Does anyone have a definitive answer on whether during a TTT (with draft enabled for TT bikes), you get equivalent draft if someone is on a different type of bike.
Came up in a discussion about TT vs Gravel for tomorrow’s TTT on Jungle Circuit, with the consensus being we all had to be on TT or on gravel to get draft (with the anecdotal experience being than someone on a TT doesn’t get as much draft from someone in front on a road/gravel bike).
We’ve had guys accidentally join TTTs on road bikes and they still get draft from the TT bikes. I’m quite certain it doesnt matter.
Every person/avatar produces an equal value of draft no matter the bike or personal data.
I’m unsure on the math if a Tri bike is faster with a group though than gravel bikes on jungle specifically, I don’t know what the break even point is speed wise.
But it’s worth noting gravel bikes on jungle alone are significantly faster solo.
What Mike is referring to is that yes, it’s possible and happens quite often sometimes for people that don’t often think or do TTT’s, join last second on a road bike and will get dropped like a hot potato trying to hang on to a group of Tri bikes.
But that’s just because of the speed differential… it’s much like trying to do a bot ride, and join the same bot with a gravel bike… doable, but it comes at a cost; and chances are you can’t sit at the front when already at such an increased power just hanging on for dear life.
But as of the latest information from ZInsider, gravel bikes/wheels have 50% the rolling resistance on gravel than road bikes. MTB’s weirdly enough are still ~17% increase over road bikes on gravel (not to mention destructive aero and weight).
I would assume gravel bikes probably going to be still much faster than tri bikes. Gravel frames don’t weigh much, and I’m unsure the aero to weight benefit will be enough for climb AND descent.
They’d smoke road bikes.. but Tri, again it’s an assumption where that break point is.
we had a mix of guys on gravel bikes and some on TT bikes today. The general consensus was that the TT bikes were faster on the downhills, and of course the tarmac right out of the pens and the small section at the bottom of the jungle, but once you hit the dirt climb the gravel bikes were much faster.