Any recommendation for/against using a TT bike on the 70.3 St. George bike course?
Did some hills (similar but gentler than the actual course) on the TT bike and had to be over the saddle during most of the climb. The TT bike has a 52-39 chainring in the front and a 12-25 cassette.
Any help will be greatly appreciatied!!
I’m heading up to support a friend who is racing. TT bike all the way. The course is rolling with one longer climb towards the end of 1000’ over 8km averaging 4%. Besides the turnarounds it looks like you can and would want to stay in the pads the entire course. If I was racing I’d be using a disc on the rear for sure.
TT bike all the way. Like what Landis said, its rolling with most of the climbing really coming from Snow Canyon. Snow Canyon really isn’t that until the last 1 to 1.5 miles of the climb where it pitches up a bit. Its about a 4 mile climb in total. What gets people is where its on the course and not going to hard on the first part of the bike course and cooking your legs before you get there. Ive done St. George 7 times and wouldn’t want to use anything other than a TT bike. Along with that I do a 90 front and disc on the back and 54/39 and 11-25 cassette.
Always the TT bike….always.
Adjust your gearing options if you need to in order to suit the course, but the TT bike is always faster.
The one exception may be the Alpe d’Huez Tri, but even then it is debatable.
100% the tri-bike
if you are not a beast like @TriJustin you might want a 50/34 on the front or a bigger cassette if you can borrow either of those options
There are a couple of short climbs before Snow Canyon but Snow Canyon is the key climb. Its amazingly beautiful but also tough. Its a long sustained climb with the steepest pitches right at the end. It was hot the day I raced and no wind. I was really surprised at the number of people I saw paperboying up that steep pitch.
I switched to a 50/34 and a 11-27 cassette and was comfortable for the entire ride