First-time bike buyer...triathlon coming up
 

Been a lurker for a while, but finally getting around to posting.

I have a triathlon coming up on September 7th and I figure, I'm going to need to a bike to at least compete. Brilliant huh?

I've been looking around for entry-level road bikes and saw a few that I liked, yet they were a bit up there in price (Trek 2.1 for starters).

What do you all think about buying an older bike, say a late 1980s model Raleigh for cheap and fixing it up with new tires, chain and such? I want a bike that's going to treat me well through training and then after if the triathlon goes according to plan.

Spending money on the bike is the only part of a tri where money makes you faster. For your first, two things help. Buy clip-on aero bars. That will make the biggest improvement. That will cost you around $100. Second, get your feet hooked onto the pedals. Toe clips are the cheapest ($25). The best thing is get pedals and cleats along with shoes ($150-$300).

I'd probably try getting something a little newer than that; if you have to replace parts on an '80s bike it can be hard to find what you need. Ditto on the clip on handlebar and pedal advice.

Don't skimp on the bike. Let me ask you this: if you had to train for running ONLY on a treadmill, how much would you budget for that?

A bike is an investment and will last a LONG time if you get a decent one. So even if you spend $1000 for an entry level bike, that's only $200/year if you keep it for 5 years. How much will you pay to use a pool to train for the swim? Once you buy the bike, riding it is free.

If you do buy a used bike, you need to get fitted for it. A shop will probably charge you $100-$200 for a fitting, so unless you know an experienced fitter who will do it for free, factor that into the cost of a "used" bike.

Finally, if/when you are fitted, it's likely that you might need a different saddle, stem, or other part swapped out. Many shops will either swap out equal parts for free, or simply charge you the difference. If you buy used, you pay full price if/when the bars are too wide or narrow, the stem is the wrong size, or the saddle is a bad fit.

I've been scouring Craigslist for some deals, as well as eBay, but if you guys find anything, please let me know. My friend, who is an avid triathlete, said I might as well go with the 80s bike so I can see how riding is and if I continue to like doing it after the tri, I could buy a nicer bike.

Any more thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

:lol:

I would rent a tt bike before spending money on anything else.

OR, go observe a triathlon.

I have an 80's Bianchi that I bought on ebay... it was my frame size and fits me well. I was originally gonna upgrade wheels, gears, shifters, brakes, post, seat, etc.... but 'til I would be done with that, might as well paid a grand or two for a decent CF roadbike.

I assume this is your first Tri? Like so many before you, you may find it is not your cup of tea. Spending a lot of money on a bike, especially a Tri bike, is not a good idea.

If you have any bike at all of decent quality I would suggest that you use that. A MTN bike with smooth tires would be fine. Regardless, I would not recommend clipless shoes. T1 is tough for the experienced, for the first timer it can be really bad. You do not want to be screwing around with shoes that you are not comfortable in yet. Get a set of toe clips.

The object of a first time Tri should be to finish, not go fast. Going fast is the best way to not finish for one reason or another - kicked in the face during the swim, wreck on the bike, blow up on the run, plus all the problems that can shut you down in T1 and T2. You will be amazed at the number of people with $3000+ bikes that do not clear T1 for whatever reason, or clear it late.

Lastly, I suggest that you head over to Runnersworlds web site and check out the Tri section of their forums. This question comes up quite often over there, and there are some very good explinations and answers.

And good luck. It is nice to see another person jump into the realm of being a real athlete.

This will be my first tri, but I want to compete. I have a feeling I could finish in the top 15 of this race, by looking at the times. I don't think I could do it on a mountain bike (which I have, but it's 1500 miles away).

^if you feel you are confident to suggest finishing in the top 100 of a first time event then I don't see why you would question purchasing a tri / road bike brand new? It sounds as if your mind is made up as if this is something you want to do, so have at it.

Since you have some monetary constraints, I'd even go as far as renting a bike just for the race. I mean granted you'll want something you've ridden before but who's to say you can't rent a bike for a few days hell even a week prior to the race. If you must purchase an 80's bike and upgrade parts, I think your money would be better suited towards buying a brand new bike and training on it...save as much as possible.

For me, I'm curious about doing a tri, so instead I did a duathlon (run bike run) with a brand new bike with stock parts on it (crappy low end groupset) purely for the race. My goal was to finish, but now that I've got that under my belt, I'm either upgrading my grouppe or purchasing a new bike.

Good luck and godspeed

How do you have a feeling you will finish in the top 15? I am not doubting you, but have you done all 3 legs of the tri yet without rests in between?

I will be doing some team duathlon/triathlon events and I have been timing myself. The only factor you cannot control is the wind direction at the time of the race....

I am contemplating a new bike as well. I have a decent road bike with Sora components and I know it will get me to the finish line. I will be checking out a new Felt F85 over my lunch break in a few minutes.

Have you been doing many brick workouts? Your assessment may change after a couple of those. Or maybe you're just a much more gifted athlete than I am.

Regardless, if this is your first tri and you don't even have a road bike, get a decent, used (or cheaper new) drop-bar road bike and start with that. It'll be orders of magnitude faster than your mountain bike and if it's your only bike, it's nice to have a regular roadie for group rides, busier roads, more technical descents, etc.

Another thing to budget for--a wetsuit. There's not a single piece of bike gear that you can buy that will give you as much speed and time savings as a good wetsuit. Just figure that in when making your bike purchase.

There's also a tri forum here that I'd welcome you to take a look at. It's small, but the folks over there are good people. I'm the mod for that forum too.

Welcome to the addiction, and good luck!

:lol:

I feel pretty confident that I can finish in the Top 15 because in trying to be modest here, I am a very good athlete. I ran a half marathon on two weeks of training and pounded out a 1:17. Biking has never been a problem for me and I ran cross country and track in college, so I know I can breeze the run (judging on how I feel).

I haven't done any bricks yet, but I plan on doing my first on July 1. Then following it up with another on August 1.