First of all, I need to briefly introduce a situation over here, im from Brazil, so, you guys can imagine the prices of triathlon bikes in my country are skyrocketing.
That said, I’m starting in the Triathlon, but for now I have a road Scott Addict 2016 with ultegra 11v, so I was looking to change my bike for a new TT.
The problem is, here in Brazil, this kind of market is such overpriced and everybody wants to just sell their bikes, it’s so frustrating and hard to find someone that accept another bike in exchange, with this, I have just the option to trade in a local store.
So they propose me a Cannondale Slice with Di2 Ultegra for about R$ 16.500 which is about in a dumb conversion ~4700 USD, I’ll give my Scott for about 1400 USD exchange in that.
What you guys think about it? Im so lost to make this trade, because, the value is such high for my life standart.
You’re just starting in triathlons, have a really nice road bike that you won’t get much for, and this is going it be a big expense for you?
Keep your current bike, put clipon aero bars on it, slide the seat forward and up a little bit and go have fun. The ITU pros are plenty fast on exactly that setup…
You’re just starting in triathlons, have a really nice road bike that you won’t get much for, and this is going it be a big expense for you?
Keep your current bike, put clipon aero bars on it, slide the seat forward and up a little bit and go have fun. The ITU pros are plenty fast on exactly that setup…
I’m doing exactly what you describe, for about a year of training.
I was considering switch bike because: first, the Ironman 70.3 that is close my hometown starts the reservations this month, so I have a year yet to do more trainings, so I could get used to a new bike that I’ll be my companion for a long time. Second, I do have the money to do it, and I was thinking about to spend now, that Im fairly young (26 yo), and have the dispouse to train hard, than later on…
The slice is a nice bike, if you like it, there’s no reason to not get it.
But I’d hang onto the road bike and try to squeeze out the extra cash from somewhere.
Hahaha thanks for the advice! I know, Im anxious to really start in the TT, so I was looking for a opnion that, is the Slice a bike that can handle years of training? Do the amount that I’ll spend worth it?
And upgrade wise, can I in the future put some integrated base bar like tririg ones in the Slice?
Are you allowed to import a bike easily?
Pretty sure that model of Cannondale has an MSRP of about 3200 US. Find a shop in the US to ship one to you?
Brazil importation rules are so strict, you can’t even think in this possibility, the burrocracy is so big and slow. Such a shame, I’ll pay about the double to import something like a bike from another country.
Better to spend the money on some wheels, a disc cover and maybe a TriRig brake for the front.
The Slice is a good enough bike (I have one). You are likely to want a different / better bike in the future (I know I do).
I talked myself into buying a Slice and see if I would stick with Tri. The plan was to upgrade. I just cannot pull the trigger on an upgrade as the Slice is good enough and really not what is slowing me down.
The wheels, disc cover and brake can all be transferred over to the bike you really want to buy. So, race and enjoy. Put some money aside and if Tri is what you want to do with your spare time, then buy a bike a year or two down the road. Plus, it won’t be such a financial hardship if you have planned for it.
Better to spend the money on some wheels, a disc cover and maybe a TriRig brake for the front.
The Slice is a good enough bike (I have one). You are likely to want a different / better bike in the future (I know I do).
I talked myself into buying a Slice and see if I would stick with Tri. The plan was to upgrade. I just cannot pull the trigger on an upgrade as the Slice is good enough and really not what is slowing me down.
The wheels, disc cover and brake can all be transferred over to the bike you really want to buy. So, race and enjoy. Put some money aside and if Tri is what you want to do with your spare time, then buy a bike a year or two down the road. Plus, it won’t be such a financial hardship if you have planned for it.
So, let me see if I got your point;
You’re saying that besides the Slice is good enough, I’ll keep thinking in upgrade it in the future? Why that? Because it don’t have the most modern and agressive look? I live in a fairly hilly region, I think the Slice will help me in this because the lighter aspect of it, if we look the design wise counterpart.
Or you’re saying me to get the Slice and keep it for a long time? Just keep upgrading the weels and some ajustments?
Im not that ultimate freak cyclist, I just want really get into the real TT and keep my trainings in that, get used to the position and etc…
The slice is a good bike and plenty of people go fast enough on it.
For that price $ though you can get a much better bike if you are in the US, or the UK/Europe, however it sounds like that may not be the case in Brazil.
The Slice is a GREAT bike. I almost purchased one…but a different bike that was higher end fell into my lap at a price that I could not refuse.
Here are my suggestions:
Do what Jason is saying and ride like the ITU athletes do. (I somewhat regret not doing this. I purchased a bottom of the line road bike, to start with, that wasn’t worth upgrading. You have a nice bike with a great groupset. Get what you can out of it an be a better bike handler than 99% of the triathletes on TT bikes will ever be.)Message a guy like Thiago Vinhal on social media. He seems to be very active on instagram and has a contract with Sense BIkes. I believe they are a Brazilian company and you may be able to save a few dollars and get more bike when you buy something that wont have major import restrictions or duties to be paid.Do what I mentioned above. Shop around for months and months. Eventually, you will walk into a shop and they will have a bike, in your size, that has been returned by the original purchaser or is a late model that has everything that you could even need. That’s how I landed a Giant Trinity Advanced Pro for $2200 USD. Someone ordered it…returned it…the bike shop gave it bake to the local distributor who then sold it to another bike shop…and I got a great deal. Don’t be afraid to ask for a late model or something that is a deal because of a special circumstance.Buy a used triathlon bike…surely this will be the best bang for your buck.
All the best.
EDIT: being that you are in a hilly region it is all the more reason to keep your road bike.
I would not get the Slice if it meant you had to get rid of your road bike. A TT bike is a nice “n+1” tool to have for specific race situations, but it’s not a very good bike to have as your only ride.
I would not get the Slice if it meant you had to get rid of your road bike. A TT bike is a nice “n+1” tool to have for specific race situations, but it’s not a very good bike to have as your only ride.
I totally agree with this. Especially if you live in a hilly area.
There are other bikes with integrated storage and hydration features that I wish I would upgrade to. Given you are looking at long course triathlon those features may appeal to you.
The wheels and brake I mentioned could also be transferred from your road bike to your TT bike. So you can buy wheels now and use them later (assuming you stick with rim brakes).
Also, not knowing exactly where you live, but having spent some time in major cities and the country side of Brasil - I would feel much safer training outdoors on a road bike. I wouldn’t trade in my roadie if I were you.
It’s plenty good enough for any distance you’ll want to do. I’ve done Oly’s up to IM and nailed some quite fast 70.3s on mine, as well as pure TT races. It’s relatively light, pretty aero, reasonably priced (although not in Brazil by the looks of it!!) and it’s not so aggressive that after a few hours you get off and can’t run. It doesn’t look like one of the futuristic bikes (P5x) so there might be a tendency to think it’s less of a bike. In practice your overall speed will be decided by how well you train, not on what stuff you ride. When you race you’ll probably overtake hundreds of people on all different types of road bikes, TT bikes, P5’s… It’s not all about the bike. But i am the first to agree that you need to feel that you have the right toys, so if you want one then go and buy one. It’s a great bike.
