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Total Ignorance
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Let me start by saying that as an aspiring multisport participant I am not looking for a recommendation on which bike to buy....but how to buy a bike. I have a mtb that I ride/race and also run events from 5K to marathon in length. My goal is to begin in some duathlon events, later progressing to tri-type events (swimming?).

I know that fit is of paramount importance and I have identified/visited a well respected shop as a start to the process. However, I have also been to some more generic LBS's where they have merely suggested that I "pick what you would like to test ride". Taking some up on the offer, I realize that I don't know what to look for when riding a road bike. So, test riding seems not the be the right way to determine proper a bike.

Do I merely buy the bike that the shop (good fitting shop) says is right? If so, I feel like a lamb in the wolf's den.....being lead through the process without any experience in road/tri bikes and not having any input into what's going on.

I did ask this question on a road bike forum and the comments ranged from "ride bikes until something sings to you" to "it doesn't matter, they're all the same". What's a little lamb to do?
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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My first suggestion is to start with a road bike. If you like duathlons you can invest in a tri bike later.

My next suggestion is to join a roadie group and learn how to ride like a roadie. ie. get some bike handling skills. As you've been racing mountain bikes your bike handling skills are likely already well ahead of the average novice tri/duathlete coming in from a running or swimming background. Still, hang out with the roadies.

My third suggestion is to get some short aero bars such as Profile Jammer GT, Oval Slam bars or a small size Syntace C2 for the duathlons.

Now, what is your budget? Let's start here.
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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First off, jeffg, if you are seeking the sagacious advice of slowtwitchers then you are not totally ignorant. More later.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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Next thing is to become an educated consumer. Here is a great place to start.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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I would buy a cheap road bike and participate in few triathons over a year or two and make sure you really want to continue with it. I road my mtb for four years before I bought my road bike and I think it was the best way of going about it. I know a few peolple who have gone out and bought nice bikes ($2000 +) and sold them a year later simply because they weren't into it.
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Re: Total Ignorance [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I will respectfully disagree with Cerveloguy on this one. However as a disclaimer I came from a roadie background to tri, so I essentially did what he suggested.

I would get a tri bike since you probably arent going to race road bikes. Also if you get in a roady group you will probably end up riding hard every time you are in a group ride. That is counterproductive to tri training (in my opinion).



For people shopping for their first tri bike I would recommend (1) setting a budget. (2) talking to everyone you can about bikes, including internet forums. You will get conflicting info and it is up to you to decipher and decide whats best for you. (3) Go to every bike shop you can and tell them your budget and see what they have and ask as many questions as possible.



Lastly I would recommend buying a new bike from a local Bike shop. Fit is too important to buy used and risk all sorts of discomfort. The LBS's usually will offer free tune ups etc if you got your bike there.



My Opinion



el
Last edited by: elund: Feb 28, 04 6:17
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Re: Total Ignorance [elund] [ In reply to ]
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I will echo elund, DO NOT! buy a used tribike from ebay or anyplace else. Not for your first bike any way. I did, I resold it on ebay, and I count myself lucky to only lose $100 on the deal. I bought the right size bike, it was what the LBS said I should buy (new) and I thought I got a heck of a deal, $500 less than a new one. Imagine my surprize when the LBS told me it would be over $500 to change everything that needed to be changed to have this bike fit me correctly. New stem, new seatpost, different aerobars, cranks..... the only thing that fit me on that bike was the frame. Thanks to Tom D for pointing out that the end result would be a very expensive used bike and that I would be better off starting over.

Jim S


Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*
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Re: Total Ignorance [elund] [ In reply to ]
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The reason I'd suggest a road bike first is for the versatility. You can group ride, train solo or race tris on a road bike. They're better handling and IMO triathletes should ride with roadies to develop their bike skills. Tri bikes are usless for anything other than training solo or racing tris. Triathletes aren't exactly renowned for their bike hadling skills and the reason is obvious - jumping from the $200 Wal-Mart mountain bike to a tri bike and then only training solo. AFAIK, almost all the top pros do much of their training on a road bike.

I'll still say get the road bike first and race it with clip-ons. Get the tri bike later on if it turns out that you really like the sport. And always keep the road bike even if you do get a tri bike.
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Re: Total Ignorance [elund] [ In reply to ]
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I have a compromise which has worked very well for our customers in your position (new to cycling but buying a bike to do triathlons).

Multisport Geometry. This is not tri geometry, but the seat tube angle is steeper than road and the top tube and head tube are shorter than road. This geometry is designed to be used with drops, STI shift/brake levers and a short aerobar. Examples of this geometry would be the '03/'04 Cervelo One, Nineteen Advantage and, in the forwards saddle position, the Cervelo Soloist and Kestrel Talon.

The One and Advanage are ideal because they are also relatively in expensive bikes at US$899-1299.

The disadvantage to going to a tri bike right away is that the handling/shifting of a bar-end shifting tri bike may not be to your liking initially and it is a bit of a one-trick pony. If you're not training for and racing tris, it's not what you want.

The disadvantage to the road bike and a clip-on is that it is easy to get a compressed hip angle and be too stretched out in the aerobars making them uncomfortable and hard to get used to. This is out number one fitting issue we see on used bikes: uncomfortable triathletes on road bikes.

Multisport geometry bikes will never get you an aggressive road or tri position but will allow you to do both at a recreational level so you can develop as a cyclist and decide if you want to invest in a road or a tri bike for your next bike, or buy both!

My last comment is on buying new or used. If your budget only allows for a used bike, just ask the buyer if you can have it assessed by your LBS before you buy it. You LBS will usually tell you if it will work for you (in terms of fit) and maybe suggest you'll need a new stem, seatpost, etc. Just make sure you factor these costs and the cost of a fit into your purchase price.
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Re: Total Ignorance [Dan Rishworth] [ In reply to ]
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I'm a bit skeptical of the "multi-sport" 76 degree geometry bikes although can't really say since I've never rode one. It seems like a sort of "no man's land" to me where you don't get the advantage of either a tri or road bike. I'd assume handling lies somewhere between a road and tri bike. You can still easily get 75/76 with a road bike by putting the seat forward on a neutral seat post and then switch it back to 73/74 for regular riding. That's what I did with a Giant TCR and it worked well. Same principle as the Cervelo Soloist.

Definately would give the Cervelo Soloist and Kestral Talon A+ ratings. Of course they're more expensive bikes than the One and Advantage.
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Re: Total Ignorance [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I bought a Cannondale R700 years ago and it was my main ride until last year. It was Cannondale's early foray into the multisport market and has a 75 degree seat tube and 650 wheels. For me, it replaced my old Centurion Dave Scott Ironman model that was all road angles. I immediately used the versatile Control Tech seatpost that could be flipped around and pushed the saddle all the way forward so that I was riding a steep angle. I think that Dan's suggestion of the Advantage is a good one for a newbie that wants a reasonably priced bike with good specs that can be modified to a steeper riding position easily when the athlete is ready for it.
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Re: Total Ignorance [Allan] [ In reply to ]
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I have not yet set a strict budgetary number. I'll be 50 this year and am assuming that I won't need to buy a premium bike to have fun and learn the sport.

Again, my question is not which bike to buy.....but how to buy it. Do I walk into the shop I've picked (you'd all recognize it immediately) with a $$$ target and say "give me what fits" or should I have some pre-desired features in mind? Based on it's reputation I was somewhat nervous walking in to such an elite shop, but the sales person was very patient and understanding.

I have noticed that some people ride road geometry and some ride tri geometry. Is that based on preference/style or their own specific fit requirements? I've pretty well given up on test riding bikes, as I don't seem to be able to pick out the differences. Is it advisable to let the shop simply pick for me? Is this just a case of newbie nervousness?
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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"my question is not which bike to buy.....but how to buy it. Do I walk into the shop I've picked (you'd all recognize it immediately) with a $$$ target and say "give me what fits" or should I have some pre-desired features in mind? Based on it's reputation I was somewhat nervous walking in to such an elite shop, but the sales person was very patient and understanding."

Two things come to mind here; one you need to be able to trust the shop and two you need to understand what a good fit feels like. The first is more important because even if you don't know how a bike should feel the shop can educate you plus if the shop is good they will set you up in a bike that will grow with you and most like adjust the fit as you become more flexible and comfortable in the saddle.

"I have noticed that some people ride road geometry and some ride tri geometry. Is that based on preference/style or their own specific fit requirements? I've pretty well given up on test riding bikes, as I don't seem to be able to pick out the differences. Is it advisable to let the shop simply pick for me? Is this just a case of newbie nervousness?"

I have both - an inexpensive road bike and an expensive tri bike. I almost always ride alone so I'm usually on my tri bike. I would buy road geometry if you are going to do a lot of group riding.



"your horse is too high" - tigerchik
Last edited by: Hid: Feb 29, 04 7:01
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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Take a serious look at the Soloist 105. If it fits well, its a great bike. Its a great handling road bike. Then just add some shorty aero bars, flip the seatpost, and you are set up for multisport. Shimano 105 is a great group, and likely all you will ever need. It might be a little more $ than other options, but is very versatile.
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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You need to take responsibility for your purchase. If you don't know enough to be confident in making your decision make sure the shop educates you enough that you feel comfortable. Just saying "test ride bikes until one sings to you" is crazy if your current experience level means that you can't feel the differences, plus unless all these bikes fit the same you may notice differences that are entirely unrelated to the bikes themselves.

You need to understand why the bike you buy is the right one for you. A year from now (or five years from now) you may disagree and want a new bike based on other reasons, but for today's purchase you need to know why you are opening your wallet.
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Re: Total Ignorance [Dan Rishworth] [ In reply to ]
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I would never walk into a shop and tell them to "give me something that fits" unless I really had a huge amount of confidence in the personnel that I was dealing with. If I were talking to Dan at Endurosport (for example since he's writing here) then I know that I would walk out with pretty much exactly what I would need since I know that he really knows his stuff and has been around the sport for a long time. That said, I don't know about or have the same confidence with all of his employees so if I were in buying a bike I'd want to really know as much about what I was buying as possible. Using the internet it is so easy to compare specs and ask questions about different products that anyone thinking of purchasing a tri bike should go into a shop with a substantial amount of background knowledge. Buying a bike (even a "lowly" $1200-$1500 model) is a big cash outlay so using some common sense and finding out about what you are buying should be a given. Once you know something then getting an assistance on the fit to narrow down your choices makes sense.
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Re: Total Ignorance [Allan] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you all for your input and insight! I try to be an informed consumer, but there's alot of stuff to weed through. I've visited a few more shops, talked, rode (waste of time) and gained more knowledge in the last weeks.

I'm going to schedule a fitting at the LBS (I think they'll do a good job) and see what happens. Just to be a little better armed.....is it possible to get an acceptable fit for du/tri events on a road geometry bike? I'm also going to use the bike for fitness / rec rides and wonder if a tri specific bike would limit its' other uses. Should I go into the process expecting to fit a specific bike better than another, or do they differ that much? Do you pick a brand and hope fit to it, or let the fitting show which bike is a better fit to the individual?

Again ..... Thanks!
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Re: Total Ignorance [jeffg] [ In reply to ]
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Where do you live? Chances are that someone on this forum might be able to recommend a good shop nearby.
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Re: Total Ignorance [Ironstevie] [ In reply to ]
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The credibility of the chosen shop is not an issue. It's very reputable and recognized. I just want to be able to act like I know even a little before I walk in. I 've been there before and they are very helpful....not "TOO" intimidating.
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