I am going through first full season of triathlon and have a Trek equinox 7 . Fit well and I got a good price on a left over. After racing a 1/2 season now(if you want to call it racing) If you had an xtra $500 what upgrades would you change on the bike. I have thought about a disc but I want to consistantly average over 20mph before I buy one. I am consistantly over 19mph now in races from sprint to 1/2 ironman. Thanks for the suggestions.
(Coaching help is in the budget for next season)
Get a Renn 575 and some lightweight racing tires.
When you’re on your long rides, how do you handle the hills? Are you grinding up in your smallest ratios? If so, maybe a set of compact cranks.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn
“Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” - Eddy Merck
That being said, I live my new Renn Disk.
At ~19mph avg there is NO way you have maxed out the capabilities of that bike as it sits. It may sound a bit curt or smartassed to say…I can save you about $450 bucks from whatever part you might buy…spend $50 on some extra bars/gels/drink mix over the next month or two and train more. Sorry…but that’s the cold, hard truth, and not the popular thing that most want to hear. It doesn’t satisfy the equipment lust in all of us, that’s for sure. If anything, spend $39.95 on Friels Triathlete’s Training Bible and learn how to build a disciplined, periodized, progressive schedule for yourself…then actually make one…and if you follow it with even a moderate amount of fidelity and discipline, you’ll improve far, FAR beyond what any wheel, disc, bar, carbon bottle cage, carbon crank, etc could ever do.
Brian you are right, I need to be more patient. (and keep training)Thats one of the things that killed me at eagleman. There I needed to be more patient on the bike. I have been training avg 10hrs per week for 7 months following "Training Plans For Multisport Athletes " for the 1/2 and have the books. I guess after doing nothing for 20yrs (I’M 42)and then getting into a sport I need to take it slower. Thanks for the post.
Brian,
You make a good point, I’m a big fan of working on the engine. So when would you say it would be worth spending that extra $500? What determines maxing out the capabilities of a current bike? 22mph? 24mph?
$500.00… hmmm, I’ve spent that creating a commuter/rainyday bike so I can get more miles in. Have to agree with Brian, miles, miles, miles…
Take the $500, stick in your jersey pocket and start riding, when you can’t go on check into a motel, when rested, eat, ride, repeat. When your pocket is empty call for aride home
That does sound like a blast, might be a good training ride for the 3-day weekend.
Brian has a very good point. Although, does one ever max out the capabilities of a given bike?? You can always improve the engine, such that any bike will go faster by virtue of the rider being stronger or more efficient.
You mention the bike fits well. How exactly do you know this for sure? (I’m not saying it doesn’t, it is indeed possible you have it set up just right.)
I’d advise investing a portion of the $ on a pro bike fitting session. Depending on where ya go and who does it, yer probably looking at a cost/investment of $100-$200 or so. Even if all this does is confirm that you are optimized in your current position, it is $ well spent. And - I’d be willing to bet that there is room for improvement in your current position, whether that be in comfort, power, aero, or all of the above.
I got fitted late last summer, and since then (along with consistent training), I have set PR after PR on the bike, when I thought I had plateaued and “maxed it out” as far as my abilities and the current bike would allow. Happily, I was mistaken. This was some of the best $ I ever spent.
Had a professional bike fit and adjustments w/ him since. Good point also.
3 day ride sounds fun, don’t think I can get away for three days though. I still have a family.
24mph? You might max out a K-Mart Huffy at 24mph…MAYBE…but certainly not anything we would legitimately call a modern TT/Tri bike. I’d bet Slowman’s eyeballs are rolling at that one, if he’s reading this…
Trying to stick some arbitrary speed or performance level on when you should upgrade equipment is folly at best, and sucking quagmire at worst.