Trade magazines (ie Inside Triathlon and Triathlon) are meant to move product for the advertisers not present a cross section of the sport.

Most of the athletes who drop major $$$ on equipment are probably white males between 30 and 50 years old, hence all the photos of white dudes "hammering."

Just do your own thing (sounds like you are already are) and ignore all the hoopla and overpriced unnecessary equipment.

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"When I first had the opportunity to compete in triathlon, it was the chicks and their skimpy race clothing that drew me in. Everyone was so welcoming and the lifestyle so obviously narcissistic. I fed off of that vain energy. To me it is what the sport is all about."

I'm jumping into this thread late but it is a very interesting one.

This is an interesting excerpt from your original post:



"...she is put off by what she sees as "equipment obsession" and wonders if she can really afford this sport."

I may suggest this is largely a matter of perception.

A person can be active- competitive even- in triathlon on a sub-$700 road bike with minimal accesories and very basic equipment at most local events.

If a person had a basic road bike for about $650-700 (new) and shoes and pedals they would be fine for doing most triathlons.

Now, $700-$1000 (including shoes, shorts, helmet, etc.) worth of equipment is still a lot of money, and a lot more than $90 for a pair of running shoes and a pair of shorts and a T shirt. But it is a lot less than the perception that a person needs a $1500 bike, a $300 wetsuit, $150 pedals and $150 shoes, $100 worth of race clothing and maybe even $1500 race wheels to participate. That is just not the case.

That said, an aspiration to fancy equipment is certainly a part of our sport, and a lot of athletes (myself certainly at the top of the list) love the sport becasue (in part) of the technology.

But the essence of the sport isn't the technology, it is the beauty of endurance and vitality. That can be experienced for a lot less than the price of a high end bike I think.

Sometimes people focus on obstacles more than possibilities.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

My company put on a sprint tri exactly as you're describing this summe at our national staff conference. It was one of the most fun that I've done and the competition welcomed newbies and a miler from arkansas alike.

Dan
www.aiatriathlon.com

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http://www.aiatriathlon.com

ethical - S: (adj) ethical, honorable, honourable, moral (adhering to ethical and moral principles)

Since you seem to question my definition of ethical here its is.

I'm not sure what my belief that performance enhancing drugs and performance enhancing equipment are both unethical means of gaining a performance advantage has to do with the acceptance of PEDs in sport or society at large.

I realize PEDs are against the rules and fancy equipment is not, I simply feel both should be hence my desire to create "one-design" type triathlon series . They are both paying for performance rather than working for it and are both unethical (or unhonorable, or unmoral) in my opinion. I'm sorry that offends you.

They are both paying for performance rather than working for it and are both unethical (or unhonorable, or unmoral) in my opinion.

Wow.

Explain the "Wow"

I'm sorry you feel that slapping on some disc wheels or a lifejacket of a wetsuit so you can beat the guy in front of you who is actually a better athlete is OK. I however do not. Seeing as I don't make the rules though I'll have to live with it and just take pride in beating the big spenders through athleticism and training - just like I took pride in beating runners preceived to be "on the juice".

I think its sad that so many people think that its OK to gain an advantage through equipment that a whole industry has grown up around it (follow the money I guess). Maybe thats why so many people are OK with PEDs - not that big a step when your already willing to buy a wetsuit that will cut 3 minutes off your swim with no additional training.