Road Cycling - triathlon bikes

Hi -
I am a first time triathlete and am looking into buying a new bike (about which I know basically nothing). I'm a college student and would really like to buy one that I could use both for racing and for transportation on campus. I'm on a tight budget ($700 or so absolute max), and I realize that any bike that I could use on campus would not be a particularly competetive road bike. But don't worry about that - I'm doing the triathlon to finish, not to win (and it's only a 27 mile bike anyways). Would hybrid bikes be an option? What brands do you recommend? Is anybody aware of any good used-bike websites or contacts?
Thanks very much - i'd appreciate any advice on bikes or even just general triathlon biking advice. I don't know much about the sport but am really getting into it! I'd love to hear anything you have to say.

Well, I am a long way from being a triathlete, but I think a hybrid might do what you need. Many of the newer ones have aluminum frames which gives you durability and light weight. You can replace the tires with ones that are slick in the center for lower rolling resistance and still have knobbies on the outside, or just go with some slicks. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, and I know I am in the minority, but I love my Fujis...I have two, a hybrid and a road bike. If you start checking out your LBS (local bike shops) you might get lucky like I have, both of mine were used! As far as the training, I am sure there are others who will be able to help you out there!

Hybrid is always the answer.

Disagree with hybrid. Definitely not fast enough to be competitive if you so desire. I never liked hybrids - too clunky to go fast, and not rugged enough for true off-roading. They're probably best as pure commuters, but I would prefer a pure roadie or pure mtn bike still.

Road bikes are the way to go for commute / tri. Check your LBS for sales, and if you can spend $100 extra for bike assembly, bikesdirect (google it) has the cheapest road bikes available for standard prices.

ANY road bike that works will be more than sufficient for a triathlon - the people who win the tris will be able to do so on your low-priced road bike as long as the parts work (and not even that well). You do NOT need aerobars, aero helmet, fancy wheels, etc - even if you intend to WIN the race. Chrissie Wellington was crushing national-level triathlons on an intro-level road bike before she went pro. She was going no aerobars, and no clipless pedals (!)

Do NOT get a tri bike at that price range. The time benefit from the aero tri bike frame will have a negligible result on your placing for most folks who aren't fast enough to win the race or AG outright.

I make the recommendation for a pure road bike despite the fact I own/ride a pure tri bike. The roadie is definitely more versatile.

PS - If you''re not going to become a regular triathlete or competitive road bike racer, you can always borrow or rent a friend's road bike for the race. Training does not have to be on a super-fast rocket bike - I routinely train off-road on a 37 lb budget mountain bike on some killer mountains and it translates directly to tri bike racing with minimal problem.

It all depends on what you want. If you're buying one bike to use for commuting and want to do a tri for fun, then get a hybrid.

I started tri's and will probably do a TT or two this year, and ride a Cervelo P2C. I'm guessing that you're one of those people on the cheap/slow bike that I crush on the bike only to get passed on the run. :) Really, though, I suck at running and swimming but a tri is a fun opportunity to whip out a fancy bike and try to set a PR.

At the end of the day it's a question of how much money you want to sink into your hobby, because I for one will NEVER be profitable as a bike racer or triathlete.

for used bikes check the classifieds @:

slowtwitch.com
roadbikereview.com

and ebay and craigslist

But isn't the hybrid a combination of road and tri bike? Wouldn't that be the best answer?

Find a decent used road bike. Put some clip on aerobars on it for the triathlon. (and training for the triathlon) If you're riding it around a college campus, you don't want to put too much money into because it will only stand out for getting stolen.

Lots of good late 80's, early 90's bikes can be had under $250. That leaves money for a TT helmet, trisuit, aero bars. And the bike won't stand out as a theft target.

Find a decent used road bike. Put some clip on aerobars on it for the triathlon. (and training for the triathlon) If you're riding it around a college campus, you don't want to put too much money into because it will only stand out for getting stolen.

Lots of good late 80's, early 90's bikes can be had under $250. That leaves money for a TT helmet, trisuit, aero bars. And the bike won't stand out as a theft target.

+1 :thumb:

I just bought a new bike and decided to get a pure road bike, despite the fact that I'm training for my first triathlon. I want to be able to do group rides, ride with friends, and enjoy the bike -- not just train and compete. The only thing a tri bike is really good for is training and competition. At least with a road bike you can (as merline suggested) slap some aerobars on and call it good for tris, and then pull them off and go a group ride or a crit.

Granted, I'm somewhat biased. Training for my first triathlon has made me rethink the idea of wanting to be in a triathlon, so I have no desire at this point to own a tri bike in the future.

I'd rather run a cyclocross bike and buy an extra set of wheels for raceday than a hybrid bike. Hybrids suck on road and suck off-road. They are only good for urban commuting and bike-trail type of stuff.

A cyclocross bike with a set of knobby tires and slick tires will do both very well.

A cyclocross bike with a set of knobby tires and slick tires will do both very well.

Sounds perfect! A true "tri" bike- road, trimathlon, cross. Can you ride the knobby tires during the tri?