a long stretch of time.
The slacker seat tubes of road bikes make it easier for you to use the quad muscles of your legs to ensure that you don’t drain yourself out trying to fish energy from everywhere. Its specific design makes it great when it comes to energy conservation.
What works in favour of tri bikes is that they work perfectly for the purpose they are designed for. Tri bikes wear your quads and hamstrings out less, which makes it easier for you to run after you’re done riding the bike, which is not the case with road bikes.
Category 7: Price
Road bikes are cheaper as compared to tri bikes.
While both serve the same purpose, the make of tri bikes and the weight of those are the factors that add to the price of tri bikes. Also the aerodynamic make of tri bikes makes it a little more expensive than road bikes.
If you are just looking to get started on competing and are an amateur/newbie, road bikes would be the best option because of their low cost price and easily modifiable nature.
Category 8: Terrain
Road bikes are more suited towards rough pavements and going uphill while tri bikes are made to be ridden on flat surfaces.
Depending upon where you are planning to train, this is a factor that should be considered. If you ride the wrong kind of bike on an everyday basis, it can not only cause casualties but also cause internal muscle damage when stretched over a prolonged period of time.
If you are training for massive bike races, it is advisable to have both kinds of bikes, but if you have the budget to spend on only one sort of bike, it is important that you consider the terrain.
Category 9: Construction
This category is not advantageous to any of the two bikes but is solely for you to understand what you should pick according to your need.
Road bikes are constructed while keeping in mind long distance biking. For this purpose they are designed using a cushioning material, which basically means they are produced to absorb all the discomfort and while this gives it brownie points when it comes to comfort, it is a drawback when it comes to speed. The more bumps a bike absorbs, the slower it gets.
Tri bikes on the other hand have no safety net features and have a sort of uniform design all throughout the bike, without a lot of variation. This means you will feel every bump that the road might have but since it is a tri bike it is suited towards smoother, flatter roads.
Moreover, the bike frame is slightly skinnier on the frontal portion of the bike, which helps cut air easily, retaining more speed.
Now that we have all of the information laid down for us let’s look at the pros and cons of both of the bikes.
Pros and cons
Tri bike
Pros
- Fast
- Aerodynamic
- Designed specially for short races
Cons
- Less comfortable
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Not suitable for rough terrains/mountain biking
- Inflexible make
Road bike
Pros
- Comfortable
- Cheaper in comparison
- Flexible design
- Versatile
- Lighter in comparison
- Suitable for any kind of terrain
Cons
- Slow
- Wears you out eventually
Conclusion
Most professional athletes prefer to have more than one kind of bike under their wing due to the uncertainty of terrain, uncertain hours of practice and uncertain participation.
But if you are just looking into joining the big league sports and have a tight budget it is okay to choose only one depending upon your choice and preferences.
Almost all amateur/newbie coaches advise to buy road bikes instead of tri bikes because of their modifiable nature, low price point and comfort. However, you decide what suits your training program the best and choose accordingly.