Froome decries use of TT bikes

[Jesper]

(02-18-2022, 07:16 PM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  Honestly, I think his main argument is based on that the contour of the TT frames offers little to no support for the body (or balance) while the rider is entering a fatigued state, where stabilizing the body and balance can become increasingly difficult.

Honestly, I think this is the rider's responsibility to train enough to handle this, by use of any means of diverse training to do so.

I don't think TT bikes are intended for any use—except for Time Trails—on smooth roads.

https://cyclinguphill.com/difference-road-bike-time-trial-bike/

The fact that other riders are using them is purely by preference. For fairness, bike frames should probably not be mixed during a race. All hardware should be in the same style. We could never reasonably deprive race holders from allowing mixed bikes though. That's just unjust.

Hilarious though for someone to talk about safety and then do something like this.

He is referring to safety during training and doing the training on the same style bike that you would normally race on. You must train on your TT bike to achieve proper efficacy while using it in a race; and that is where the danger is.
I don't have to worry about about traffic be it vehicular or pedestrian during a time trial; but in order to properly train for one it becomes a hazard, especially on a bike not designed for those conditions. The exact opposite occurs when using a criterium geometry frame which provides better handling to train on roads where vehicles and other obstacles more readily present themseleves during training. When I trained for TTs it was all out riding with no expectation to slow down except at the conclusion of the course. I still often ride that way while in traffic because at my age I don't want to waste energy speeding back up due to stopping. I attempt to perfectly time traffic lights while maintaining high speeds. In the now rare occassion that I TT train, I use a pace vehicle to not only chase after, but also provide a bit of warning for vehicles which now need to avoid a sizeable truck in their way keeping them from hitting me.
By the way, if in a UCI sanctioned race, you are not allowed to ride whatever you want. I now use a lo-pro frame (in non-sanctioned events) which I never did when they were legal; they have been banned for decades. When riding that bike I am only looking about 5 feet in front of me and steering is super twitchy; but again, it was not designed for riding in traffic, or on poorly maintained roads. Still a fun bike to ride and the aerodynamic advantage is palpable. If you have not ridden a TT bike at speed in traffic it is difficult to make a statement about how safe or unsafe they are. Same as if I were commenting on mtbs where I have very limited racing experience (1 race), and that was on a rigid frame. I would have no idea how much more or less safe I would be on a front or full suspension mtb until I utilized them under the same racing and/or trainig conditions. One reason why I could not comment on the rigid compared to suspension thread.
Mr. Froome has a vaild point; but given that when he's racing he will take advantage of whatever he can that is allowed, and so would I (I have sat on a bike the same way as he is in the photo before he was even born!).
I didn't have the cash to buy a specialized TT bike back in the day. Just like now I don't have that $ to purchase a specialized racing mtb, of course no real reason for it at my age, level of competition, or freqency of use. I'm sure my crappy 35yr old mtb will do just fine until I die, but I won't die from training around unpredictable obstacles. So far, no trees or rocks have veered unexpected into my way and run me off the course; only my poor riding to avoid what I knew was already there.

Safe riding to all, no matter what you ride, or what conitions you ride under.