The Fastest Pro Bikes at the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships

Aug 15, 2023

Former pro and current bike expert T.J. Tollakson takes a look at the machines (and riders) who clocked the fastest bike splits at the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Photo: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

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It goes without saying that if you want to be the best, you need to ride with the best, and nowhere was that more true than in last weekend’s 70.3 World Championships in Lahti, Finland: All of the top five women overall had top five bike splits (though fourth-place Emma Pallant-Browne shared her bike split with ninth-place overall finisher, Daniela Ryf); the same stat was true for the men. Today, it’s no longer possible to swim well, ride OK, run really fast, and expect to be on the podium.

With that in mind, we looked at the bikes that the men and women in the top five fastest cyclists rode at the 2023 70.3 World Championships. Of course the bike isn’t the thing that makes these men and women fast, but it’s worth knowing what these speedy triathletes were riding en route to a top-five bike split (and overall finish).

Missed the action in Finland last weekend? Read our recaps of the women’s and men’s pro races, or catch the Ironman 70.3 World Championship replay on Outside Watch.

The race champion for a second consecutive year, Taylor Knibb, used a crushing bike split over two minutes faster than the rest of the field to win. Knibb rode a metallic silver Trek Speed Concept SLR 9 with a SRAM Red AXS 2x drivetrain and an extreme rarity among pro triathletes: a brand-mismatched 60mm deep Bontrager Aeolus front wheel paired with a Zipp Super 9 Tubeless Disc Brake disc wheel.

Simmonds had the second fastest bike split of the day en route to a podium place overall. She piloted a Canyon Speedmax CF 8 with a custom Shimano Dura Ace Di2 12-speed 1x drivetrain and a DT Swiss Arc 1100 Disc rear wheel combined with a 62mm front.

Matthews was another podium finisher who rode the svelte Canyon Speedmax CF 8 with the same DT Swiss Arc 1100 wheelset setup as Simmonds, but she opted for a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 12-speed 2x groupset, instead of a 1x.

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Fan favorite Paula Findlay rode a Specialized Shiv TT with a Zipp 858 NSW front wheel and a Zipp Super 9 Tubeless Disc Brake Disc rear wheel combined with a SRAM Red AXS 12 speed 1x drivetrain.

A post shared by Emma Pallant-Browne (@em_pallant)

Long heralded as one of the best runners in the sport, Emma Pallant-Browne has upped her bike game to turn in the fifth fastest bike split at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships this year. Pallant-Browne piloted a Giant Cadex Tri bike paired with the unique Cadex 4-spoke aero front wheel and a Cadex disc in the rear and a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 12-speed 2x drivetrain.

One of the Ironman all-time greats, Daniela Ryf, tied Pallant-Browne with the fifth fastest bike split. Daniela piloted a Felt IA 2.0 with the deep 80mm front DT Swiss Arc 1100 and the full disc in the rear. Daniela raced a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 2x drivetrain.

Frederic Funk posted a race best sizzling 1:55:14 bike split aboard his Cube Aerium C: 68X SLT. He rode VisionTech Metron wheels with an 81mm front and a full TFW disc in the rear. Funk used a SRAM Red 2x drivetrain.

Margirier was truly the flying Frenchman at 70.3 World Championships, and he rode a Cervelo P5 with another mismatch: a Reserve 50mm front wheel paired with a Zipp Super 9 Tubeless Disc Brake Disc. Margirier used a SRAM Red 2x drivetrain.

The Germans were out in full force on the bike course and the third fastest bike split belonged to Jan Stratmann aboard his Cervelo P5. He rode a DT Swiss Arc 1100 Disc rear wheel and Diecut DB 62mm front wheel. Stratmann used a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 12-speed 2x drivetrain.

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Josh Lewis piloted a Trek Speed Concept SLR 9 with CES Sport wheels. He chose an RC 60 front wheel and a full, RC Disc, as his rear wheel. Lewis used a SRAM Red AXS 12-Speed 1x drivetrain.

The men’s champion only needed the fifth-fastest bike to use his run prowess to charge across the line in first. Bogen piloted a rarely seen KU Cycle TF1 with a 35mm KU front wheel and full disc rear. He chose a SRAM Red AXS 12-speed 1x drivetrain.