You’re a dedicated triathlete, and your mantra is all about taking on the best: the Solarberg at Challenge Roth. Or the big final climb at St. Pölten. Maybe tackling the iconic Muur at Geraardsbergen. These are your monuments to conquer.
And you’ve got your Quintana Roo X-PR or V-PR triathlon bike ready for anything… right? The question often comes up: I’m a triathlete, do I really need any other bike than a tri bike?
If you ask the pros: there absolutely is a second bike every triathlete must have: a road bike. And really, we’re triathletes, so it stands to reason: a road bike like the Quintana Roo SRsix or SRfive is a true necessity for any triathlete.
But why?
Arthur Horseau, French rising pro talent, a familiar commodity on the start line at Challenge races in the last year, shares one of the secrets to his cycling success being the Quintana Roo SRsix road bike. He’s got five good reasons every triathlete should have an SRseries road bike.
- It’s the Perfect Intro Tri Bike
Are you ready to give triathlon a try? A road bike outfitted with clip-on aerobars (affixed to the top of your road drop handlebars) is often the perfect choice.
“It’s a question I’m frequently asked; ‘what’s a good bike for a beginner like me?’ I always tell them the best thing is a road bike with clip-ons,” Horseau says. “ You get a different level of comfort and familiarity. And really, yes, there are aerodynamic gains from a road bike to a triathlon bike, but for beginners, it’s not that important. If your goal is to finish the race and get the medal, a road bike is the way to go.”
And when you’re not training for a race, it’s a bike that has utility; from riding with friends to commuting to the office, your SRsix or SRfive has true utility; an investment in the sport that provides value beyond triathlon.
- It’s the Right Bike for the Race
There are plenty of races with a reputation for tough hilly bike courses. On these courses—think the rolling roads of Challenge Geraardsbergen with its sharp Muur climb, or a Challenge Wanaka with its 943 meters (3,093 feet) of climbing over the 90k course—a road bike may be the right choice.
That means for many age groupers, the road bike they train on is the perfect bike for race day. Just add aero wheels and clip ons, adjust the saddle position to accommodate riding in the aerobars, and it’s game on.
“Whether it’s a hilly course, or just a shorter race for new triathletes, a road bike is a great choice,” Horseau says.
Same goes for where you train. If you’re in the hinterland of the Alps, or the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, you can bet most pros are putting in a significant amount of training time on their road bike.
“Where I live in the South of France, it’s hilly,” Horseau says. “I’m on my bike five or six times a week, and when I’m on my tri bike, it’s usually when I can stay in the aerobars for hours—but that’s hard to do here in the mountains, so a lot of my triathlon bike sessions are on the trainer. So when I’m outside, it’s usually on the road bike.”
- Keep the Body Fresh
The tri bike is key for specific muscle recruitment and muscle strengthening thanks to its position; you learn to generate power while staying locked into the aerobars. But with a more rearward and upright geometry, a road bike helps balance your body’s muscle use, with greater recruitment of the hamstrings and glutes in climbing, while allowing other muscles like the hip flexors to open and move—all good for promoting good muscular health.
Further, the body weight is generally moved off the forearms with a road bike, giving a break to the shoulders and neck from the strenuous position a tri bike commands.
“I’m really on the quads on the tri bike. But after a few days like this, I get on the road bike, I’m more rearward, and it’s a relief on the muscles since I’m using more of my glutes, which is great for my body,” Horseau says. “When I get back to the tri bike, those muscles are more activated, and I end up having better technique. You need to have the freshest legs you can every day, and alternating between the tri bike and road bike has been one of the best ways for me to meet that level of balance.”
- Sharpen your Bike Handling
There’s no question: a road bike simply rides differently than a tri bike; steering, body weight nuance, are all more finely attuned on a road bike. Learning to move with a road bike—to carry speed through a corner, or navigate twisty roads—becomes one of the best ways to improve your technical bike handling.
“It’s true that handling on a road bike is much easier than on a triathlon bike,” Horseau says. “You really can lean into a turn and shift your weight in a way that’s less affected on a triathlon bike. I enjoy taking my SRsix out to attack corners and roundabouts. I really have a lot more fun going downhill on it, too. But as soon as you gain that confidence in handling and transfer it to your triathlon bike, things like learning to take the apex in a turn become an asset. If you’ve learned to set up for corners or switchbacks on a road bike, you can apply it to your tri bike, and especially on descents, and gain a lot of time on your competitors in a race. In races, knowing how to maneuver on my tri bike came from my ability on the road bike.”
- Offseason Mileage Machine
For many pros, once the season ends, the triathlon bike goes on the rack, and the road bike gets the miles, mainly because it’s more practical. There are no races, so why subject yourself to the aerobars when you don’t need to be in ‘em? Get in the miles, and enjoy the ride.
“When I’m just doing base building, the road bike is essential,” Horseau says. “It’s just so much more comfortable, and when I’m doing four or five hours, it’s a much more enjoyable way to build fitness. My body feels better, I can look around and enjoy where I’m riding, and talk with my training partners. During winter and early spring, every time I go out, it’s on the road bike. Anything specific to the triathlon bike is done on the trainer, but the volume all happens on my SRsix.”
Ready to take on the 2024 Challenge Family race season on your own Quintana Roo road bike—and take advantage of incredible Quintana Roo SRseries road sale savings, right now? Click here to explore!
