You are right, unfortunatly these days the bike shops have lost the plot. I do the Ironman and have nearly all my swim/bike/run stuff shipped from overseas. If it was only about 20-50 dollars differance I would not mind helping the shops but it is hundreds of dollars difference. The only major problem you will have will be the bike set up. Trust me if you are in that saddle for 5-6 hours you have to be comfy. You need a bike fit with all the figures before you buy. dont go by just height, some people have longer legs, longer torso etc. Good luck