TT Bike options

Equipment
1

I’m looking to get myself into a TT bike for stage races with a $3000 hard cap budget (would be happier to keep it around $2k so I had some cash for accessories).

It seems like 8 year old ultegra equipped bike is readily available in that price range, but I would think the technology has come so far to almost make that a poor purchase. Is there much of a end-user-speed difference between TT frames from different companies or 2019 vs 2016 vs 2013?

2016 felt ultegra di2 vs 2021 argon 105? Those are both right at 3k…

I don’t really know what to look for.

Thanks for the help,
Just another roadie.

2

In general, yeah we reached “peak aero” in terms of frame design a while ago. I’d go with 2016 Di2.

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3

The biggest thing you’ll notie with a bike that old is tire clearance…or lack thereof. Wider wheels were just starting to emerge then and not everyone had widened their frame designs to really accept them. So your wheel choices moving forward could be limited.

As an example, my 2009 Specialized Shiv TT cannot accept a Firecrest 808 from ~2012…I have to sand down the pads to make room.

As for speed difference, you won’t notice much…I’ll put my Shiv up against most bikes today. And a good position is what really counts. Get a good fitting done first and THEN make a bike purchase that fits you.

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4

Hmm, that’s what the marketing dept would like us to believe but it’s for all intents and purposes untrue.

As always my advice is: get the one you like the look of. You won’t regret it and you’ll ride it more often

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5

Find a used P5, P4, Shiv TT, or Speed Concept. Get a good fit and you’ll be made in the shade.

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6

Except P4’s definitely suffer from the wheel width issue I noted above. But it is still a damn fast bike.

Agreed 100% though on the overall point.

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Yep, I meant to rely more to the OP as fast bike. Biggest draw back of the P4 is wider rims do not fit.

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8

I was offered a good deal on a TT bike from that era but quickly found that I was limited by wheel choice so never went ahead with the purchase :neutral_face:

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9

Position is king. Newer frames give you better rim and tire clearance, maybe disc brakes, etc., and all of that is valuable and good. But a) a cheap TT bike will be as good as a superbike if your position isn’t dialed in to be both aero and comfortable enough for the distance, and b) a superbike will be only marginally better than a cheap bike if your position is dialed in.

In my own experience, I was faster for a 56 mile bike leg on a road bike with aerobars (and a really, really good fit for the purpose) than a superbike that I’ve had trouble replicating that fit to. If I could go back (or, if I had an accurate record of the fit on that road bike) I would in a heartbeat.