So Im in the market for a bike but Im not sure which bike I should start with since im new to the sport.
My goal is to start with a sprint tri this summer and will most likely continue with Olympic, half etc
Hopefully i can get some recommendations or suggestions on here with brands and what type of bike.
Initially, my plan was to spend max $1000 for a road bike since i still i have to get all the other accessories - helmet, shoes, bike shorts, pedals. Start with entry level road bike and upgrade to tri bike, if i continue competing.
I was looking into brands like specialized, trek, cannondale.
Now should i start with a road bike or tri bike?
If road bike - which brand?
If tri bike - which brand?
Is it worth getting a tri bike now since i plan on doing other races in the future?
I understand tri bikes are more expensive and more than $1k.
Most of the time it is better to start with a road bike. It is easier to do group rides on, and that can be a good way to meet people, learn good routes, and learn more about riding a bike.
It is also less hassle to get comfortable on.
If, a year down the road, you decide you are hooked then you can get a tri bike. It is best to have both usually anyway.
For $1000 you can get a great road bike in any of those brands. Just go with whatever you find a good deal on that you think looks cool. Unless you are very oddly shaped any of those brands will have a bike that fits you. They come in many sizes, models, and are very adjustable.
You can even get a really good tri bike for $1000 if you go used.
If you are new to cycling and are limited to one bike, just get a road bike. Most people who can only afford one bike go this route. I did, and have trained up to a half IM distance exclusively on a road bike with no issues, and have been quite happy.
The most important thing about buying a bike is proper fit. Fit is king. Don’t get attached to certain brands or bikes because they may not fit you well, as all bikes are not created equal in terms of shape and sizing. I would recommend going down to a reputable bike shop, get a decent fitting and let that guide you towards a particular brand or bike. Also, for $1000 I would go with a used bike as you can get way more bang for your buck. Once you get a fitting, and do a lot of research about various bikes, brands, and how they fit, and go from there. If you are patient there are some great deals to be had in the classifieds section here.
Also, use the search function here. There is a TON of great info in this forum, and you may be more successful by searching previous discussions (and articles) that have been exhaustively debated (like bike fit!) in the past.
Keep it simple, basic road bike like Trek 1.1 will get you training and learning about cycling and tri. You will enjoy everything more if you feel safe and comfortable. And if all goes well . . . should be easy to sell in next year or so if you do decide to upgrade to tri setup.
I had to make this decision recently and agree with the other posters that it is better to start with the road bike, especially if you are new to triathlon and not sure if you will continue competing. As I am sure others will tell you, in the future it is nice to have both a road bike and a tri bike so starting with the road bike make sense because if you stay with it you will eventually get a tri bike but if you don’t stay with it at least you still have a bike that you can ride around easily.
I also agree with the other poster who said great deals can be had in the classifieds. Do some shopping around and find a manufacturer/model that fits you well and put up a WTB (willing to buy) post…you’ll be surprised what you can find.
I have a Felt F85 road bike with clip on aerobars. You can get it new for 1k. It’s an awesome bike. I’ve been training on it for a little over a year and it has worked very well for me. Same frame design as felt’s top of line 10k racing bike. Handles and clims very well, super comfortable and seems to go very fast. Very versitile. No regrets purchasing it.
road bike route… and add aerobars for your tri’s.
i def recommend getting a fit before you buy a bike, and some places fit you then tell you what bikes will work best with your geometry. then get a really good used one. research your fitter tho cuz there are good fitters and then there are mechanics that think they can fit. there is a guy in Houston Tx ( http://www.tadhughescustom.com/ ) i highly recommend, and people fly from all over the world to get his services. he will fit you and tell you what bikes work best for you. i had a Yeti cyclo-cross bike for commuter and road riding purposes, he fit me for triathlon adding areobars and changing seatposts and crank, and literally did a sprint as my first tri ever, then did a half IM one month later and my rides were so comfortable and transition was flawless!
you can tri on almost anything, but its all in the fit.
All the posters above have good recommendations - you won’t go wrong with a road bike. You’re on the right track getting one of the large brands… easy to find folks to work on them; easy to find replacement parts, etc.
That said, I’ll offer a slightly different point of view:
Under some circumstances, you might be better off with a Tri bike first.
I started with a Triathlon specific bike, and I’d do the same thing again. I added a road bike about 4 years in so I had something to ride in groups, on century rides, and in weather.
The only reason I cycle is to do triathlons - I don’t mind riding with one or two folks, but I find the group rides to be too dangerous to do regularly (so many idiot cyclists and drivers). So I do upwards of 95% of my training by myself.
Starting out on a tri bike means I’m quite a bit more comfortable in the aero position, and I’m extremely comfortable handling a TT bike.
So - if you’re going to primary concentrate on triathlons, and you do most of your training alone, consider the tri bike.
As for the specific brand… get something that you love the looks of. You’re more likely to ride it if you like it.
The question wasn’t about what to drive, it was what to buy. An F1 would be a good choice if you were only going to do F1 races, at F1 speeds. A new driver would probably be better served buying something they could use beyond just in an F1 race, especially if they’re not yet driving at that level.
Yes I would race a stock car in an F1 race if they would let me, and I’d win every race. There’d be millions of dollars in trashed F1 cars everytime they tried to lap me…
Get a road bike and don’t look back. Most serious triathletes still do lots of training on a road bike. You aren’t even going to save 2 minutes in a sprint tri by buying a top end tri bike so don’t worry about it. The engine is more important than the bike.
I have both now but I still love and ride my road bike way more.
I just went through this same decision a few months back and everyone told me to start with the road bike… But I really wanted to get the tri-bike as I already have a mountain bike for daily rides and the roads here are hazardous to ride on with all the traffic and the trails are crushed gravel and not suitable for a road bike.
I listened to all the advice and bought a road bike… and now I bought a tri-bike. I wish I would have saved the road bike money and simply bought the tri-bike. The aero position on the road bike is .4 mph faster for me but the fit sucks. I’m too stretched out in aero on a road bike and the handling is really twitchy.
I would get the tri-bike first and then see if you do enough group rides etc to warrant the road bike. Get the right tool for the job and you’ll save money in the long run. Based on the tri-bike fit, I’m betting that I get 1 mph over my road bike since I’m more aero and more comfortable at the same time.
(And while it’s outside your budget, get the dual position electronic shifting and then you really do not need a road bike for group rides.)
“I would get the tri-bike first and then see if you do enough group rides etc to warrant the road bike.”
Uh, am I reading this correctly - are you saying try a few group rides first on the tri bike despite having no experience in group riding? C’mon. No serious roadie group will let a newbie on a tri bike ride with them.
My goal is to start with a sprint tri this summer and will most likely continue with Olympic, half etc
Yes, you read my comment correctly but failed to read the op’s comment appearantly.
His goal is to do triathlons, not “group rides”.
Based on his goal of triathlons, why on earth should he get a road bike versus a triathlon bike? Why not a commuter bike or a mountain bike for that matter?
If you want to do triathlons then get a triathlon bike. If your goal is to do group rides, then get a road bike.
This is the same bad advice I received and bought a road bike. Now I have a road bike and a triathlon bike but really only want to do triathlons… So why do I have this shiny new road bike?
So let me repeat, if your goal is to do triathlons, get a triathlon bike. If you find that later you want to do group rides, get a road bike. Since you can only afford 1 right now, get the 1 that suits your stated needs / goals.
And your logic is really flawed to say that no serious groups will let you ride but fail to acknowledge that no “serious” triathlon athlete would use a road bike when a triathlon bike will perform better.
Use the proper tool for the job and you’ll be happier and save money.
Wow, glad to know I am not a serious tri guy in upteen years and numerous at every distance. Wish I would of met you years ago. So how many sprints, oly’s halfs and fulls have you done? Thanks
My goal is to start with a sprint tri this summer and will most likely continue with Olympic, half etc
Yes, you read my comment correctly but failed to read the op’s comment appearantly.
His goal is to do triathlons, not “group rides”.
Based on his goal of triathlons, why on earth should he get a road bike versus a triathlon bike? Why not a commuter bike or a mountain bike for that matter?
If you want to do triathlons then get a triathlon bike. If your goal is to do group rides, then get a road bike.
This is the same bad advice I received and bought a road bike. Now I have a road bike and a triathlon bike but really only want to do triathlons… So why do I have this shiny new road bike?
So let me repeat, if your goal is to do triathlons, get a triathlon bike. If you find that later you want to do group rides, get a road bike. Since you can only afford 1 right now, get the 1 that suits your stated needs / goals.
And your logic is really flawed to say that no serious groups will let you ride but fail to acknowledge that no “serious” triathlon athlete would use a road bike when a triathlon bike will perform better.
Use the proper tool for the job and you’ll be happier and save money.
The OP also states, “if I continue competing”. That does not sound like someone who, at this point, is committed to triathlon. I don’t want to speak for the OP but if you are not sure about triathlon the road bike offers much more outside of triathlon. Further, many state they prefer training on their road bike even after they get a tri bike.
Yea go for a road bike to start amigo. IF you continue to compete and enjoy it then go for it and upgrade accordingly. Races arent going anywhere any time soon and based on the amount of other err…advice, neither is the competition.
Road bike will allow you an easier transition into all the intricacies of riding and offer best of both worlds. How often will you compete vs how often you will ride on roads and possibly with friends bc it IS a great social sport.
Also theres more to a tri bike than just it being a tri bike and thus more appropriate for races/tris. Unless you can be 100% comfortable on a tri bike and it fits you perfectly and you can keep the aero crouch the whole time…youre not getting the benefits out of it. So whats the point?
My vote would be to get the road bike, start out easy like you would anything else and then make the jumps accordingly. Unfortunately it can be an expensive sport so you may have to wait a little longer to make those jumps but it comes with the territory if youre like most of us who cant afford everything at once.
As far as the baseball and formula one analogies. Thats poor advice in my opinion. Given all things held accounted for, and in a perfect world with all options available…yes its applicable. But its not as black and white as that.