Hi everyone!
Thought it would be fun giving some insights and throwback photos of my first bike and position when starting with triathlon, going from a triathlon adapted road bike to a triathlon bike and my bike now and position now, while racing in the pro field. What do you think? Sounds fun? Okey, then just keep reading 😉
Below you can see a picture of me and my first “triathlon” bike, or more accurate – first road bike. As you maybe already have spotted, it’s actually a road bike with TT extensions. The frame is carbon, but please notice the not so aero alu wheels, as this photo actually is from a race. My aero position isn’t too bad, considering I went from just commuting on a city bike to doing triathlon. But there is ofc HUGE room for improvement. The pink clothing is ofc scoring some speed points, cause #PinkGoesFaster
I actually managed to finish at the podium in several AG races with this road bike. Picture above is from Ironman 70.3 Aarhus 2014, where I finished as 3rd in my age group. So I figured it was time for an upgrade. Hungry for more speed. Next up is my first ever real tri bike. Specialized Shiv.
Position on the Specialized bike seems to be slightly more aero, specially since I learned to keep my head down. But the position is definitely not optimal. Not to forget that transitioning from a road bike to a TT bike takes time. Is also takes time to be comfortable in a more aggressive TT position. Other things to consider while changing the bike position is how much power you’ll be able to push in a more aero position. So here it’s about finding a aero position that doesn’t compromise your power numbers and running too much. After riding the Spicialized Shiv for around 5-6 years, I figured it was time for an upgrade again. Specially if I want to keep up in the pro field. It was time to upgrade to electronic gearing and disc breaks.
Last but not least, the bike I’m currently riding, Argon18 E118. I feel so lucky that I was able to start a collaboration with Argon18 this year. This bike is by far the one I’ve felt most comfortable on. The Argon18 frame is slimmer and lighter than the Specialized. Which makes it less wind sensitive, specially for a lighter rider like myself. The disc breaks simply breaks better, which makes it easier to take turns. For someone who isn’t very technical, it’s truly a bonus! The electronic gearing with all shifters at the TT bars makes it really easy to stay steady in the TT position at all times. I guess you can also tell by my TT position that it’s way more aero than my previous bikes? The handlebars is pretty low in the E118, which takes some time to get used to, but the bonus is that you will be very aero even when getting out of the TT position. What’s not to like? Still work in progress for me to have an even more aero position. But as mentioned, it takes time for the body to adapt. So remember to take one step at the time and be patient if you’re buying a new bike or want to be more aero in your position. PS: The photo is from a training session, so this is NOT how my race set up would look like 😉
That’s it for now guys, hope you had fun looking through my triathlon bikes and position evolution. Take care. Ciao for now.
