I'm not talking about getting into the Ironman, although the half Ironman looks like a nice 3 year goal. :). So, can anyone recommend any good sites regarding noob triathlete information or some good threads here. Also, is it acceptable to just ride a road bike in a smaller triathlon?

This is a good site for just finding out basics:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/default.asp

This site (BF) is a great way to learn about cycling in general. When I first got started in tri's someone told me to learn all about cycling and what biking technology can do for me. It's the only leg where you can spend money to make you faster.

I've seen lots of road bikes in tri's. I've even seen mountian bikes in the olympic distances. It's a good idea to get some experience first before investing ina tri specific bike. You can buy bolt on aero bars that will make a big impact with your speed.

A good starting program is run, bike, and swim three times a week, along with some time in the gym. If you're like most people with a job and other commitments, you can break the workouts up into twice a day. So one day you might run in the morning and bike in the evening. The next day you swim in the morning and hit the health clib in the evening with weights and concentrating on flexibility. Take off one day a week as well.

Good luck

trialthlete magazine online also has a lot of good information for beginners. What's your weakest sport?

Why not be a triathlete now?

Hop on your bike, go for a swim, or take a jog.

Yes, plenty of road bikes at nearly all tris.

I did only one Tri so far, and there were plenty of people with mountain bikes. At least I had a hybrid with road tires. I think there were more road bikes with aero bars than pure tri bikes.

Thanks guys for the responses. I am very excited and will start training today? One more question, are excercise bikes ok to train on, or would you recommend just going out for a ride on the real thing? Thanks again!

I tried a few different exercise bikes at my YMCA, and I will tell you that they do not compare in any way to riding your own bike on the street. Or at least it didn't to me.

Stationary bikes are a great way to build up fitness and maintain it. I live in New England and biking over the winter months outside just doesn't happen. I will ride indoors 2-4 times per week. You need to train with a purpose and look into the right plans. Just coasting along, while having some benefits, will not make you better or bring you closer to your goals. There are plenty of DVDs by Chris Charmichael and Troy Jaconson that can provide you with a great workout that will translate to the road when you get out there.

Two other sites:

www.trinewbies.com
www.trifuel.com
Both of these are very kind and welcoming to newbies. They both have articles and forums.

Then there's www.slowtwitch.com. It's neither by nor for newbies, but it can be informative and entertaining.