Aluminum Bike?

jpmarchewka

http://2013.feltracing.com/USA/2013...s/S32.aspx

I picked up a Felt S32 aluminum triathlon bike (with Carbon Fork) in the fall for around 1000 bucks    I am new to triathlons and thought it was a nice bike for a good price.  However, it seems like the average Ironman bike is carbon and costs at least 3k (without the upgrades)...maybe I am wrong.  How much will riding an aluminum vs.carbon bike effect me on race day?  

Mark Maurer

H Jordon, the geometry should be the same for an aluminum bike vs a carbon bike. The difference is going to be the weight and the ride. The aluminum bike is going to transfer road vibration up to you better than a carbon bike, i.e., it's going to be a rougher ride. The carbon fork will help a little with that but a carbon bike dampens the ride a lot. I rode an aluminum road bike with clip on aerobars for many years (including 3 IMs and multiple HIMs) until I could afford to upgrade to a tri-bike. The carbon tri-bike is more comfortable on rough roads like those that are chip sealed. What you really want to do is spend some money to get the bike fit correctly for you.

Dino Sarti

For most IM courses the weight "penalty" for aluminum is not that great. Weight is big issue on courses with a long climbs with lots of gain. Flats courses actually favor a solid bike with good momentum.

I would train and race on that bike for a while until you feel an upgrade is a must.

ezellrh

Jordan, like others in this thread, I started (roadie racing and triathlon-including halves and IMs) on a aluminum road bike. Its totally doable and worth while. (That particular bike is still the one I use for the trainer and any group rides that I do). The 'penalty' is not that great, what's more important is the engine driving it (you).

Now- truth in lending- a blinged out carbon tri-bike will be faster, lighter, smoother if dialed in correctly. It is what it is. The price point you mentioned is what I threw down on my tri-bike prior to adding power to it. You will see lots of sweet bikes on game day and could feel intimidated. Don't. 1. Enjoy your racing experience for what it is, your racing experience. 2. not that this matters, but sometime its does - if you train and execute your race correctly, you'll pass a couple of these blinged out carbon rigs on the bike course in the second half of the ride. You'll pass even more of the riders of these bikes during the run. (Again, that's not important to the spirit of triathlon, but who among us doesn't get motivated during competition?)

Bottom line- Enjoy your bike that you have. Train the house down. Crush your game day execution. There will be a point that you'll know for sure if/when you need to upgrade. Good luck (and excellent bike choice - I ride Felt as well)

Al Truscott

Posted By Jordan Marchewka on 13 Feb 2015 03:59 PM

http://2013.feltracing.com/USA/2013...s/S32.aspx

I picked up a Felt S32 aluminum triathlon bike (with Carbon Fork) in the fall for around 1000 bucks    I am new to triathlons and thought it was a nice bike for a good price.  However, it seems like the average Ironman bike is carbon and costs at least 3k (without the upgrades)...maybe I am wrong.  How much will riding an aluminum vs.carbon bike effect me on race day?  

Great deal! I doubt you will see much value in spending 3x as much for an "average" tri bike. My own experience: I'm still riding a 16 y/o double diamond titanium tri bike and continuing to win races and get to Kona. Maybe some day I'll spring for the $12K it would take to replace it, but I prefer the annual tweaks, like adding better components, wheels, replace bearings, getting a proper fit, all of which might make a bigger difference than simply getting a carbon frame with a paint job (my titanium is "naked").

Dave Tallo

That's a great bike, Jordan. IMHO, most IM riders are waaaaaaaaaaaaay waaaaaaaaaay over-geared and have bought into the arms race of the sport. Also, the are a gazillion gains that can be found above a frame upgrade (see the Slowtwitch thread "the hierarchy of aero"). And finally, after riding titanium, steel, alum and now carbon frames, i just can't feel the reported "harsh" ride that aluminum is reputed to have. If there is, it can likely be offset by tire pressure!

Enjoy, and focus on the important things: a good fit, and hard work!

Ralph Moore

Jordan, my 2 cents worth : I am currently racing a 14 year old Trek 1500 Aluminum frame with carbon fork. I got it for $400 with a cyclops trainer from a buddy getting out of the Tri game (it was his training bike). I got some Vision aluminum aerobars with bar end shifters off of e-bay and have been riding and racing it for almost 3 years. I have added 11 speed gearing, compact cranks, and carbon wheels (with Powertap) bit by bit when things broke.  I got stuff mostly off of e-bay when I could (almost) afford it.

I can state categorically that my bike is NOT the limiting factor in my performance (as much as I wish that were true). Also, it is kind of fun to be the old guy on the aluminum bike passing younger folks on fancier bikes late in a race. The things that I would NOT skimp on are (in order of importance) 1. Bike fit 2. Bike seat. 3. Powermeter.



I was all geared up to buy a fancy bike last year until I read the book "Faster" where the author does the math and shows that for most triathletes, you can get a result similar to buying a fancy new bike by losing 5-7 lbs and saving the money. My wife really liked that plan.



Anyway, Fancy new bike is not until year 3 of the EN 3 year plan.

Besides, I raced my first local tri on a 30 year old steel frame bike with shifters on the downtube and won my age group so miracles do happen.

jpmarchewka

Posted By Ralph Moore on 21 Feb 2015 07:21 AM

Jordan, my 2 cents worth : I am currently racing a 14 year old Trek 1500 Aluminum frame with carbon fork. I got it for $400 with a cyclops trainer from a buddy getting out of the Tri game (it was his training bike). I got some Vision aluminum aerobars with bar end shifters off of e-bay and have been riding and racing it for almost 3 years. I have added 11 speed gearing, compact cranks, and carbon wheels (with Powertap) bit by bit when things broke.  I got stuff mostly off of e-bay when I could (almost) afford it.

I can state categorically that my bike is NOT the limiting factor in my performance (as much as I wish that were true). Also, it is kind of fun to be the old guy on the aluminum bike passing younger folks on fancier bikes late in a race. The things that I would NOT skimp on are (in order of importance) 1. Bike fit 2. Bike seat. 3. Powermeter.



I was all geared up to buy a fancy bike last year until I read the book "Faster" where the author does the math and shows that for most triathletes, you can get a result similar to buying a fancy new bike by losing 5-7 lbs and saving the money. My wife really liked that plan.



Anyway, Fancy new bike is not until year 3 of the EN 3 year plan.

Besides, I raced my first local tri on a 30 year old steel frame bike with shifters on the downtube and won my age group so miracles do happen.

Thanks for the advice. I am working on getting a powermeter, just trying to find one at the right price.  I haven't even thought about changing my bike seat (just using the one that came with the bike).  Any further info on why to change the bike seat? Or what type of bike seat to look into?

John Henault

Jordan - Bike seats are all about comfort, and selecting the right one is a very individual choice. If the one you have is working, don't change! If the one you have is not comfortable (within reason), you may want to look at a new one. There are several great options to try, including ISM (which I have), Cobb, Specialized, etc. Here is a link I just found re saddles: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/02/triathlete-buyers-guide/2014-triathlete-buyers-guide-saddles_96276

If you decide you need a new saddle, I think the best way to get one is to find somewhere (either local bike shop or internet shop) that will let you test it for a limited time, or that has a reasonable return policy for saddles. I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions.

Ralph Moore

I had no problems with my saddle until i started riding longer than about 50 miles. If yours is working, dont change it. That was purely my experience.