Road Cycling - advice on getting started

hey i'm looking for help...
i currently compete in running and swimming events however my love has always been for riding, unfortunatly in the past because of lack of funding i have been unable to purchase a bike. i have managed to save up some money and now am looking for a bike with a budget of about 1,300 dollars. could anyone help me in what would be a good buy and what to watch out for? also i do wish to compete in triathlons in the future so i'm wondering if a triathlon bike would be something to look for?

hey i'm looking for help...
i currently compete in running and swimming events however my love has always been for riding, unfortunatly in the past because of lack of funding i have been unable to purchase a bike. i have managed to save up some money and now am looking for a bike with a budget of about 1,300 dollars. could anyone help me in what would be a good buy and what to watch out for? also i do wish to compete in triathlons in the future so i'm wondering if a triathlon bike would be something to look for?


Visit several bikes shop to get a feel for the shop and try riding several different bikes. I would also recommend getting professionaly fitted for a bike. I had this done after I bought a bike and it made a huge difference on how I felt on the bike.

Check out local clubs in your area. If you belong to a running club ask around to see if anyone in also cycles.

THere is a ton of information out there and it can be hard sometimes to sort the good from the bad, but if you do your research and try to double check things you should be ok.

For $1300 you should be able to get a very good bike, with nice comps.

Don't forget to factor in a budget for intial riding gear. Helmet, gloves, jersey and a couple of pairs of shorts. After a helmet, good shorts are the most important (imho).

thanks i'll keep that in mind about the gear i hadn't really thought about those cost :) i'm still wondering though some of the differences with going for a triathlon bike or road bike, like i have said i plan on competing in triathlons but i also wish to just do some serious road biking? which one should i stick with?

You sound like me a few months ago.

I do about five triathlons a year but spend the majority of my time on long road rides and not in race situations.

IMHO, the best solution is to find a road bike that fits and feels well underneath you. Tri-specific frames are usually stiffer than most road frames because the goal is effecient transmission of power to the wheels and not comfort. I happen to like being comfortable.

My solution was to get a set forward seatpost and a set of aerobars for racing and training. Sure I need to move my arm from the aero position to shift, but I'm not trying to win the race so that .02 seconds is not that important. The end result is a happy and healthy me with a bike that I love.

ALWAYS get the bike you want. Don't get the second best one to save a little money. From experiance I can tell you that you will pine and regret not getting the other bike and you will eventually get the one you want, you'll just pay a lot more for it in the long run.

Do not go cheap on a helmet or shorts. More vents in the helmet means a nice and cool melon. Good shorts means you will not have a sore ass.

Do not wear well-padded bike shorts during the swim of the tri. They will not dry quick enough during the ride of the tri. Triathlon specific shorts are very nice.

Expenditures to look forward to right away:
Helmet
Gloves
Shorts
Pedals (most nice bikes will not come with them)

Options:
Shoes
Jersey
Computer
Aerobar
Set-forward seatpost

thanks for the advice as for the spending on helmet, gloves, jerseys, shorts, shoes and pedals i covered that already now i'm still set on a bike and i think ive made the choice to to go with a road bike....i'm thinking a cannondale R600 or a trek 2100.... i dont know i still gotta think about those in the meantime anyone know how the hell u clean the drinking tube from a hydro pack????

thanks for the advice as for the spending on helmet, gloves, jerseys, shorts, shoes and pedals i covered that already now i'm still set on a bike and i think ive made the choice to to go with a road bike....i'm thinking a cannondale R600 or a trek 2100.... i dont know i still gotta think about those in the meantime anyone know how the hell u clean the drinking tube from a hydro pack????


Get one of these...

Tube cleaning brush (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=125&subcategory=1089&brand=&sku=10523&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)