A Dropbar Time Trial Bike

Time Trial bikes (including Triathlon bikes) are characterized not only by their aerodynamic shapes and usually large gears, but also the uniquely-shaped handlebars. These are basebars with the brake levers and the aerobars bar-end shifters. The separate brake levers and shifters bucks the trend of most other bikes where they are integrated together (Shimano STI, Campagnolo Ergopower, etc.) or at least close together (mountain bikes). For Time Trials and Triathlons, aerodynamics is the king. That's what aero-bars are for. The aerobars allow riders to ride in an aerodynamic position. Since these riders don't ride technical trails nor in a group (or peloton), they don't need their brakes nearby. What they do need is to shift gears to  adapt to the terrain and still remain in the aerodynamic position - hence, bar-end shifters.

Time Trial bike with a Dropbar and Clip-on Aerobars.

Why use dropbars on a time trial bike? My answer is "a bike that works for me is a good bike". So far, I have only raced one duathlon (run-bike-run) that I think a bar-end shifter set up would be alright. Most times, duathlon races here involve some degree of climbing and of course, descending. For the climbing part, you can ride out of the saddle and still shift depending on the steepness of the climb. For the descending part, I find it more confidence-inspiring to use the drops - lowering your center of gravity and adding stability when descending. Also, there are races where there are U-turns - having brakes and shifters close together would be useful. Decelerate - shift to an easier gear - make the U-turn - accelerate - when you gain momentum, shift to a harder gear. Thirdly, group rides feel much safer because the brakes are within reach.

The shifters on a dropbar are integrated with the brake.

Another benefit of dropbars is the multiple positions available. You can choose to ride the hoods and the drops. If the pads of the aerobars do not stick close to the dropbar, you can use the tops too. By puting clip-on aerobars, a new position is added.

Available Positions of a Dropbar with Clip-on Aerobars.

Those descriptions are typical for road bike set ups. In time trials and triathlons, aerodynamics is king. Yes, that's why I spec mine with clip-on aerobars and thus, I can be in an aerodynamic position.  I know I said earlier that shifting is still important in the aerodynamic position. It can still be done using the right hand (keeping the left arm firmly on the aerobar). After shifting to the appropriate gear, return to the aerodynamic position. For the most part, the aerodynamic position is maintained.

Front view of the cockpit.

Conclusion. A Time Trial or Triathlon bike might look unorthodox or maybe, even unusual. But, it works. There are multiple hand positions available - allowing for confident climbing, descending and group riding. Second,  the aerodynamic benefit of aerobars is maintained. I think the bottomline is "to go with what you would find useful." Dropbar mountain bike, flatbar road bike, bullhorn road bike.

Function over Form.

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PAP Wonders...To Buy or To Build?

When it comes to getting a new bike, there are two options you buy a built bike or spec & build one yourself. Almost all cyclists start with a built bike because it is always available. Why not? Go to the bike shop, look for one you like and go home with your new bike.

A "Spec & Build" Bike.

Built bikes. Built bikes are normally built up in such a way to accommodate majority of riders. For road bikes, this would mean compact cranks and an 11-28 cassette. For mountain bikes, cranks would either be triple or double, and paired with a wide range 11-34 cassette. Although, nowadays, mountain bikes spec'ed with single chainrings (or 1x - "one-by") are becoming more popular.

• Drivetrain. These rarely have "straight" groupsets (except for the higher end models). There are always parts from another groupset of the same manufacturer or from a different brand. For example, when manufacturers quoted a bike as having a "Shimano 105", what I got were Shimano 105 shifters, front derailleur and rear derailleur. The crankset is a non-series model from Shimano and the cassette is Shimano Tiagra (one level lower than 105). Because these are not as complex as the shifting mechanisms, these substitutions have hardly any recognizable effect (see our article about mixed groupsets). The brakes are unbranded.
• Wheels and Cockpit. These components are usually supplied in-house - by the frame brand itself. Another possible supplier would be a subsidiary or sister company of the frame manufacturer. For example, when I got my Giant Defy, the wheels and tires are from Giant. The whole cockpit - stem, handlebar, bar tape, seatpost and sadde - are also wholly provided by Giant. Essentially, the whole bike except the drivetrain are produced by Giant.

Riding a Triple for the Road

In this article, I will talk about my experience in using a triple crankset on a road bike. First of all, what is a triple crankset? A triple crankset has - of course - three chainrings. This offers another small chainring (a "granny" ring as others would call it) in addition to the usual two of typical road cranksets. By doing so, the range your road bike has increased and it is now easier to tackle steep climbs. The downside is having more weight (additional chainring, triple-specific derailleurs) and having a slighty more complicated system (a triple front shifter). However, the rise of the compact chainrings in recent years has made the triple seem "obsolete" - easy gear for climbing using the "normal" double front shifter and derailleurs. The triple has then faded into obscurity and nowadays, people are surprised to see road-specific triple setups.

Nonetheless, this article is about triple setups.

Gearing. The gearing of a triple is  typically a standard (53/39, 52/39, 52/42, 50/39) plus a little 30t small ring. 50/39/30t is the most common ratio available today. On the other hand, the rarest is a 53/39/30t - this combination is what I consider the best of all. It has a "true" standard 53t instead of an "almost-there" 52t. In the middle, one might still be able to find 52/39/30t and 52/42/30t ratios around.

This is my steel road bike set up as a triple. The comfort of a steel frame and the wide range of a triple crankset makes a wonderful combination for long rides.

PAP Wonders...P-E-D-A-L-S!

It's been a while since the last article but I hope this new article will be helpful for those who want to change their current pedals or try new pedals. The pedals are part of the "cockpit" of the bike - the components which connect you to the bike. This category includes the handlebars, saddle, stem and seatpost. Here is a link for an introduction to the cockpit. The pedals' purpose is to let you transfer your power to the crankset, then to the chain, then to the cogs, then to the wheel, and finally, to the ground.

What types of pedals are out there? Pedals fall into two basic categories: Flat pedals and Clipless pedals. Flat pedals are what most people (even non-bikers) know. They are everyone's first pedal and there are several advantages in using them. First, they are the easiest to use and the most confidence-inspiring. Just put your foot on it and pedal. If you lose your balance, you can easily put your foot down on the ground. Second, flat pedals are offered at a wide spectrum of price points from the most affordable to the most expensive. With flat pedals, the cyclist can use any shoe he already has - sneakers, skateboard shoes and others. Clipless pedals, on the other hand, need cycling shoes.

Example of a flat pedal. This particular example has metal studs to improve the shoes grip on the pedal.

PAP Wonders... Cassettes, Sprockets and Cogs

Our next topic in PAP Wonders... is about cassettes. Cassettes are the gears that engage the chain and the rear wheel. For a brief introduction on cassettes, look at our Parts of a Bicycle article on the drivetrain. We will be talking about the pros and cons of different cassette choices like having more cogs in your cassette and having larger cogs. We hope this can help you on your cassette choice.

My personal choice: a 10 speed cassette with 12-27 range.