Triathlon - Your First Triathlon: What bike did you ride?

I was thinking about this earlier today. Though my first bike was a used Trek 520, the bike I bought when I decided road biking was my thing was a Schwinn Supersport. And I keep thinking to myself that I must've done more with that bike than anyone else who has bought the same model. I've raced road races and criteriums with it, it's been on roads all up and down the east coast, and now it's even working as my work bike (as a bike messenger).

But in between, it became the first bike I attempted a triathlon with. When I bought it, I couldn't have imagined it was going to serve that purpose.

So the question here is "What bike were you riding when you attempted your first triathlon"?

Schwinn World Sport.

I was the first guy out of the water and I was thinking to myself: "Hey, I'm going to win this thing! "

I got a couple of hundred meters down the road and guys started flying by me like they were on motorcycles. Oh, and I had to puke during the run. I still managed to get 3d place in my age group. What fun!

Mine was completed on a no name Peugeot. If the bike had a specific model name I don't recall what it was. In fact now that I think about it that's the only bike I've ever done any triathlons on.

2003 jamis quest, yup i'm a relative newbie, still not had the urge to dedicate one of my rides to being a complete tri bike

OK...and I'm not making this up...In 1983, I did my first tri on my Schwinn Spitfire! Yep, you read that right, a beach cruiser. It was a Bud Light Series Tri in Long Beach, CA and the PA guy kept saying that the athletes were completing a "sprint" triathlon...though they would call it an Olympic length today (actually the run was over 8 miles). I remember hearing that as I was finishing down Bayshore Ave and thinking..."Who the hell can sprint for 8 miles you moron?!?!?!?"

Anyway, I have no clue what that bike weighed but I'll guess that it was close to 30 lbs. It was a single gear machine with wide tires. The things you will do when you're 16 yrs old.

I know this thread isn't supposed to be a contest...but I still win :)

Trek mountain bike for me (last year). It actually wasn't too bad since I had actually bought slick tires for commuting on it. I was passing the mountain bikers but got passed by the road bikes. Naturally, I went out and bought a used road bike after that!

I did mine on a department store MTB (diamondback, if I remember correctly). It was an international distance in the mountains of NC. So much fun, I had a used Cervelo within about a month after that.

A Fuji Team. I think the "Team" name has been used by Fuji for various level models throughout the years. This bike was entry level road/sport. I bought it the year before I did my first triathlon.

A Peugeot "Triathlon"- from either the late 80's or 90's. I just bought a Felt F70. Couldn't quite bring myself to get a dedicated tri bike- yet. I did three races last year and loved it. Need to shed some pounds and get faster. . .

rexford...that was a great bike, I rode one of those for about a year...loved it.

Mine was a rusty old BMX bike. Despite my poor equipment, I ended up having the fastest bike split of the day and won the race by a 7 minute margin!






April Fools! :-)

the peugoet or felt??

mine a bmx bike when i was about 8. I havent done one scine but gunna try to do one in june

sorry...the peugoet

Never ridden a felt

1 thing i always wondered, the bike has to be there for you, to get on it, and you have to leave it but know it wont get stolen, what happens, do you have some 1 you know to give you your bike and some one to look after it after you finished using it? well actuly the cycling is the last part right? still, do you have some 1 look after it for you before you need it or somthing?

Good question, but the answer might scare you...We just leave our bikes in the transition area, completely unattended. There is typically security controlling access to the transition area but I think if anyone really wanted to nick your bike, it wouldn't be all that hard to do.

By the way, the bike leg is typically in the middle, not last.

a friend gave me the peugoet and i got a year's use out of it. It was, er, is a good bike. I got dropped by it this morning (one of my other friends was riding it). The Felt looks cooler and I am glad to be rid of the downtube shifters. But other than that, there is little to separate it from the older bike. 5 pounds makes little difference to me (I'm 265 lbs at the moment) so I'm little if any faster. Then again, having the newer bike definately inspires me to get out and ride and I am 100% happy with the Felt.

GT Force. Only had clipless pedals for a month; but, I survived. :)

A Raleigh M30 mountain bike. Heavy as all hell ... but ... had a lot o fun.

Good question, but the answer might scare you...We just leave our bikes in the transition area, completely unattended. There is typically security controlling access to the transition area but I think if anyone really wanted to nick your bike, it wouldn't be all that hard to do.

So have you ever seen someone lock up their bike in the transition area, and then unlock it after the swim, and lock it up again, after the run. If you were amazingly faster than everyone else, it would be a great way to proclaim your superiority. Complete with a cup of coffee, shower, and a change of clothes. Also, your bike should be equipped with 20kg panniers.

I will never ever ever have the nicest bike in the transition area. So I don't fret about it.