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Buying a triathlon bike!!
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Hello guys!

I have a quick question here! I am looking to buy a triathlon bike. I am not a professional, but a regular hybrid bike rider. Occasionally rides mountain bikes as well. I am just getting into triathlon training and want to buy a bike.
My friend owns this particular model: Cannondale Slice Dura Ace Di2 road bike. I just gave a ride and liked it. He said that there are a lot of other models that may fit well or better for me. My budget is around $10k. So can you advise me if this is a good model to buy or if there is any better one I can buy.
I would also like suggestions on what factors to look for when buying a bike for triathlon. Hoping someone could provide me an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks!
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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kskristo wrote:
Hello guys!

I have a quick question here! I am looking to buy a triathlon bike. I am not a professional, but a regular hybrid bike rider. Occasionally rides mountain bikes as well. I am just getting into triathlon training and want to buy a bike.
My friend owns this particular model: Cannondale Slice Dura Ace Di2 road bike. I just gave a ride and liked it. He said that there are a lot of other models that may fit well or better for me. My budget is around $10k. So can you advise me if this is a good model to buy or if there is any better one I can buy.
I would also like suggestions on what factors to look for when buying a bike for triathlon. Hoping someone could provide me an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks!

Don't spend 10K on a bike. You might hate triathlon and a 2k bike isn't going to much slower than a 10k bike.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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As above don't spend 10K. But before you spend anything go and get a pre purchase bike fit. What ever you spend will be an expensive mistake if you get a bike that doesn't fit you well.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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With a budget like that, may I suggest a very nice used road bike, 4k, with some good equipment on it. That way you can get into the lifestyle and see if you really, really enjoy it. New bikes are $$$$. You can find great deals on used bikes. You'll appreciate having a good road bike if you find yourself riding and training with a group. Then after a while, if you really love this stuff you can spend the other 6k on a really fast used Tri bike.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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Well, you buy a tri bike for speed. The Slice is probably one of the slower bikes you could consider.

For that budget, #1 on my list would be a Cervelo P5. Easy. It is one of the fastest bikes on the market. Others with electronic shifting and on the very fast list are the Trek Speed Concept, Felt IA, Premier Tactical, Argon 18 E-117, Scott Plasma, etc. If you like the extreme looks, the Diamondback Andean would not disappoint. If you have access to the European market, the Canyon Speed Max is pretty awesome too.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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I went with the Cervelo P5X. That's about USD10K for the lower spec which is what I have.


Previous ride was a BMC TM01 Di2. Fast enough to help me qualify for the Worlds. If it wasn't cause I am sucker for new toys, I would have been happy to stick with the BMC. It's lighter and stiffer (IMO)

I just posted a post to sell a brand new 2016 BMC TM01 frame along with a 2017 Zipp Super9 disc. I also have Di2, cranks, q rings, etc I can part from my old bike for dirt cheap if you take the entire lot.


http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Classifieds_F2/Brand_New_In_Box_-_BMC_TM01_TT_Bike_Frame_%2B_2017_Zipp_Super9_Disc_Clincher_P6375847/?page=unread#unread


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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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I have a Slice and I got a great price for it. It has deep wheels, fits great, has a powermeter, and I paid for all that, new, about 3.5K. Heather Jackson wins on a Slice routinely, Andy Potts wins or contends on a Slice routinely. I get there are faster bikes in the wind tunnel. I also get that the actual frames accounts for a VERY small percentage of drag, and I understand that all other things equal there might be better bikes for the money. Same for the Cervelo P2/P3. But please keep in mind, all things not equal including price, in context, those bikes are not "slow", and in fact are not remotely "slow".

Setup being equal, maybe a couple seconds here or there. Worth the $1000 premium? You decide. Which bike to buy? The one that fits your body and position, and your budget.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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kskristo wrote:
Hello guys!

I have a quick question here! I am looking to buy a triathlon bike. I am not a professional, but a regular hybrid bike rider. Occasionally rides mountain bikes as well. I am just getting into triathlon training and want to buy a bike.
My friend owns this particular model: Cannondale Slice Dura Ace Di2 road bike. I just gave a ride and liked it. He said that there are a lot of other models that may fit well or better for me. My budget is around $10k. So can you advise me if this is a good model to buy or if there is any better one I can buy.
I would also like suggestions on what factors to look for when buying a bike for triathlon. Hoping someone could provide me an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks!

This is not a "quick question" and you should probably provide more information to get an answer that will match your needs. Looks like you just registered on this forum. Have you actually done an event yet? What distance will you focus on? Is the $10k a bike budget only? What is your budget for everything else......wheels, wetsuit, helmet, trisuit, run shoes, bike shoes, etc. Key question....what are your goals in this sport? There are way too many factors to consider before recommending the "best" bike.....need a little more info.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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As to the OP, no that is not a good bike. I have a 2007 Felt tri bike that is considered the fastest ever made. In fact they had to stop making it in pretty soon after it because it wasn't fair to other brands. Guaranteed to add 7 mph to whatever speed you'd be going on a P5 with a disc and 808. I do my recovery rides on the highway because if I'm on local roads I'm constantly breaking the speed limit. I'd sell it for 10k, looking for a new bike that puts me more on the level of the common folk around here.

People are giving advice to this? So many people taking the troll bait.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [Ktri] [ In reply to ]
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Ktri wrote:
With a budget like that, may I suggest a very nice used road bike, 4k, with some good equipment on it. That way you can get into the lifestyle and see if you really, really enjoy it. New bikes are $$$$. You can find great deals on used bikes. You'll appreciate having a good road bike if you find yourself riding and training with a group. Then after a while, if you really love this stuff you can spend the other 6k on a really fast used Tri bike.

I disagree with this if you are only buying one bike. I came into triathlon with no cycling experience outside of knowing how to ride a bike. I had not bought a bike since the heavy ass steel Cannondale mountain bike I bought in 1997. I went straight to a Blue Triad EX with Di2. I still don't own a road bike (that's more of a result of my wife fighting the n+1 theory than anything). I go on group rides with my tri bike all the time. Yes, some groups don't like them, and yes, on some rides it's less than ideal to be on a tri bike, but (in my opinion) having one tri bike that gets me 90% of what I want is better than having a road bike that is a good general purpose bike, but not good for the type of racing I want to do.

Then again, if OP's budget is $10k, he can easily afford to just buy two bikes. Just don't go blow you whole load on a tricked out P5.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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Not that I would know what I'm talking about, but if you dropped half of your $10k into your engine and got a coach you'd probably see bigger gains than you would see dropping it all on buying a new axle. If I had an extra $5,000 to spend on Tri I would go pretty far with a coach.

That said, get a prescriptive fit from a QUALIFIED tri fitter (do some searches on this forum) and let them tell you which bikes are best for you. Then go shopping.

Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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My first time around, I bought a road bike (slightly too big). I wound up riding it for a year, and then getting a proper TT bike to race triathlons on. So if you're going to use it mainly for triathlon racing and training, and can only get 1 bike, get a TT bike. Better yet, if you have ten thousand dollars, get a decent road bike for training and group rides, and a decent TT bike for racing.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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I love your sense of humor.

"Hey Guys...new to triathlon here...need a bike....budget=$10K.....what should I do???"
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [DarkStar] [ In reply to ]
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DarkStar wrote:
I love your sense of humor.

"Hey Guys...new to triathlon here...need a bike....budget=$10K.....what should I do???"

To be honest, if he's just throwing $10k around all willy nilly like this, he's getting into the right sport.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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I would suggest that if you don't know what you want to spend your 10k on, you don't have much use for a 10k bike. Any decent 3-4k bike will do you just as well. BUt regardless what you're spending, you have some riding and research to do...
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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kskristo wrote:
Hello guys!

I have a quick question here! I am looking to buy a triathlon bike. I am not a professional, but a regular hybrid bike rider. Occasionally rides mountain bikes as well. I am just getting into triathlon training and want to buy a bike.
My friend owns this particular model: Cannondale Slice Dura Ace Di2 road bike. I just gave a ride and liked it. He said that there are a lot of other models that may fit well or better for me. My budget is around $10k. So can you advise me if this is a good model to buy or if there is any better one I can buy.
I would also like suggestions on what factors to look for when buying a bike for triathlon. Hoping someone could provide me an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks!

Having been a noob (who am I kiddin, I always will be one) who came from a hybrid...
I generally recommend a used road bike to someone getting into it....instead of a brand new, high end road bike...and saving the money for a tri bike down the road.
Because if you stick with tri, you're gonna want a tri bike at some point. And, as I did, I overspent on the road bike and took longer to save up for a tri bike.
But, being that $$ is apparently not the holdback, you've got the opportunity to potentially outspend the current value and end up 'wasting' money.

As many have noted, the difference between a $2-3k and $10k tri bike for all but a very few of us is marginal...if anything.

Take some of that leftover money and invest in wheels, fittings, shoes, a nice helmet, and someone to come and wash your bike after every ride. And a butler, and home milk delivery and a new bike rack for your new car.

Being that money's not an option.....visit every dealer that carries all the potential flavors and get on them and ride them (the bikes, not the dealers HAH!, I kill me) and find the one you like best....and the one their fitter seems to think suits you the most.

If you don't have a lot of dealers in your town, you've got enough bank to book some trips to towns that have more dealers!
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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Can get a hell of a customized Trek Speed Concept for that money, or even for much less. Best to figure out what fits best first though.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [JT_Dennen] [ In reply to ]
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JT_Dennen wrote:


People are giving advice to this? So many people taking the troll bait.


This guy nailed it. Newly registered user with this being user's first post. Why even link a specific bike from a specific vendor/shop and not the manufacturer page?
Last edited by: loxx0050: Jul 26, 17 12:05
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [loxx0050] [ In reply to ]
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gotta be troll bait. $10K right out the door for a first tri bike?

Then again, I was once into the world of high end audio and lovingly, achingly put together a nice system over a number of years of used and demo components that probably cost about 5K but would have cost at least twice or more had i bought them new. A buddy came over one day, checked out my system, listened to a few disks, and went out and bought a brand spanking new system for probably 4x what I paid. Of course, his actually music collection was a fraction of what I had, but it must be nice to go out and get what you want when you want it.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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$10k is nowhere near enough for a good bike. double it. and make sure you spend at least $500 on a helmet or it won't protect your head.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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I am just getting into triathlon training and want to buy a bike.

Buy a $2,000 bike and spend time biking, running and swimming. Once you have trained consistently and feel you have reached your potential, then you might want to consider spending more on a bike.

That'll save you $8,000 and help a lot more than buying a $10,000 bike.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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kskristo wrote:
Hello guys!

I have a quick question here! I am looking to buy a triathlon bike. I am not a professional, but a regular hybrid bike rider. Occasionally rides mountain bikes as well. I am just getting into triathlon training and want to buy a bike.
My friend owns this particular model: Cannondale Slice Dura Ace Di2 road bike. I just gave a ride and liked it. He said that there are a lot of other models that may fit well or better for me. My budget is around $10k. So can you advise me if this is a good model to buy or if there is any better one I can buy.
I would also like suggestions on what factors to look for when buying a bike for triathlon. Hoping someone could provide me an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks!




Do you have a road bike?

Do you want to race draft legal?

Maybe 2 bikes? 10k is a massive budget.

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [karbon phiber] [ In reply to ]
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Haha

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you guys for so many good replies. Well, I was advised about the bike by a pro, so he might not have thought about me being a newbie. And now I feel like an idiot. And also, the model I mentioned is the one my friend own and I liked it. I just asked if that's a good one. I thought good triathlon bikes generally cost that much. My bad.
Well I stand corrected and revised my budget. So everyone seem to think 2-3k is a good enough budget for me. Can you suggest bikes that fit in that budget then?
I have been advised about getting a bike fit, but I have also heard people saying no to it. If it's worth it, I don't mind spending ~$200 for it. Is it necessary for me to find a good bike?
I have all the accessories for my hybrid, which I am guessing not good enough for a triathlon. So how much should I spend for all the accessories?
Thanks again.
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Re: Buying a triathlon bike!! [kskristo] [ In reply to ]
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Buy two bikes. Road bike and a Tri bike.

Spend like $3000 on each and you will still have some killer bikes.

Use the rest for a coach and vacation destination races.

Enjoy.
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