And now i am undecided on which will be best for me.
For context i am fairly new to triathlon (3 years) but I take it serious enough to invest. ÂŁ2.5k was my maximum budget but obviously any money saved is worthwhile and could maybe be invested elsewhere.
Also, the Planet X is a size Medium but the guy selling is the same height as me so thinks it would work. The Canyon is a large so would be a good fit also.
In my opinion, a triathlon bike is the only bike that must have electronic gears. I could live with mechanical gears on road, gravel or TT bikes, but I’m biased towards electronic shifting on a triathlon bike. I want to have the ability to change gears on the basebar.
For 1.2k I would understand why there’re only mechanical gears. It’s a no-go for me for a 2.5k bike.
The Planet X post is crazy - one giant run-on sentence. Some details, but not all, like what’s the crank length, saddle, tt bars, etc. I really don’t like that the drive chain has a mix of 10 speed and 11 speed components. The front end of that bike looks sketchy and slow. I would stay pretty far away from that one, even tho the wheelset is nice and goes a long way towards covering the total cost. And in the end it may not even fit you. What year is the frame and fork? I’d have so many questions. If you can’t physically see it and test ride it, I’d stay far away from that one.
The other post is comparably normal. Most info is there, the bike will definitely fit you. Good company, made recently, components are solid.
I haven’t seen many bikes available with electronic shifting at that price range to be honest. I am leaning more to the canyon as it is a bit more tri specific and will definitely be a good fit.
Personally, I would value the ratings of the seller over their ability to write coherent sentences.
Likewise, I wouldn’t care about the mechanical shifting (as I am new/inexperienced).
Number one thing for me is fit. Can I stay tucked for the totality of my race?
Number two is the price. If they both fit, would I rather purchase the cheaper one and buy a really good skinsuit and helmet or do I already have those?
Number three is how long do I expect to use it. Am I planning on a one-two year use and then upgrade if I still like triathlons or use it for a longer period?
For the fast/experienced folks, they would probably put aero dynamics at number two. Which one is more aero? For me aero makes a difference, but I can probably gain more in the swim (lessons) and run (stronger engine/more strength training). Both of those bikes would probably make me faster (if #1 was good).
No answers, I know. Just some thoughts from another new/inexperienced triathlete (and I’m old).
For reference i did a 70.3 last year (my first one) and ended up finishing in 5:02 with a bike leg of 2:43 on a road bike averaging 226w. I have a lot of room for improvement in both swim and bike (especially being aero) so any of these would be a huge upgrade for me.
As a novice to the tt position fit is obviously important to me.
Finally, ideally i wouldnt need to upgrade for a while.
If you are in the younger age groups (ie below 50 ) you should seriously start with a disc brake bike setup. Rim brakes are history. Period.
Nearly all new technology is all aimed toward that form of bike. That means wheels, tire widths, and frame styles. All of which can be switched to whatever new bike (or upgraded bike) you buy in the future. Everyone buys a second bike…believe me, everyone.
There are lots of Rim Brake “super bikes” going for pennies on the dollar. And they will all work fine as long as they fit. If you are new to the sport then a minutes difference in an Olympic distance is negligible, like Lionel, just learn to swim. Much cheaper, Heck my own “superbike” would go for peanuts .
So as an example, is a more basic frame like that without the upgraded wheel set a better value for money buy in terms of going quick in a tt or triathlon than the ones i listed?
In a couple of years when you buy a good bike, nothing on any rim brake bike (even the gears) will be transferable. The miser in me says buy disc. You won’t even get training wheels out of it.
Couldn’t begin to guess which one is better. For you.
Considering we have no idea of your abilities on either.
Good question. A good set of aero wheels (rim,tubeless) can be found for $1,000 if you don’t care about them being one of the recognized brands. I think, electronic shifting is a bit more than that $1,500 although you can find a few 11 speed di2 parts online likely cheaper than that.
I would push the sellers to get a rim super bike with upgraded wheels and electronic shifting for 2,500 pounds. Otherwise, a new bike with disc brakes starts making more sense.
Forget even 1000 dollars for rim brake wheels for tri. I raced with 375 dollar super teams wheels from Amazon for a few years and they were fast - pretty much as fast as my premier bike wheel and I swear it might be faster than my 60 psi new HES vanquish (granted it’s comparing 88 vs 62 depth).
I’d say go big if it’s disc but since rim brake bikes aren’t being made at the high levels anymore just save the money on wheels.
If you are doing mountain descents though stay away from cheap carbon wheels if possible. It’s doable but the risk of heat buildup can be a problem for tubes and the wheel.
I’m not familar with Planet X but a five year old Speedmax is a well recognized fast bike. Don’t be swayed by the “latest”, electronic shifting and disc brakes. My 10 year old Cervelo P5 is still comparable to my one year old Trek SC with electronic and disc. Many fast bikers that I’ve come to know over past 12 years are still FOP riders on their rim brake, mech shift bikes. Just know any used bike you buy will need to be fitted to your body to maximize your potential speed. If you can’t do yourself, you’ll need to budget for a good bike shop fit and adjustments. The ad says best offer so see how low he’ll go. The PlanetX front end does not impress. If you are serious about overall improving, you’ll always need a budget for good running shoes, trisuit. swimskin, wetsuit, helmet, etc. And with the older mech shift/rim brake bike, you’ll be able to upgrade (used race wheels) at much lower prices.
It could be posted - I can send photos etc. its a good deal, I just never used the wheels and was going to build the bike up but ended up relocated to Riyadh
I’ll add to @easyryder post and my original post.
For five decades rim brakes and mechanical shifters worked just fine for triathlons. I wish I had a “10 year old Cervelo P5” - my “race” bike is a nearly 20 year old P2C I bought used five years ago and it’s “fast enough” for this beginner/intermediate. I squeezed some 28mm Conti 5000s with TPU tubes on some old Vision 55s I had from an old road bike. I need to upgrade the rear wheel to a disc and get an aero helmet and trisuit. I’m not even considering replacing the bike yet. I can make up a lot more time with swim lessons and more running (both a lot cheaper than an upgrade). I’m getting closer to podiums (finished 5th in my ag at my last tri), but I’m old and there aren’t as many in my ag as in yours. I only do 70.3 or shorter. Now, if I was going to 140.6 then I’d get more serious about upgrading the bike.
Yes, my P2C is worthless to anyone else and if/when I upgrade it will either hang on the wall in my garage or go to the dump. But I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it and that’s all that matters to me.
You’re a lot younger than me. A 5:05 sounds great to me. Where were you in the standings for your ag? If you’re already close to the podium, what made the difference? Were you equal (e.g. 8th place swim, 8th place bike and 8th place run)? If equal or slower on the bike, then it’ll make a bigger difference and may well be worth investing more in a bike (unless you don’t have an aero helmet and trisuit).
) you should seriously start with a disc brake bike setup. Rim brakes are history. Period.