(intense music)
- Let's be honest, TT bikes are aero machines.
They're designed for going fast on the flat,
but they're not really designed for descending.
Now if you've had the chance to descend on one,
you'll note just how different it feels
from descending on a road bike.
But unfortunately, for us triathletes,
a lot of our races feature climbs, descents, and flats
all in one race.
So what bike should you use,
and how much time could you lose
if you rode a TT bike on the descents?
These are the questions we hear so often.
So today I'm gonna test just that.
I'm gonna be riding the Cervelo P5X,
and the Cervelo S5, down San Salvador in Majorca
which is a five kilometre descent
with a 7% gradient.
And we're gonna time the lot and compare at the end.
So to start off with, I am gonna use the S5.
Right then, descent number one on the Cervelo S5.
Here we go.
Three, two, one.
(intense music)
Run number two, the P5X.
Three, two, one.
Let's go.
(intense music)
So that's the two runs complete,
and we've got some very interesting results for you.
The first run on the road bike
came in at six minutes and 50 seconds.
And then the second run on the TT bike
came in on six minutes and 44 seconds.
Now I'll be honest,
that certainly isn't what I was expecting.
But it was very close up until the final kilometre,
and then the road straightened out
and I was able to tuck in on the TT bike
and really begin to pull away.
San Salvador has around 20 or so switchbacks
in quick succession,
so the road bike really felt at home on these.
It was responsive, I could throw it around,
and it was easy to accelerate out of the corners.
In comparison, the TT bike didn't feel quite as agile,
but it was clearly quicker on the straight sections
even between the switchbacks.
Granted, it wasn't the fairest test.
The P5X had disc brakes,
whilst the S5 had rim brakes.
And the braking power of the disc brakes
was really impressive, especially on the tight bends.
But this was a fun test, and putting the times to one side
this does show that the TT bike can descend well
contrary to popular belief.
That said, you will need to
hone your skills on a bike like this.
Don't just expect to jump on and find it a breeze.
I've spent countless hours
on climbs and descents like this,
on my Time Trial bike.
Now, don't forget you can subscribe
to Global Triathlon Network by clicking on the globe.
And to see our nine essential triathlon skills video,
just click up here.
And to see our How to Descend on a TT Bike video,
just click here.