I’m competing in my first ever triathlon this summer, but I am unsure if my bike will be good enough for racing. I am loathed to buy a new bike, as the one I have is a pretty high spec, light hybrid bike - Spcialized Sirrus Elite (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=21802).
I was wondering if I could improve it’s performance by changing the handelbars or adding bar ends (http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=10367) or would that be a waste of time?
That bike will be fine for your first triathlon, I wouldn’t mess with it. Wait until you know for sure that you will be doing this for a while.
Thanks mate - wise advice
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i would second that, a hybrid bike will be fine for your first taste of fun.
i even know someone that did her first few triathlons on a mountain bike (with narrow tires) and even came in 4th overall against a pretty good field …
Yeah, realistically any bike will do fine. I saw a woman riding a hybrid at IMFL 3 years ago!!! Just get a set of fairly narrow slicks for tires and you’ll do fine. Clip-on aerobars (if they fit) would help your bike speed a bit, but for a first try to see if you like the sport, probably not worth the money or the time to figure out how to ride them safely in a straight line!