FRPRO TRI BIKE CHECK
Triathlon technology is changing, and it holds the potential to make you faster. Here’s a look at the bikes of four of our SRAM and Zipp pro triathletes photographed at the Ironman World Championship at Saint George, Utah. While in Utah, we talked with SRAM Racing’s Jason Phillips about the latest tech advancements in triathlon, which you see reflected in the setups of our pros in the bikes profiled below. Among the notable changes Phillips sees in pro tri bikes:
- Most SRAM athletes at St. George went with a 2x setup instead of the 1x eTap AXS setup preferred among pro triathletes. St. George’s bike course features more elevation than many courses, so faster and slower overall speeds. The pros, therefore, are going for a bigger gear range. It could be a 56/43 with a 10-33. Or a 54/41 with a 10-28.
- Tubeless setup is making significant inroads with triathletes. Zipp pros are increasingly committed to tubeless with its benefits of less rolling resistance and flat protection. Tubulars are becoming rare as tubeless use increases.
- Some triathletes opt for shorter cranks to help with their hips on the run. Their bike positions can be extreme, allowing them to go fast on the bike and run amazing marathon times after.
Skye Moench’s Trek
Wheels: Zipp Super-9 disc, 858 NSW front
Aerobars: Zipp Vuka Shift AXS 90
Groupset: SRAM eTap AXS
Frame: Trek Speed Concept
Tech notes: Skye opted for 54/41T chainrings with a 10-33 cassette. Her bike’s eTap AXS shifting is efficient and clean with her use of Vuka Shift AXS 90 cleanly houses your aerobar extensions and shift-control in one neat package. The setup features SRAM Clics extension-end shifters and Blips shifting buttons for base-bar shifting.
Florian Angert’s Cube
Wheels: Zipp Super-9 disc, 858 NSW front
Aerobars: Vuka Evo Carbon
Groupset: SRAM eTap AXS
Frame: Cube Aerium C68 SLT
Tech notes: The German pro opted for a 52/39T front setup with a 10-33 cassette. The bike has a custom paintjob. He also rides the popular Zipp Vuka Evo extension.
Sebastien Kienle’s Scott
Wheels: Zipp Super-9 disc, 858 NSW front
Groupset: SRAM eTap AXS
Frame: Scott Plasma 6
Tech notes: Sebi ran 56/43T chainrings with a 10-28 cassette. The 56-10, if you translate it into old-style gearing, is close to a 61-11. It’s a massive gear, and pros like Sebi will use it. The bikes are so aero he can gain speed by continuing to pedal on fast sections.
Alistair Brownlee’s BMC
Wheels: Zipp Super-9 disc, 858 NSW front
Groupset: SRAM eTap AXS
Frame: BMC Timemachine
Tech notes: Brownlee has been with SRAM and Zipp for about 15 years as he’s won two Olympic gold medals and made the switch from ITU to Ironman triathlon. He’s new to BMC this season. Brownlee opts for the most aero setup with 858/Super-9 combo for wheels, believing the aero benefits are more significant than any weight savings with shallower rims, even on a hillier course. His bike had a 25mm front tire with a 28mm back to optimize aerodynamic efficiency.