I learned an expensive lesson last weekend when my car windows were smashed and 2010 Trek 2.3 was stolen in the middle of the afternoon.
I'm 27 years old and about 155 lbs when racing. Last summer I burned out on racing marathons year round and fell in love with the bike again. On the 2.3 I rode Timberman 70.3 (my first triathlon) in 2:45, which is ok on 90 miles per week, but there's room for improvement. This summer i'd like to try to make cat 4 and maybe do another 70.3.
My main question is, with a budget of $2-3k, what should I replace my 2.3 with? That price seems puts me in a position where i could get a carbon frame with the 105 5800 groupset (Trek Domane 4.5), or an aluminum frame with Ultegra 6800 (Trek Emonda Alr 6 or Caad12). To be honest, i've never ridden a carbon frame before so I don't know what i'm missing out on. When I was climbing with the 2.3 I never thought to myself - "wow, my bike is really holding me back right now". It was always, "hey fatass, don't have Oreos for breakfast". I doubt i'd actually be able to tell the difference between Ultegra and 105. I'd also like to get some feedback on the quality of carbon on this tier of bikes. The other wildcard is down the line I would like to invest in a power meter and nicer wheels.
I'd like something a bit racier than my 2.3. This weekend I plan to look at some Treks, Specialized Allez or Tarmac, Cannondale, and maybe Cervelo. What's a blind spot in my logic i'm not considering?
I'm 27 years old and about 155 lbs when racing. Last summer I burned out on racing marathons year round and fell in love with the bike again. On the 2.3 I rode Timberman 70.3 (my first triathlon) in 2:45, which is ok on 90 miles per week, but there's room for improvement. This summer i'd like to try to make cat 4 and maybe do another 70.3.
My main question is, with a budget of $2-3k, what should I replace my 2.3 with? That price seems puts me in a position where i could get a carbon frame with the 105 5800 groupset (Trek Domane 4.5), or an aluminum frame with Ultegra 6800 (Trek Emonda Alr 6 or Caad12). To be honest, i've never ridden a carbon frame before so I don't know what i'm missing out on. When I was climbing with the 2.3 I never thought to myself - "wow, my bike is really holding me back right now". It was always, "hey fatass, don't have Oreos for breakfast". I doubt i'd actually be able to tell the difference between Ultegra and 105. I'd also like to get some feedback on the quality of carbon on this tier of bikes. The other wildcard is down the line I would like to invest in a power meter and nicer wheels.
I'd like something a bit racier than my 2.3. This weekend I plan to look at some Treks, Specialized Allez or Tarmac, Cannondale, and maybe Cervelo. What's a blind spot in my logic i'm not considering?