So I've been doing Tri's for a while now and have committed to Louisville '08. I'm super stoked but have been doing all of my racing on a converted Specialized Allez Pro about 15 years old. The rear derailleur doesn't shift down when I want it to and will find myself doing fast pedals for miles after hills until the bike decides it *wants* to shift.
Anyway its time to upgrade and Im faced with some dilemma's. I am able to get a Specialized deal through my tri team and I think the Transitions are pretty sexy. That being said, I know how import fit is and I don't want to limit myself to one brand. Should I be able to find a perfect fit if I commit to the specialized?
I'm also wondering if people think that I need to get a proper road bike as well? I plan on doing all of my tri training on my tri bike...is this a good idea? Can anyone think of a reason why I need a road bike if all I plan on doing is tri's? Should I try to salvage my old allez with a new set of bars and derailleurs?
All feedback welcome. Thanks.

obviously, salvaging the allex will be cheaper than getting the new transition in any trim. so it comes to budget. your allez is 15 years old...these fancy new bikes offer a lot more than than bikes did 15 years ago. do you want to pay for it? will it be worth it for you? the only person that can answer those questions is you.

as for fit...it's not a guarantee that the transition will fit you PERFECTLY...tri bike geometries will differ a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer and probably model to model within a manufacturer if they produce more than one model of tri bike. since you can get a deal on specialized, go for that first...but if you fitter thinks another bike like a cervelo or orbea or whatever might be a better fit...i'd consider it.

i suppose you probably do not NEED a road bike. though...a tri bike does offer less control with the aero bar setup...so if you're training routes are twisty or well trafficked by pedestrians, traffic, or other cyclists...you might want the ability to turn or brake with speed and accuracy to avoid accidents.

you could just salvage your allez an convert it to a tri bike with clip on aero bars...and i've heard you can get seat posts with a more aggressive angle to try to mimic a tri bike.

it's up to you! :)

I'm thinking now to salvage the Allez as a road bike and hit up a Transition for my tri - I can't pass up the immense savings I get on specialized...

So as for salvaging the Allez....It has inner drops (paralleling the tops :) ) so basically mad old bars - it has shimano 600 derailleurs and a shimano crank - Brakes are shimano old :)...don't know about the wheels but again old...seat is basically painful, but I've learned to deal with it by putting myself in different riding positions...

So where do I start? I think I want to take off the clip on aero bars first as I will not need these when I get my transition. Then I was thinking about replacing the bars and fresh bar tape to give my hands some comfort...After that most likely the seat is next to go....

What do you think? Anything I'm overlooking? Any suggestions?