I am constantly asked what the big differences are between road bikes and triathlon bikes. The obvious difference is the fact that one races a triathlon in an aero position, but sometimes we see aerobars on road bikes so what is the real difference? There is a smaller difference between UCI legal time trial bikes and triathlon bikes, though they look very similar. The short answer is, road bikes are designed to have three hand positions, triathlon bikes are designed to have one. Just because a road bike has clip on aerobars, it does not imply that it is a purpose built triathlon bike.
Draft legal triathlons are the one area where a road bike is …