sirious94, I value your advice. Thanks. I understand how gears can be very useful. However, from experience with cheap bikes in my childhood I have grown to dislike gears. They don't engage properly, the chain falls more easily, not to mention the excess weight. I'm sure technology has come a long way since then and gears are probably real efficient. But my mind set hasn't changed.

When I decided to do a tri I didn't have a road bike. I decided to go for the simplest of bikes so as to limit technical difficulties.

StanSeven, I'm not sure if that addresses your concern. I have mentioned things in my post that sound experimental at best. Well, that just one of the ways I learn new things. That's just me. If you wish to judge that as a joke, well, that's just you.