Since 1999 my wife's Merlin has done IM Lake Placid 5 times, Hawaii 3 times, Canada once, Louisville once and is about to do Florida for the first time next week. We think its just getting properly getting broken in at this time with many years left in it.

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Even though the masses will ignore this post, I'll bite.

I just qualified and race Kona on a '04 Trek Equinox 7. Stock 105 components and aluminum (gasp) aero bars.

Lance says it not about the bike.

My Bikesport built, '98 Litespeed Tachyon carried me to Kona in '99, '03, and '06.

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Wasn't all that old at the time but in 2003 I qualified in M35-39 at IMMOO on a stock 2001 Cannondale R600 road bike with Syntace clip-ons. Rode a 5:21. Lots more training, racing and fancy equipment later and I'm only about 10 minutes faster. Paid $800.00 for the bike. I feel like I got more than my money's worth.

Kona 2005 on a 1994 Cannondale R600. Bought the Cannondale after qualifying for 1995 ITU worlds on a 13 year old steel Peugeot Classique with home made clip on tri-bars.

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http://www.speedsnakecoaching.com

05 Specialized with all stock parts apart from wheels. Qualified for and raced Kona this year M30-34. Bike has 35-40 thou k (21-24 thou Mile) on it and still original running gear. No problem.

Mine was a couple weeks old. I picked up a new one from my bike sponsor of the time before heading over to Hawaii for the first time in 1989! :)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

My wife went to Kona in 2008 on a lottery spot. She rode her 2003 Cervelo P2K which she has owned from new and always refers to as "my baby". That bike has also been to the ITU worlds long course in Australia in 2006 and even was lost for a week in the Sidney/L.A. flight transfer on the way home. She'll never replace that bike because she has too much history with it and loves it too much.

I did Kona on a 1979 Raleigh Pro....

I rode a 2000 Kestrel KM40 at Kona 2005.

I rode that bike until spring of 2007 when my wife and I each got a Planet X Stealth. the Stealth was destroyed when I got hit by a car at Vineman 70.3 a few months later. I got a new PX Stealth in August, raced IMKY, qualified for Kona and raced there, so that bike was only about 2 months old.

9 years & 4 mo. Bought mine back in 2000 (March). QR Tiphoon. All original equipment but the chain/cogset & saddle. Those tend to wear out. New 9-speed Shimano DA stuff is getting hard to come by these days. I used the Corima 4-spoke I bought at the same time as the bike when I IQ'd.

Qualified twice while riding a 2000 Trek Hilo: in 2007 and in May of this year. (Bike was new in 2000 but I it third-hand in 2003 or 2004.) Bought a new P2C about six weeks before Kona this year and rode it. I was a lot slower this year at Kona on the Cervelo than riding the Trek in 2007, but it was my fault, not the bike's.

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run well, run happy
george