Carbon Triathlon Trial
Is it realy that much faster to have a carbon time trial bike in triathlon 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.
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 NEW Giant Trinity Small Carbon Time Trial Triathlon 700c Road Bike Frame $1,649.99 Time Remaining: 12h 1m Buy It Now for only: $1,649.99 |
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 Matt3k+Gloss red color carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 54cm $645.00 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 42m Buy It Now for only: $645.00 |
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 FR106 Full Carbon Matt Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame Fork Seatpost M 54cm $599.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 36m Buy It Now for only: $599.00 |
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 FR106 Full Carbon Matt Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame Fork Seatpost L 56cm $599.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 52m Buy It Now for only: $599.00 |
 FR106 Full Carbon Matt Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame Fork Seatpost M 54cm $599.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 52m Buy It Now for only: $599.00 |
 FR106 Full Carbon Matt Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame Fork Seatpost S 52cm $599.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 52m Buy It Now for only: $599.00 |
 New Full Carbon 12K Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike Frame 50cm Fork Seatpost FR103 $659.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 55m Buy It Now for only: $659.00 |
 New Full Carbon 12K Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike Frame 53cm Fork Seatpost FR103 $659.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 55m Buy It Now for only: $659.00 |
 New Full Carbon 12K Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike Frame 56cm Fork Seatpost FR103 $659.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 55m Buy It Now for only: $659.00 |
 Quintana Roo CD 01 Carbon TT Time Trial Triathlon Road Bike BB30 ML 55cm $3,149.99 Time Remaining: 1d 14h 7m Buy It Now for only: $3,149.99 |
 Focus Izalco Chrono Time Trial TT Triathlon Carbon Road Bike Medium 2010 $3,349.99 Time Remaining: 1d 14h 7m Buy It Now for only: $3,349.99 |
 FELT DA4 CARBON FIBER TRIATHLON TIME TRIAL DURA ACE NEW 2012 MODEL $3,000.00 Time Remaining: 1d 16h 13m Buy It Now for only: $3,375.00 |
 3k Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 52cm $585.00 Time Remaining: 1d 20h 28m Buy It Now for only: $585.00 |
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 Argon 18 E 112 Carbon Large Time Trial Triathlon Bike 700c 2008 $2,599.99 Time Remaining: 3d 10h 29m Buy It Now for only: $2,599.99 |
 2008 BMC Time Machine TT02 56cm Triathlon Trial Carbon Frameset Easton EC90 Fork $861.60 Time Remaining: 3d 15h 53m Buy It Now for only: $948.00 |
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 CERVELO P3 CARBON FIBER TRIATHLON TIME TRIAL ROAD BIKE $3,000.00 Time Remaining: 4d 8h 8m Buy It Now for only: $3,500.00 |
 Full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Bike Top of the line Dura Ace NEW $3,799.00 Time Remaining: 4d 15h 17m Buy It Now for only: $3,799.00 |
 Women Full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Bike Bicycle QR CD01 ULTEGRA M NEW $2,599.00 Time Remaining: 4d 15h 33m Buy It Now for only: $2,599.00 |
 Women Full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Bike Bicycle QR CD01 ULTEGRA SIZE M L $2,599.00 Time Remaining: 4d 15h 38m Buy It Now for only: $2,599.00 |
 Triathlon Time Trial Road Full Carbon Framest 56 $535.00 Time Remaining: 5d 1h 8m Buy It Now for only: $535.00 |
 51cm Monocoque Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Frame SUPER LIGHT $1,899.99 Time Remaining: 5d 10h 30m Buy It Now for only: $2,119.99 |
 3k Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 54cm $585.00 Time Remaining: 5d 19h 41m Buy It Now for only: $585.00 |
 Full Carbon TokenPlanet XHEDZippDura AceProfile Time TrialTriathlon bike $999.99 Time Remaining: 6d 10h 34m Buy It Now for only: $1,999.99 |
 Guru Bicycle Bike CR901 2012 Time Trial Triathlon Carbon Frame 56cm Large $2,500.00 Time Remaining: 6d 12h 43m Buy It Now for only: $2,500.00 |
 3k Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 56cm $499.99 Time Remaining: 7d 6m Buy It Now for only: $499.99 |
 Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Road Bike Red White frameset frame+fork 52 54 56cm $645.00 Time Remaining: 7d 13m Buy It Now for only: $645.00 |
 12K Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 52cm $559.99 Time Remaining: 7d 55m Buy It Now for only: $559.99 |
 3k Weave Full Carbon Fiber Aero Time Trial Triathlon Frame+Fork+ISP TT Bike $539.95 Time Remaining: 7d 2h 11m Buy It Now for only: $539.95 |
 Matt orange black color full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork $645.00 Time Remaining: 7d 6h 9m Buy It Now for only: $645.00 |
 Rider Carbon Time Trial Triathlon Bike with 50 85 Carbon Clincher Wheelset $2,650.00 Time Remaining: 7d 14h 52m Buy It Now for only: $2,650.00 |
 Argon 18 E 114 Carbon Time Trial Frame Medium TT Triathlon Bike Race $20.27 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 7d 20h 14m |
 New Full Carbon 3K Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike Frame 54cm Fork Seatpost FR105 $539.00 Time Remaining: 8d 7h 51m Buy It Now for only: $539.00 |
 2011 Cannondale SLICE Hi Mod SRAM Red triathlon time trial bike 51cm carbon $4,950.00 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 16m Buy It Now for only: $4,950.00 |
 Full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Road Bike TT Frame L gift headset $649.00 Time Remaining: 9d 8h 32m Buy It Now for only: $649.00 |
 Full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Road Bike TT Frame M gift headset $649.00 Time Remaining: 9d 8h 32m Buy It Now for only: $649.00 |
 Full Carbon Triathlon Time Trial Road Bike TT Frame S gift headset $649.00 Time Remaining: 9d 8h 32m Buy It Now for only: $649.00 |
 Cannondale Six13 Slice frame 58cm time trial triathlon aero carbon BB30 $589.00 Time Remaining: 10d 22h 59m Buy It Now for only: $589.00 |
 3k Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 56cm $585.00 Time Remaining: 11d 4h 16m Buy It Now for only: $585.00 |
 Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT frameset road bike frame 3k matt finish 54 56cm $635.00 Time Remaining: 12d 44m Buy It Now for only: $635.00 |
 3k Weave Full Carbon Fiber Aero Time Trial Triathlon Frame+Fork+ISP TT Bike $599.99 Time Remaining: 13d 22h 12m Buy It Now for only: $599.99 |
 2012 Carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT frame road bike frameset paint colors 56cm $645.00 Time Remaining: 15d 1h 26m Buy It Now for only: $645.00 |
 Matt3k+Gloss red color carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 52cm $645.00 Time Remaining: 16d 1h 56m Buy It Now for only: $645.00 |
 Matt3k+Gloss red color carbon Triathlon Time Trial TT Bike FrameFork 56cm $645.00 Time Remaining: 16d 3h 8m Buy It Now for only: $645.00 |
 AOR TT 10 Time Trial Triathlon full carbon frame and fork 56cm NEW $856.00 Time Remaining: 17d 13h 24m Buy It Now for only: $856.00 |
 Full Carbon Fiber Triathlon Time Trial FrameFork 3SIZE $599.99 Time Remaining: 17d 20h 3m Buy It Now for only: $599.99 |
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 FELT DA 2 DA2 2012 MODEL DURA ACE DI2 TRIATHLON TIME TRIAL CARBON 3T NEW $6,475.00 Time Remaining: 20d 13h 27m Buy It Now for only: $6,475.00 |
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 FELT DA4 CARBON FIBER TRIATHLON TIME TRIAL DURA ACE NEW 2012 MODEL $3,475.00 Time Remaining: 21d 16h Buy It Now for only: $3,475.00 |
 3k Weave All Carbon Fiber Time Trial Triathlon Frame+Fork+ISP TT Bike 75 78 81cm $669.99 Time Remaining: 23d 20h 59m Buy It Now for only: $669.99 |
 3k Weave All Carbon Fiber Time Trial Triathlon Frame+Fork+ISP TT Bike 75 78 81cm $599.99 Time Remaining: 24d 1h 48m Buy It Now for only: $599.99 |
 2012 Full Carbon Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame S 54cm Fork Seatpost Headset $579.00 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 15m Buy It Now for only: $579.00 |
 2012 Full Carbon Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame M 56cm Fork Seatpost Headset $579.00 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 15m Buy It Now for only: $579.00 |
 2012 Full Carbon Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame L 58cm Fork Seatpost Headset $579.00 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 15m Buy It Now for only: $579.00 |
 2012 Full Carbon Matte Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame S 54cm Fork Seatpost $579.00 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 16m Buy It Now for only: $579.00 |
 2012 Full Carbon Matte Time Trial Triathlon TT Bike Frame M 56cm Fork Seatpost $579.00 Time Remaining: 24d 9h 16m Buy It Now for only: $579.00 |
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