Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-)

Mar 27, 17 7:01

Post #1 of 19 (1997 views)

How D'you do all. Now I am a recent convert to Triathlon in my second year of competition who came to the sport at the age of 58 after 30 od years as a couch potato and a non too distinguished time as a sports person at school. In short I sort of suck at sport but I LOVE triathlon.Did my third full sprint at the weekend and came second from bottom in my age group at 1:50:00 - though that is a full 8 minutes better than last years effort ! But I do work hard to improve and as I say the whole training and partaking that goes with the sport is doing me the world of good , including helping reduce my weight.
Anyway I have been riding a specialized diverge bike for my Tris for 18 months now - its a basic model with Sora gears but it does the job and I have improved my times on it- BUT I have the 'new kit' bug and quite fancy a TT bike . I am going to retire soon and have some money put by as well as a reasonable pension so I fel like splashing out.
I have seen bikes costing from £450 on Ebay to £3500 and have taken a shine to Specialized Concept , Pulse or Shiv , all of which are around the 3k and up price range ! I know I cannot buy speed , the whole thing for me is enjoyment and slow but steady improvement . Am I paying way above my ability to utilise these machines , will they help me improve or enjoy the sport more ? Should I just get a decent low cost Race bike such as an Allez ? Should I upgrade the wheels and groupset on my current bike ? Should I just carry on as I am and resist the kit bug ?
I have no wish to be seen as "all the gear and no idea" . Your advice is welcome .

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 7:28

Post #2 of 19 (1962 views)

Lasttriathlete wrote:

Should I just get a decent low cost Race bike such as an Allez ? Should I upgrade the wheels and groupset on my current bike ? Should I just carry on as I am and resist the kit bug ?
I have no wish to be seen as "all the gear and no idea" . Your advice is welcome .

I'm 63 and have 12 years in the sport. Glad to see that you're enjoying the sport and want to continue. And I think that approach answers a lot of your questions. That is, will your questions provide you with the fun and excitement that you're after. Let's see...

Should I just get a decent low cost race bike such as the Allez? Yes, a decent low cost race bike will see you in good stead for several years as you get your engine up to speed. Is your bike holding you back or your fitness? Likely your fitness. Whether or not it's the Allez is a personal decision, but resist the urge to buy speed. Lose 5 pounds and get stronger. Better to pass someone's full-on tri kit with a beater bike than the other way around...

Should I upgrade the wheels and groupset on my current bike? No, if it shifts, it's good to go. And at your fitness level and doing Sprints, wheels are a poor investment. Lost 5 pounds and get stronger.

Should I just carry on as I am and resist the kit bug? Yes and no. Keep abreast of technology and what bikes will likely fit you. Search the Classifieds and Craigslist and eBay and your dream bike will show up sooner than later. Stay in the game, but be patient.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 7:34

Post #3 of 19 (1949 views)

Welcome to the triathlon community . . . keep at it! My advice always is "Consistent execution over time!" Worry about equipment later.

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 7:42

Post #4 of 19 (1937 views)

By what you want. And yes, you can buy speed. Get a powermeter and learn to train with it, not just ride.

Do search. There are several good threads on here that discuss the hierarchy of time savings. Those may help you determine where to spend your money.

In the end, buy what you want. Life's too short...

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Kscycler] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 7:44

Post #5 of 19 (1935 views)

Thanks for the comments. I agree about weight loss , have lost 11 pounds since February and aiming to lose another 40 pounds or so. That's the best way I can think of for getting better aerodynamics and a lighter bike ! Maybe I will stick with the diverge , its a great little bike if not the best for race geometry. Just have to fight the kit lust :-)

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [FatandSlow] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 7:50

Post #6 of 19 (1913 views)

Been using trainer Road and am amazed at how the power readings have helped my training. Fitting cadence sensor , power meter and getting an edge 520 to race Strava segments seems a good way of training. Tempted to stick to my current bike with all that kit but the Tri bikes are really tempting - you know how the brain imagines 100 mile time trials even though the body would be less cooperative !
Love the moniker , and yes having seen Dad succumbing to vascular dementia I am beginning to think that I may have a limited number of years of good life ahead.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 7:55

Post #7 of 19 (1904 views)

Welcome. Don't worry if you are slow. Triathletes are too self-absorbed to care ;)

Regarding the new bike. TT/tri bikes can be notoriously hard to work on, depending on the model, so if you are good with a wrench or know someone who is, then go ahead and buy used. If not, you might want to buy new. I know a couple people who have bought used bikes and spent a lot of money getting them fixed.

As for whether or not to buy one, aside from finances, I think the big issue is if it will make you want to ride and you will enjoy it. Most of us, especially as we age, aren't going to win races. Fancy new gear isn't going to help our times as much as training. But it might motivate us to train more. For example, I have a friend who used to be slower than me on the bike. Once in a while he could out climb me, but 90+% of the time, he was slower than me. Then he bought a fancy, expensive new bike that he loved to ride. Now he ride all the time. It is common for him to do 200 mile weeks because he loves to ride. And he drops me like a rock every damn time we ride together. So the bike makes a difference, but maybe not the difference that people think of.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [happyscientist] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 8:26

Post #8 of 19 (1844 views)

Your comments are spot on regarding the effect of a new bike. I am never going to be a time trial champ (through Dad was at local level 60 years ago - very proud of him) or come first in age group even. But I do want to enjoy the ride as they say. Maybe a new (expensive) bike would get me out more if only to justify the expense !
Thanks for replying.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 9:10

Post #9 of 19 (1783 views)

If you're just getting into the sport, enjoy it and have some money, buy what you want. The sport suffers from people doing it for a year or two, checking off their bucket list, and disappearing. If you do the sport for enjoyment and health benefits, you are a dying breed.

The part you will really get enjoyment out of is not the new equipment, but getting out there so focus on consistency and enjoying yourself without the usual fixation on time and performance. If you combine consistency with a good diet, the weight will come off, your times will improve and you will feel good about yourself and the sport. If buying a nice bike helps (and it will), there are lots of people here who can offer good advice.

Good for you for changing your lifestyle. After such a long time sitting on the couch, that is more impressive to me than someone winning their age group.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [david] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 9:20

Post #10 of 19 (1758 views)

david wrote:

Welcome to the triathlon community . . . keep at it! My advice always is "Consistent execution over time!" Worry about equipment later.

I will chime in on the side of get what you want. Who cares if someone passes you on a beater bike? If it makes you enjoy riding more go for it. Without us slow triathletes how would the good ones know they are fast? Too many people think it is all about getting in tip top shape and trying to be the best. There is nothing wrong with using triathlon to get in good shape and live a happy life outside of the sport with other interests.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Kscycler] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 9:21

Post #11 of 19 (1755 views)

Kscycler wrote:

Should I just get a decent low cost race bike such as the Allez? Yes, a decent low cost race bike will see you in good stead for several years as you get your engine up to speed. Is your bike holding you back or your fitness? Likely your fitness. Whether or not it's the Allez is a personal decision, but resist the urge to buy speed. Lose 5 pounds and get stronger. Better to pass someone's full-on tri kit with a beater bike than the other way around...

Should I upgrade the wheels and groupset on my current bike? No, if it shifts, it's good to go. And at your fitness level and doing Sprints, wheels are a poor investment. Lose 5 pounds and get stronger.

Should I just carry on as I am and resist the kit bug? Yes and no. Keep abreast of technology and what bikes will likely fit you. Search the Classifieds and Craigslist and eBay and your dream bike will show up sooner than later. Stay in the game, but be patient.

Some great advice here (above ^ ).

In general, if money is an issue, I would just add that, if you're new in the sport, there are a lot of advantages to going used for a first bike. You'll spend a lot less money and you'll get lots more room for error and experimentation and discovering what works best for your particular needs and race distances. Later, when you're more established in the sport and know your preferences far better, that might be a better time to get a new bike, because at that point you're far more likely to know exactly what you need and want.

Welcome to triathlon !

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
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Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 9:22

Post #12 of 19 (1753 views)

see my reply to kscycler above ... ^

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 11:00

Post #13 of 19 (1666 views)

Welcome to tri! If you feel the need to ask us if it's OK to buy a new bike, I'd recommend you wait until you don't have any doubts that your money will be well spent. Keep on havin' fun!

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 11:15

Post #14 of 19 (1643 views)

I am never going to be a time trial champ (through Dad was at local level 60 years ago - very proud of him) or come first in age group even..[/quote]============================================
don't be so sure. there's much to be said for just outliving the others. something like: last one standing wins.
peggy
p.s. the answers you've gotten so far have been great.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 11:15

Post #15 of 19 (1642 views)

You should check out: rec.sport.triathlon

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 20:53

Post #16 of 19 (1448 views)

Do you enjoy the training rides as much as the racing aspect? If riding is the main motivator for you then you should consider where and with whom you ride. If you enjoy the social aspect and have a group of people that you ride with then a road bike will probably get a lot more use than a TT bike. If riding with a new group of friends will make you ride more then a road bike will probably be of greater benefit to you at this point in time. You can "race" on any bike but you will probably find yourself riding more on a road bike - unless you end up like us other maniacs, isolated and lonely, hunched over our tri bikes on our trainer in our pain cave pushing through another training session 😅

In Reply To:

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 17 21:54

Post #17 of 19 (1412 views)

If you are going to buy a bike get a good bike fit. You will be faster and more comfortable on a $2000 bike that fits you than a $5000 bike that does not fit you.

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 17 5:31

Post #18 of 19 (1288 views)

welcome to the sport!

Do what you want. If a new bike, etc. is going to motivate you for a long time to do things you otherwise wouldn't than that's worth it. Be honest with yourself about that though (know thy self!).

we humans are funny (at least I am). I'm a FOP (in my AG) tri geek who has a 7 years old medium quality bike, wheels, etc., I kinda don't wanna be seen on super great equipment. I've had the fastest split on the bike in many events. (I am getting to the point where I've worn out my bike, but...) on the other hand another hobby (motorcycles) I have a REALLY hot rocket which is 10x better than I would be in my dreams. why? I don't know - I like it I guess.

I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

Re: Old knackered triathlete seeks advice :-) [Lasttriathlete] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 17 5:44

Post #19 of 19 (1271 views)

I would say at this stage, do whatever makes you look/feel good. Equate it to golf....just because you can't break 90 doesn't mean you shouldn't play with good equipment. Depending on your budget, I'd upgrade where possible......starting with a good (entry-mid level) tri bike and upgrading the standard training wheels. The swim and run times will improve based on your training/conditioning.

ps.... and yes, you "can buy" speed" in certain instances......starting with a good bike (tri-suit, helmet, etc). Welcome to the sport.

Last edited by: gphin305: Mar 28, 17 6:50

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