Road Bike vs. Time Trial

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Lets say you can only purchase one good bike (in the $2-3,000 range, not a good Wally-World bike)

You plan on doing mostly shorter to medium length racing, say in the 40 km range.

Which is the better purchase, a road bike or a time trial bike,
and most importantly WHY ???

I realize both have their place and in a perfect world we would each get new bikes at the begining of each season and have them custom built for every purpose or race/training specific.
There is no perfect world.

Input....

Originally posted by Metalleg
Lets say you can only purchase one good bike (in the $2-3,000 range, not a good Wally-World bike)

You plan on doing mostly shorter to medium length racing, say in the 40 km range.

Which is the better purchase, a road bike or a time trial bike,
and most importantly WHY ???

I realize both have their place and in a perfect world we would each get new bikes at the begining of each season and have them custom built for every purpose or race/training specific.
There is no perfect world.

Input....

From my limited understanding TT bikes have specific geometry differences and compromises that lend them more to speed over a short distance than a longer endurance ride.

TT bikes stress aero in almost everything about them, rider position, design, wheels, bars... because of this, and the fact that they are used on shorter rides, the main compromise is rider comfort and longevity.

Seeing how high the seats are, how low the bars are, and how flat the riders are on TT bikes looks absolutely torturous! Now I know that many riders on this forum are in far better shape than me, and are probably more in tune with long stints in the drops, but a nominal stint in a normal road bike is enough for me :)

My take on it is if you have a hefty amount to spend on a good road bike, why obtain something that is meant to squeeze everybit of time out of a TT unless you are going to be formally competing in TTs?

If you are going to compete even in normal short races, wouldn't taking the wheel of other riders in the peleton negate the aero advantages of a TT machine and mean you are punishing yourself on that ride unduly?

Why not get a very good road bike with road race geometry, and then you have an excellent tool for both short races and long one's should you decide to go that route. Long training rides woud be alot more bearable as well I would think...

...and while we're on the subject, get real, you know as well as I do that once you get sucked in, you'll get both types of bikes :) I choked at the cost of my Trek 5200 when I got it recently, and swore to myself then that it would be my only bike for years to come, but now, I'm already thinking of getting a second one because I'm having such a blast! :)

Have a good one!

Feanor

...and while we're on the subject, get real, you know as well as I do that once you get sucked in, you'll get both types of bikes :) I choked at the cost of my Trek 5200 when I got it recently, and swore to myself then that it would be my only bike for years to come, but now, I'm already thinking of getting a second one because I'm having such a blast! :)

Have a good one!

Feanor

Feanor,
I agree totally.

I re-read my post and now see that it appears I am asking for a personal reason,i.e. I am trying to decide which type of bike to purchase.

To clear this up, I am buying a new "road bike" in Jan. or Feb.
Probably a Trek 5200, but I am always looking at what is out there.

I simply wanted to invoke a dialog on "Rad bike vs. Time Trial bike". Guess I worded it wrong, sorry, I'll try better next time.;)

Originally posted by Feanor ...and while we're on the subject, get real, you know as well as I do that once you get sucked in, you'll get both types of bikes :) I choked at the cost of my Trek 5200 when I got it recently, and swore to myself then that it would be my only bike for years to come, but now, I'm already thinking of getting a second one because I'm having such a blast! :)

Agree, a high-tech, high-quality TT bike would be a very nice "second" bike to have :D