It sounds like a road bike may be his best bet, although I wouldn't say that is always the case for everyone (I owned a cervelo dual for 3 years and rode it exclusively, but I had different aspirations and physical capabilities). If he's not looking to be competitive, and can't bend himself into an aero position, there's no real benefit and several drawbacks to owning only a tri bike.

I would recommend he finds a quality road bike that fits his dimentions, and that he would be happy to own for the long haul. Once the cycling bug bites, he may find his options limited if he's stuck with a tri bike, but he can always ride the road bike in training and racing triathlon.

(FWIW, I've owned both, and the next bike purchase will be a road bike, even though I may return to racing tri's - probably a Cervelo Soloist, just for the versatility. If he's willing to spend $2K, it wouldnt' be a bad choice for him either.)

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W