Rookie: What to do with 06 Trek TTT
 

I bought a this Trek TTT a year ago hoping to race in triathlons. However due to injuries I could not put on the miles and train. I have also particularly found riding this bike so hard especially in aero position.

Now, I am more thinking about a regular road bike and do something about this Trek TTT.
I wonder what options I may have, sell it on eBay, trade it for a road bike etc.

Did anybody out there do something like this? Any recomendations will be appreciated.

Too bad, that is a nice bike. You could try ebay, but most people are only looking for great deals... (duh...) so if you want the most return, that would probably be the last option. See if any lbs around your area has a classifieds or will accept trade ins. Have you tried pushing the bars up to the highest position on the fork? Maybe you can ease back down to a more aero position?

Thanks. The only thing I have tried is to move the fore-arm rest pads as wide as possible to get maximal leverage so that I can balance myself. I need to learn either how to ride this bike without fear of crashing or trade it with a road bike at LBS. My assumption is that I can find a bike I can ride easier.

Could you suggest a set of balancing exercises if there are any or is this just a matter of simply spending time on the bike ?

Get Fit, then ride it, then have you fitter relook at your position. There is definately something wierd going on.

I raced 14 miles today at speeds as high as 40mph and was out of the aerobars for maybe all of 30 seconds for the turnaround. My elbows are really close to each other.

Ask around your local Tri community and find out who has a good rep for doing fits. Go to him/her and spend the money on a quality fitting session before you start changing bikes.

Does your local tri club have an e-mail list you can flog it on?

Or you could get a seatpost with a lot of offset, slap some drop bars on it, and ride it as a tricked-out road bike... maybe... might need a very steep stem if there's not much steerer left... maybe...

It sounds like you bought a bit too much bike for your needs, which is a shame. It's my personal opinion that almost nobody belongs on a tri bike as a starter bike.

What are your goals going forward? Do you still want to do triathlons? Or are you wanting to just ride for pleasure and/or do some group rides?

If you're going to race tris, keep it, get fit to it, start putting in the miles. You will become more at ease with it, but it's never going to feel like a sofa. :) Realize that the purpose of a tri bike is to go fast by yourself.

If your goals are to do general purpose riding, some group rides, etc., sell it and buy a road bike. You will have an easier time riding in groups, you will probably be more comfortable, and the bike is more versatile. You can always put clip-on aerobars on it when you race tris. About half of the expensive tri bikes I see in any race are set up in ways that compromise their intended aerodynamic purpose to the extent that the rider would probably be better off on a road bike with clip-ons. :)

You all made very good points. I really have to decide what I want to do first. Tri racing (which I have not doen yet due to injuries etc, or road biking in group rides etc.)

I admit that this bike was a bit too much as a starter bike. I trusted my athletic abilities and bought this bike even though I have never rode a road bike before, which maynot be a huge mistake but I am struggling right now.

I found these guys "Endure It" in suburbs of Chicago for a Tri specific fit, they charge $100 for a fit session. I am not sure if it is too much but I will give it a try. They claim to have FIST certified fitters.

FIST = good starting point

Go for it. That is a mid range price around Omaha for a fit. Plus they are FIST. If you are really keen on using that bike, I would go for it. At least before you sell it for less than you paid for it...

Thanks to everyone!

I got an appt for Saturday morning for fit. I will let you know how it goes.