Originally Posted by
Gofaster1
Ultimately, I am serious about training for an Ironman. The budget has identified a few bikes; should I opt for a lower ended newer bike like a Denali, an older Schwinn, or a Trek 700 hybrid for durability? These are what I have access to at this point.
If you want to train for the an Ironman (I assume it's a smaller local one, but either way the answer is the same), I would buy a bike that will put you in the same riding position you'd be riding for the Ironman. A road bike with...aero bars? Your body will adjust to whatever bike your'e riding the most, so I wouldn't suggest a hybrid. 50 miles round trip would also benefit from a road bike.
An older Schwinn vs a newer Denali would be a dilema. Either one should be fine. Biggest thing would probably be trying to figure out what bikes would allow aerobars - I've read that some are much better for that than others.