Changeover zone. The last steps towards the bike are getting firmer. Anticipation is building. The rush is about to begin, the dance on hot tarmac. Cycling is the longest discipline in any triathlon competition, and yet the fastest - especially if you do it on a time trial bike. None of the ten bikes in this test expresses this more aptly than the Merida model: it is called "Warp" - like the faster-than-light drive from the science fiction series Star Trek.
However, we are a long way from "warp" speed in the Earth's atmosphere. The substance we breathe also sets us narrow limits: The air is the greatest resistance a triathlete experiences on the bike. It is not so easy to correctly assess the significance of air resistance because we do not have the same sensory impression as we do for the weight of the bike. Cyclists discuss 500 grams more or less, sometimes even spending huge sums of money on it. But they carelessly miss out on opportunities to reduce their air resistance and thus improve their aero performance - which is often the equivalent of ten kilos of weight or more.
The fact that none of the test bikes weighs less than 8.5 kilograms should therefore be taken lightly. After all, the weight of the bike on most triathlon courses is pretty insignificant compared to the air resistance, which increases exponentially with speed. Up to 80 per cent of the braking forces are due to the air flowing around you. Every cyclist drags a wake of swirling air behind them, which converts most of their pedalling power into volatile heat. You can't see any of this, but you can feel it all the more - albeit indirectly: as increasingly harder resistance the faster you go.
Triathlon bikes are made to tame precisely this air resistance. Flat tubes reminiscent of aerofoils are a visible expression of the designers' endeavours to outsmart the wind. But are these endeavours successful?
SHORT & SHORT
Speed is not expensive: Triathlon bikes under 2,000 euros are fully competitive sports equipment. In the wind tunnel test, they are only slightly ahead of much more expensive designs. A suitable riding position is crucial for speed and well-being. That's why you should prioritise finding this. Bikes with a wide range of adjustment are the best basis for this.
You can find these time trial bikes in the PDF download:
Canyon Speedmax AL 9.0
Cube Aerium Race
Cucuma Triatlo
Fuji Aloha 1.0
Merida Warp 5
Müsing Timetrail
Orbea Triton
Poison Speed Tri
Quantec TR Racing
Red Bull Roadflyer
Downloads:
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