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- We're always looking for ways
to make improvements to our gear
without breaking the bank.
So here are GTNs best value upgrades.
If you haven't, already, got a TT or triathlon bike
then adding aero bars, like these ones, to your road bike
can be one of the best upgrades you'll make.
What they do is, allow you to get into
a more aerodynamic position.
Meaning you can increase your speed for the same effort.
And the nice thing with these clip on bars,
is that you can add them to, almost,
any road bike handle bar.
Making your life that little bit easier and cheaper.
If you are adding aero bars to a road bike
you may want to consider bringing you saddle height up
and the saddle position forward.
Now, bringing the saddle forward, actually, allows you
to get into a more comfortable
and powerful position on the aero bars.
But, it does, actually, create a bit more flex in the legs,
almost as if you've dropped the saddle height.
So, we just counteract this by lifting
the saddle height up, slightly.
Now, it does, all, take a little bit of trial and error,
so we advise you tweaking it
and playing around with it, yourself.
Before you clip the aero bars on,
a nice little tip is to add
a bit of electrical tape around the handle bars
so that you're protecting the bars on the surface.
Forget tying your shoes up in T2.
Simply, pull them on in seconds using these elastic laces.
There are a number of elastic laces,
but they all do the same thing, really.
So, simply pull out your original laces
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and replace them with your elastic laces.
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You'll want the laces tight enough
to hold your foot securely,
but with enough flex
so that you can pull them on quickly in T2.
And, once you've got that right,
you can just cut off this excess elastic
to make it nice and neat.
Now, this isn't gonna shave minutes off your race time,
but its one of the cheapest upgrades
to save you those valuable seconds.
Tyres are so often overlooked,
but they can hugely effect how a bike rides.
Plus, a worn out tyre could hinder
or even put a stop to ride.
And nobody wants that.
Especially, in a race,
after all the training that you've put in.
A lighter tyre improves the rotating weight,
which in turn, improves the responsiveness of the bike.
And, better quality tyres will feel
a little bit more supple on the road.
Which, again, improves the responsiveness.
And, if you want a more comfortable ride
why not consider switching from a 23mm tyre to a 25,
like I've got on this wheel here.
And a bonus is that a 25 has been proven
to have less rolling resistance.
Which means, you can ride faster for the same effort.
A tri-suit is designed to be worn from start to finish.
To save you the time and hassle
of trying to change clothing between each discipline.
And, if it's a wetsuit swim,
simply wear your tri-suit underneath.
Now, a tri-suit isn't just for convenience,
it's for comfort, too.
And if you've ever tried running in cycling shorts
it has rather large padding that can chafe.
So a tri-suit has, slightly, thinner
and more supple padding,
which has enough cushioning for the bike
but not so much that you'll feel it on the run.
Plus, it's a lot quicker than getting changed
in each transition.
Cassettes do wear out with use,
but what we're gonna be focusing on, here,
are the number of teeth on the cassettes.
Now, if you're planning on riding a hilly route,
or even a hilly race,
you might want to consider a cassette with,
slightly, more teeth.
So that you're not grinding up the climbs.
So a popular gear option is, something like, an 11/28.
Like I have on this bike.
Just because it's versatile for most courses.
But, obviously, you can opt for something,
slightly, greater.
Like, an 11/32.
Alternatively, if you're planning on riding a flat course,
you might want to go for something with less of a jump.
So, something like an 11/25,
where you're going to be holding a much higher speed.
Okay, maybe not the cheapest upgrade,
but the improvement a well-fitted wet-suit can make
to your performance is staggering.
Having water flooding in, or holes in your wetsuit
will be holding you back, during the swim.
Now, everyone wants to be able
to get their wetsuits on super-quick.
But, actually, a well-fitted wetsuit
should take you 5 to 10 minutes to put on properly.
Wetsuits are now designed with different buoyancy in mind.
For instance, if you drag your legs
whilst you're swimming in the pool,
you may want a wetsuit with more buoyancy in the legs
to help lift you to a neutral position.
So do your research on the wetsuit before you buy it,
to help match that to your swim style.
We all need to fuel and hydrate in a triathlon.
Especially, in the longer distance races.
And, actually, the shape and position of your bottles
can greatly effect your aerodynamics and your speed.
So instead of using a standard bottle of the down tube,
perhaps, consider using something like this.
Which is an aero bottle,
which neatly fits in on the down tube, like that.
Another option, is to use an aero bottle
with a straw, like this one.
And, you can just place these between your aero bars.
So, basically, you don't need to move
from your aero position to take a drink.
And, conveniently, a lot of these
have an opening at the top,
so that you can refill them on the go.
More isn't, necessarily, better when it comes to saddles.
It's important that you're comfortable
and, sometimes, that can be achieved
with a cheaper saddle.
So finding a saddle that works for you can have
a big impact on your bike performance.
These two pronged, split-nose saddles
have become really popular in triathlon, lately.
Whilst they may look a little odd,
they are meant to relieve pressure, increase comfort,
and improve your position on the bike.
So, they do this by allowing you
to rotate your hips around a little bit more,
and get yourself into a more powerful
and aerodynamic position.
Finding the right saddle is, totally, personal.
What works for one person,
may not, necessarily, work for another person.
So it's worth having a look around first.
Those are the GTN best value upgrades.
But, if you have any other great suggestions
please drop them in the comments, below.
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