The Tri Bike DILEMMA
Clip-on or integrated tri bars? UCI compliant? Ripe for upgrading or a complete purchase? Choosing your first triathlon bike can sometimes be a bewildering process. Luckily for you, the three bikes on test here cover off quite a lot of your options across the broad tri bike spectrum.
The Orro Venturi Tri is an aero road racer with tri add-ons and a price tag of £2,500. The £1.8k Giant Trinity tri-specific bike is the most wallet-friendly on test, and the £4k Vitus Auro is a race-ready machine with deep-section wheels and electronic shifting. They’re all potential candidates for the triathlete who has the bug and is looking for something to take the next step and be even more competitive. But which one is right for you will depend on your objectives and budget, amongst other considerations.
Some triathletes may find that for middle and Iron-distance racing, they can never achieve the comfort or versatility offered to them by a drop-bar bike; ask Gustav Iden, who won a shock Ironman 70.3 world title in 2019 aboard a road bike with clip-on tri bars. The Giant Trinity is well regarded among triathletes and time-trial riders, and our test version has plenty of tri-specific bells and whistles, such as integrated top-tube storage. The Vitus Auro is a significantly higher spend, but looks like it could
