I may post this question again once I narrow my options down, but after completing my first iron-man and realizing that I eventually need to upgrade my 5-year old $750 road bike, I’m planning a major upgrade for next year. Other than knowing that most wheels adjacent to my bike in T1 cost more than my bike, I know very little about tri-bikes (I’m yet to even ride one). I need your criticism help or perhaps hand me downs.
Some background, I’m an exbody builder turned multisport but still hit the weights hard more often than a triathelete should. To the hard core slowtwitch crowd, I train and do triathlons but am not even a triathlete. My realistic goals for the next two years are to break 5hrs, maybe 4:50 in a HIM or 12hrs in an IM. My realistic budget is in the $2k range but if I foregoe an IM for 2008, I could swing up to $3K. My goals for next year are simply to see how fast I can go for an HIM or longer. I plan to limit lifting and could conceiveable drop 25-30 lbs from my 195 weight. That said, if losing 5 more lbs. is equivalent to $500 in a bike purchase, I’ll give up the week-end beers as well. I’ve searched prior posts on bikes and have no clear answers. Based on my research a $1,000 motobecane would save me only a few minutes over an HIM than a $4K bike but I’ve also heard that I should buy the best frame I can afford and upgrade later. That said, I’m considering the options below. Unless I go the cheap bikesdirect route, I plan to make every effort to support my lbs and I also want to make sure I buy the bike with the proper fit. Although there is a significant difference in the prices below, the more I spend, the fewer races I do next year. For example, if I go above $2K, IMFL 08 or the The ChesapeakeMan may be postponed until 2009. Your thoughts on this post, comments on the bikes below and/or additions greatly appreciated.
If you are powerful don’t skimp the piece of shit bikes, they won’t hold up to your weight or power and there is nothing more upsetting than mechanical issues. There are plenty of good deals to be had come winter alot of stuff goes on sale to make the yacht payment. I have been searching for my buddy who is in the same boat powerlifter huge can leg press a mini. The best deal we could find for a road bike was a kestrel talon ultegra 1799 at GFA. I think the dual is your best bang for the buck or else the aero version of the kestrel from GFA. Take both prices to you LBS and see what they can do. If they can come within a 150 buck pull the trigger if not go online. Either way wait until winter.
i’d definitely recommend choosing an LBS to buy from before choosing a bike.
If you know how to fit your bike and how to repair it, getting one cheap off the internet is great. but from your post i get the sense that you don’t know that.
it’s not about ‘supporting the lbs’ here for moral reasons or anything, it’s more about making sure you get a bike you like, that fits, and that will work well. most LBS will provide a year (sometimes more) of free maintenance.
having said that, it has to be shop you actually like and trust. if you send a query about shops in your city i’m sure people will give you plenty of good info.
I was right in the same boat you are, last year. I did bodybuilding/weight training since I was 15 then herniated a disc in my back doing deadlifts and ipso facto fell in love with triathlon. I was 210 when I hurt my back in Jan 06, now I’m 160 ish and would never go back up. At the end of last season I picked up a Trek Equinox 7 on sale for $1600 after tax, and upgraded a couple components for cheap. I love the bike, though have never been on anything more expensive, so I’m ignorant to what’s better out there. Like it was said earlier, if you got a lot of leg power or you weigh a decent amount, I wouldn’t skimp on your bike. At 160-165 I’m not the heaviest, but on two hilly courses this year my gearing got messed up, even after having it tuned up about a week before my HIM.
If you can get a cervelo dual or an equinox in september or October I’d go for it, good quality/reputability for what you pay, at least in my humble “1.5 years of experience in triathlon” opinion.
My first tri bike (and only tri bike, for that matter) is a 07 Dual (w/Ultegra - the brilliant yellow one), and I love it. For what that’s worth. I wasn’t planning on hopping from new bike to new bike every year anyway (budget), but it’s good value (and paid off already - yeaaah) and I’m pretty sure I’ll be riding it for seasons to come.
Cervelos are proven performers. I rode a dual and then bought a P2C. I loved them both. Many friends are riding the yellow dual. It gets great bang for the buck and is a solid ride.
I agree about getting it from a LBS. This is an investment and you need someone to fix it, tune it, and heaven forbid you get a warranty issue, they’ll be there for you.
You’ll see lots of high end bikes and I’m as guilty as the next about trying to buy speed, but it all comes down to the engine…good luck
I expect that the last thing you want to hear is to get properly fit first and then pick the bike that best complements your fit measurements.
FACT: The cheapest speed you will ever purchase is to first get properly fit to both identify the bike that optimizes your performance and identifies the position that optimizes your performance on the bike to maximize power outut, aerodynamics and your ability to sustain your effort (breath properly).
All this said, why follow this suggestion? It takes away the “fun” of picking out your bike based on “bling.” You can always do it later after you have purchased your bike and then discovered that you are really riding the wrong size frame in a position that is compromising your performance on the bike.
Its your money and your decision. You can do whatever you want! And you will! Why benefit from someone else’s mistakes on their way up the learning curve when you can repeat those same mistakes?
Go for it, and good luck. There is always the possibility you could get lucky, however slim that chance may be.
Not sure of your height, but I’d also toss into the mix instead of the motobecane (b/c you can’t get it fitted until after you buy it) would be possibly a Specialized (they have the Transition ranging from $1500-$4400, for the Elite, Comp, Expert and then Pro)…and also would toss into the mix a Felt or possibly an Orbea.
Go with what fits for you… since you’ve never had a tri-bike, I’d go with one you can buy at the store and you can ride a bit before you buy. My husband had a Cervelo Dual he bought from a friend… hubby is mainly a runner and has a bike so he can ride with me…he switched with his brother who unknowingly bought a Motobecane and it didn’t fit him correctly…the Dual did, so they swapped. Moral of the story is… FIT FIT FIT… there are bikes in most price ranges that you can try at the store first. My husband likes the Motobecane, but every time we’re in either one of the lbs’s he starts drooling over one bike or the other. His main reason… fit.
