i do not want to (nor am i able to) spend $1000 to $5000 on a bike. i am a fairly new runner and was thinking about triathlons for next year, just so i wouldn’t be only running–to change it up a bit. i know i need to spend more than the $200 for a bike at walmart, but was hoping i could get one for around $500 that would be good enough for a newbie. if you know of any and/or where i could get one, i would appreciate it.
the only thing close that i have found is a Softride It for $750 and free shipping. any ideas on this bike?
$500 can probably get you a decent “entry level” bike, used for a while but not thrashed. Forget about buying new at that price point, but determine your correct size (post height, inseam, torso length, arm length, shoe size) and then hit the classified forum as well as other local classifieds (news, your local roadie forums, etc) for something that matches your size and budget. With a little patience, you can get a good bike for $500 - you just can’t walk into a store and buy a good bike for that price.
I bought my first roadie for $400CAD when one of the local club guys saw that I needed a bike. I still have it, and plan on riding it today (it’s now built up as a fixed gear bike).
Also remember to budget for things like a helmet, pump, emergency toolkit, etc.
Yeah, for 500 you’ll prob have to go used.
I’m still on my first bike (Felt F65), I paid around 1350 for it… plus shoes, pedals, aerobars, helmet, and my ninja-like tri suit…
Another option is to use whatever mountain bike you have around… put some slick tires on it, and do a race or two on it. Then you can see if you like the sport, and go for a more expensive bike if you want. It’s a lot easier to rationalize the cost if you can see yourself riding it 2-3 times/week for the next four years. At least it was for me.
Hope this helps a little
You can get an entry level road bike by Trek or another major manufacturers for around $550 to $600. Maybe less if you wait until the end of the summer. Another $100 or so will get you water bottle cages, a pump, a computer, a couple spare tubes and a pack to carry things in if you don’t already have them. If you look around really carefully, you can find both pedals and shoes on sale for no more than $150 total, but you don’t really need the clipless pedals if all you are doing is just riding a bike once or twice a week as a change up from running. If you decide that you like the sport, you can start to spend a lot more money on a bike in a few years.
by the way…that open water swimming thing wasn’t a smartass comment to you, rather my signature
I’m actually going for my first one tomorrow.
thanks guys.
what would be the bike you would buy as your first bike now that you know more about it?
I would suggest ebay, except it is hard to know what you are looking at and if you haven’t done your research you may end up with an overpriced piece of junk that doesn’t fit. You are better off as suggested with the ST classifieds or other forums. Btw how tall are you I might have a TSR deal for you.
Get yourself a used road bike and put some clipless pedals and aero bars on it.
There are good $500 used road bikes on the market.
My suggestion would be for something like a Giant OCR series. My wife raced her first two seasons in sprint tris on one of these and had several AG wins and podiums.
Jim, i am 5’-10 1/2" with a 34" inseam. i am not sure what all measurements are important but i know that a good fit is important.
I have an old (and I mean 10spd old) race bike that I have lent out right now. Let me see if the guy who has it is done with it. Then I will measure it up and we will see if it will fit. It’s a bit large for me. I’ll get back to you next week, feel free to nudge me if I forget, busy life right now.
i just found out that i could get a giant for around $500. does anyone have anything good or bad to say about giant bikes?
Depends on what Giant. I think you should look used. At 34" you would need about a 58cm. There was one person on ST that had 2 frames that he was possibly going to send out TSR style…possibly one of those could be made available for you.
Definitely look used. Ebay for starters. You can get a nice older but higher quality bike in that price range. A $500 new bike is crap.
Here ya go. $995 for a whole setup
cool thanks, does anyone have an opinion on this set up?
"i just found out that i could get a giant for around $500. does anyone have anything good or bad to say about giant bikes? "
You’re probably talking about an OCR-3 or OCR-2. If it’s a OCR-1 or similiar TCR series then it’s a bonus. The difference in the OCR series is the gear set and an improved front fork on the 2/3. Otherwise it’s the same bike. The TCR is a lighter/racier version. At this price you could luck in and get an older TCR-2 which would be a super bargain.
The big thing is to make sure the frame is the right size. The OCR/TCR series came in small/medium/large frames. Only get the one that fits.
If you have any questions about these bikes feel free to send me a private email.
I am in the same situation and I found this website. Anyone know anything about it?
I believe those guys market trade-ins from the bike group that owns Lightspeed, Merlin etal. They will pay you a set price for your trade if applied to a new Lightspeed. Never dealt with them but they seem pretty large.
Cool - thanks.