People use their TT bikes to train on, too…the “you barely use your brakes in a TT / triathlon” argument doesn’t look at the whole picture.
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Well if the question is: I’m only going to own one bike that I will train on hills, ride in groups and also race TTs then I would not be looking at a dedicated TT bike regardless of what type of brakes it has.
Another downside to disc on TT bike is having to adjust the caliper if your training wheel and race wheel brake rotors aren’t perfectly spaced the same to the dropout. not a dealbreaker of course.
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Even if your Tris are flat, they often involve multiple turnarounds and of course a dismount line. These will require an earlier brake application depending how good the rim brake surface is on the wheels you have. The Enve SES and Zipp NSW are excellent for rim brake bikes, so probably better in this case depending on skill level. I believe that everyone’s confidence is far greater with Disc brakes though and you will save time on the turnarounds. Of course there are arguments to be had as far as being less aero though, but 90 percent Triathletes including pros are just not that skilled on turns and braking. Skills are vital here and it’s all about confidence in your braking! On hillier courses like IM UK, IM Canada to name a couple, a disc brake bike will really help on those sharp turns, twisty descents, and the transition dismount line - you can come in hotter, apply brakes later, and dismount closer to the line rather than over shooting (this is surprising how often it happens where people should get a time penalty). I really want to stick with my Speed concept as I’ve put in a lot of upgrades to it, but I know I’m going to be even faster in these areas. Looking forward to when Trek comes out with their Disc brake version.
I did a merckx class TT last weekend with my disc brake road bike then the TT class with my rim brake TT bike and…what you’re saying is true. I went way deep into the turnaround with the disc brake bike then zipped around no problem. With the rim brake TT bike it was like…start getting on the binders way early and hope you slow down enough. I’m not sure where on the cost/benefits ratio a disc brake TT bike fits for anybody but…I don’t think there is any question that they simply work much better.
Joe
When buying a TT or Tri bike be fully aware of the differences in equipment regulations for the event you are riding. Some out there tri bikes can’t be ridden in Races under UCI regulations. Trialthons are more lenient. Plus the allowable set ups for bar height, extension, seat position relative to bottom bracket vary.