Hmmm, Race wheels are a good idea. Got a Compu-Trainer? That's another good one. Hours of entertainment on a Compu-Trainer. If it's buring a hole in your pocket check out Renn race wheels such as thier disk and new front aero wheel. Good luck this race season and with school!

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Take the desire to spend money on toys you don't need and pour that into your training.

Use the $700 or more to feed a car to get to races and go on dates with nice girls.

And maybe spend $100 of it on a membership at trainingbible.com if you have never had a triathlon coach. But the point is, we don't always "need" fast toys. The basic P2K is an awesome machine that could easily win Ironman Hawaii under the right pair of legs. The older and wiser I get the more I appreciate that it's the engine that matters, and the engine is centered on the heart in its literal and metaphorical senses.

Definitely avail yourself of your college's swim team. I probably would have been the worst swimmer on my college team, but I likely could also have trained with them. Looking back, I really wish I had.

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American's are definately infekting the world with there English grammer.

Definitely race wheels. There is no component that will give more bang for the buck than race wheels, and what Renn offers is going to help stretch the money even further. The Renn disc is reasonably light, extremely high quality, and bargain-basement-priced. This, coupled with a fast front wheel (Frank could have one out at any time) will be a hard-to-beat combination.

Get the saddle thing sorted, as this is a very important contact point on the bike.

I'd probably keep the money for college life, but if you want to spend it on the bike, wheels would be the best way to gain an extra minute of time. My suggestion would be to get a Renn disc for the rear and then go on ebay for either a used Specialized/Hed tri spoke or Hed Jet 60 for the front. The new disc will cost around $320. and the front wheel $150. or so. This still leaves you lots left over to pick up a new saddle.

Thanks guys. I considered the renn disk on the back, but I was unaware of the front coming out. I was probably going to end up going with a H3 on the front. I will have to wait and find out about this new front wheel. There is a 1st annual spring flea market at the lehigh valley velodrome, and I am excited to see what they have. They have an annual fall flea market, and there are always great products at great prices. Just letting anyone know, if they are in the northeast/mid-atlantic area. Thanks again!

I cannot speak for you, because I don't know what equipment you already have, but if I had $1000 burning a hole in my pocket, here's where I would spend it.

1. saddle, an uncomfortable saddle will cost far more time than a set of fancy wheels will save. ($80)

2. new set of tires / tubes for race day ($100) to reduce risk of flats.

3. full wetsuit. ($300) only because I hate the cold

4. an additional race entry & travel costs (say $400)

5. beer ($120) - if you're under 21, ignore this line. Instead, take your girlfriend on a really nice date.

I've been debating about whether to get a set of race wheels as well. Decided against, mostly because the wheels I have (Bontrager Race Lites) are good enough. A disk / H3 combo might save me 2 minutes over a half IM. But the way I see it, I'm not fast enough to be within 2 minutes of anything that matters, like top 10 age group or a Hawaii slot. And am I, or is anyone else, going to really care if I go 5:34 vs 5:36 at Ralph's. Of course if I go 5:00:01, I'll be really pissed.

J.

Were you thinking the regular aspide or the tri version?

Dan's recent review in Triathlete mentioned the incompatibility of this saddle with the flippable seat post. Something about the thumb screw under the saddle not fitting.

Check it out - especially if you were going to order online.

Woody

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Mike Hollywood
http://www.bostontriathlonteam.com
http://www.michaelhollywood.com

i was going to go with the tri-version. I called my LBS yesterday, and my cervelo dealer no longer works there, so I am meeting my new man next week. He is at the F.I.S.T. camp in serrota, so I will probably get refitted. I gained a lot of flexibility this winter (i can actually do a spilt.) I already have a wetsuit (xmas is a great holiday!), so thats covered, and I am under 21, damn.

Ok maybe this is not the type of reply you had in mind but I would go on a road trip. One that invovled attending races or an informal bike camp. Have a great summer: travelling, racing and hanging out with tri heads of the opposite sex. That is after all what the bike is for?

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Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

"beer ($120) - if you're under 21, ignore this line"

That's only in the states. Up here in Canada it's either 18 or 19 depending upon which province. In most of the world it's similiar or even younger. The USA is the only country that won't allow 18-21 yr. olds to legally buy a beer. It's OK to send them to war in Iraq but not to buy a beer. I really don't get it.