A common misconception. In fact, in a short race, you stand to gain more with aerodynamic improvements than in a long race. You won't save as much time in absolute terms (i.e. minutes) in a short race compared to a long one, but you'll save more time in relative terms (i.e. percent of bike split). The reason for this is that power to overcome aerodynamic drag is proportional to speed cubed, making this term relatively more important at the higher speeds encountered in shorter races. The relative gains are what really matter. In a shorter race, there will be smaller time differentials deciding the results.

Your best course of action is probably to get a tri bike. Most people can achieve their optimal tri position (for aerodynamics, power and comfort) more easily on a tri bike than on a road bike due to differences in geometry. But not always. A small minority of people with very upright positions or freakish proportions may be better served by a road bike. Your position should be your #1 priority, as per Jim@EROsports' first post in this thread. Ideally, you would buy a tri bike and have enough left in the budget for a fit as well.

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