Triathlon - Bike Information

I'm a tri newbie and I'm currently riding a borrowed Cannondale from the mid to late 80's. I can average about 16-18 mph on this bike, but need to return this bike and would like to pick up one of me own. I would love to be able to average 20 mph, but I don't have the budget for a new high end bike. Can someone recommend an older bike (or inexpensive new one) that I should look for to purchase. I'd rather not spend more than $200, but I also don't want my speed to drop.

I'm not trying to insult you or be mean here. So don't take this the wrong way.

On flat ground with standard spoked wheels you should be able to average 20 - 23 MPH with any decent bike if you are in good shape. So, either you need to ride more, or look into your cadence. Count the number of circles your left foot makes in one minute. Tri riders like about 90 - 95 regular road racer normally go about 105. If you are making less than that a minute you are pedaling too slow. If you cannot keep that cadence then drop a gear untill you can. You'll find that you go faster by reving higher in a lower gear. Many, if not all new riders try to mash big gears. You'll just end up trashing your knees. A 53/12 or 53/11 should only be used in an all out sprint as hard as you can possibly go break or finish.

Also. Stop looking at getting a "Faster bike" Unless you are talking about really good athletes it won't make much difference. The idea is for you to get faster not to cheat with a better machine. If you buy a bike that magically makes you 15 MPH faster has your fittness level improved? Are yo a better athlete? No you are cheating yourself.

Take pride in your skills on the bike not the bike.

$200 will be very tough, even used. End of year sales will be coming up in the next few months as they get ready for 2005 models you may find something.

After that it is training. If you could buy speed, we would have a lot more pros.

I'm not trying to insult you or be mean here. So don't take this the wrong way.

On flat ground with standard spoked wheels you should be able to average 20 - 23 MPH with any decent bike if you are in good shape. So, either you need to ride more, or look into your cadence. Count the number of circles your left foot makes in one minute. Tri riders like about 90 - 95 regular road racer normally go about 105. If you are making less than that a minute you are pedaling too slow. If you cannot keep that cadence then drop a gear untill you can. You'll find that you go faster by reving higher in a lower gear. Many, if not all new riders try to mash big gears. You'll just end up trashing your knees. A 53/12 or 53/11 should only be used in an all out sprint as hard as you can possibly go break or finish.

Also. Stop looking at getting a "Faster bike" Unless you are talking about really good athletes it won't make much difference. The idea is for you to get faster not to cheat with a better machine. If you buy a bike that magically makes you 15 MPH faster has your fittness level improved? Are yo a better athlete? No you are cheating yourself.

Take pride in your skills on the bike not the bike.


Thanks for the advice and I'm not offended. I guess I did not pose the question properly, as I'm not looking to have the bike do the work for me, but being new I'm just looking for a bike that will not limit me as I improve. I know that when I switched from my old Wal-Mart mountain bike to this Cannondale, my speed improved greatly with no more effort.

The cadence is something I have not heard before, so I'll try it on my next ride. Meanwhile, I'll be having to return this bike after my tri on Aug 1st, so any advice on an inexpensive replacement would be appreciated.

You are not going to have a lot of luck at that pricepoint, but you never know when you may get lucky. Places to look would be roadbikereview.com's classified section, but there are not a lot of "cheap" bikes out there. You may find yourself looking for something "vintage" that is cheap and functional. Check your local newspaper and look for garage sales to avoid the rather expensive cost of shipping a bike. Also talk to your friendly LBS about them knowing of anything used in your range or maybe something that they have lying around the back that is covered with dust.

Good luck!

Just saw a link for www.recycledcycles.net and they may have something for you in your range.

i am having a similar problem, i am really into running, and i enjoy swimming and biking so i am looking into triathlons, i have a very old bad bike right now and i am curently looking to purchase another one, road bikes seem really expensive and seeing as i am just thinking about triathlons, i don't want to waste my money, i found a bianchi milano bike at a local bike shop, it is a hybrid bike, would this be a good investment or should lean towards a road bike???? Thanks...

The geometry and weight of a hybrid would most likely be counterproductive to all of your effort in training. With the end of the tri season rapidly approaching, keep your eyes open for a lot of used bikes coming on the market. You may be able to score a used tri bike for a song.

If that does not work, I would stay away from anything other than a road or tri bike if tris are all that you plan on doing. Who knows, you may end up riding more and the cost of a road bike will quickly justify itself.