Road Cycling - old school bike - ride it or not?

So I am doing my first triathlon in August...I have been training on a very lovely new Cannondale mountain bike. Knowing that a road bike will be much better for the tri, I have a question for anyone who wants to give me advice. I don't really have a ton of extra moola this month to buy a new bike and found an old one in my parents garage...I think it was a Schwinn Voyageur 11.8 (?) that my dad bought in 1985. It needs new wheels and tires and some lovin' but is it worth it to fix it up or should I not be a cheapo and just buy a new bike? It seemed the right size (I could straddle the seat and my toes were touching the ground.) I also don't want to look like a total dork..

I could straddle the seat and my toes were touching the ground

If that's the case, then the bike sounds like its to small

If that's the case, then the bike sounds like its to small

even if my toes were just barely touching? and the seat was all the way down? i don't know too much about this. obviously the people my dad bought the bike from in 1985 didn't either because he is taller than I am by 5 or 6"

3 decent road bikes under $600 (according to a popular rag)

Schwinn Fastback Sport
K2 Mach 1.0
Iron Horse Triumph

I wouldn't go any cheaper that this on a new bike.

55/Rad

Look in your Yellow Pages for some bike shops in your area, pay them all a visit and tell them what your plans are. If you're serious about Tris you will definately want a decent bike later on, but if you'll only ever do this one then there's not much point in splashing out.

Have a look in the Triathelon forum if you haven't already, there's bound to be some good advice there.

You don't need to drop a bunch of money on this right away.

I did my first tri on a Cannondale Jekyll and it was fine. I put Specialized Fat Boy Slicks on it and I flew. You will be surprised how many people you will pass on a modified mountain bike. With very low rolling resistance and a stiff frame, you will fly!

IMHO, wait until you have done the tri and see if you even want to do it again. Then go nuts on the roadie. If you fall in love with them like I did, you will then plunk down the coin on the bike you will love for a long time and not a "maybe I'll like it" bike.

Save your pennies, get some slicks, and kick some butt in the tri! Better yet, wait until the end of the season and look for bikes that people bought and then decided that they didn't like triathlons. You can probably get a nice bike that way on the cheap!

I think you're better off doing the tri on the mtb. Believe me, you won't be the only one.

Well, it might be nice to fix up the Schwinn (if it has nice components etc). My Nishiki's about the same age as your dad's old bike, and rides very nicely... much faster and smoother on-road than my newer mtb. At the very least, fixing up the road bike will give you an idea if you'd really want to dump 600+ dollars on a new machine. The Schwinn will probably cost at least $100 to be made 'road worthy,' but may be well worth it in my opinion.

I'm also hoping (if I can get off work that week) to do my first triathalon this August, and will be riding the roadie. Good luck to you!

That's all well and good, but she mentions that she will need wheels and tires. If it were just tires and a tuneup, she's looking at $100. With the mention of needing new wheels, that turns into more of an investment for a bike that may or may not fit and she may not enjoy riding.

You may always take the bike to a local bike shop and have them assess wether it will be worth your time and money to bring the Schwinn back from the dead. Most shops won't even charge you for this and it would only take a few minutes.

thanks everybody!

i survived a 30 mile charity ride (which I treated as a race of course) on the mountain bike, so if the local bike shop tells me the Schwinn is going to cost $100+ I will stick with mine.

I appreciate the suggestions!

yes, stick with the MTB. you know exactly how it works and what to expect. i'd change the tired to some slicks though.

as time goes by, switch to a road bike. (by the way, it doesn't sound like the schwinn is too small, just that the saddle could be raised and you need to get fitted.)

sd

You'll be surprised how well a decently-tuned old road bike will preform, especially with even the simplest upgrades (new chain or deraillerus). Throw a pair of clipless pedals on there and you'll get far better preformance than any mountain bike, at a considerably better price. The steel frames are heavy but can take a hell of a beating, and you're left with a bike for your free time that's rediculously low on the wish-lists of bike theives but still flies around town at a very respectable clip.

You want to take a serious look at the bike though, these things come in conditions varying from "perfect" to "scrap metal", and some of them require rather a LOT of work in the end (and road bike parts aren't always cheap).