I’m slowing realizing I simply don’t have the time to commit to competing in tri’s and making use of my TT bike. I have a road bike and purchased an Ora last summer.
While it’s certainly helped my speed on the bike (~2mph) I really can’t say how much it could help as I’ve simply not been able to dedicate time to ride it. Note that I still have my road bike and usually ride it on group rides 1x per week ~25miles.
I’m only getting 15-40 miles a week on the Ora (in the spring/summer) and lets be honest, thats really not going to get me ready for an olympic distance race which had been my goal since I started this ~3-years ago.
I have 4-kids and trying to split my time between them (sports, school, music), my wife, and the bikes, swimming, running…you can see where this is going.
One last thing, I recently started Mt. biking with my neighbor. He’s been making excuses about getting into shape, and after we went on a few rides (me on a borrowed 40 lb Wal-Mart Mongoose) and he on a really old hard tail, he bought a full suspension bike and we now try to meet 2x per month and I really enjoy going with him. It’s fun, and it’s nice to have a partner on the trail vs the loneliness that can be TT riding.
I’m considering selling my Ora and getting a Mt. bike instead. The other benefit of the Mt. bike is that my kids all have hard tails and we can all ride together (not so on the road - they are too young for that).
So I’m in a delimma here…Do I sell my '09 Dura-Ace Ora, or keep it and set a training plan for myself and some bigger goals for next year?
PS What would it even be worth ~400 miles and not a nick or scratch on it.
Ride the hell out of your roadie - get smooth, get strong and get good on it. Have fun with your kids on the MTB, it’ll make you a better rider on the road. Learn how to bunny hop, stand and do wheelies - do what your kids do naturally.
You’ll pass a lot of folks when you get back into tri - and feel good doing it.
I agree. Sell the TT and get a MTB. MTB is more fun than TT riding, and if you’re not racing, then why have a TT bike? If you want to race, do some MTB races or Xterra.
I wouldn’t sell it. With 4 kids, money isn’t going to get any easier. If you decide to re-dedicate yourself to triathlons / TT’s in the future, would you have trouble rounding up enough $$$ to replace it?
Scrape up enough to buy a nice, used MTB for riding with your buddy and the kids and keep the TT bike.
No. It has been my experience that once you sell it, you will wish you hadn’t. You will one day likely get back in tris and buy another TT bike. Just hang on to it. You’ll be glad you did. I’ve sold several different bikes – every one, I wish I’d kept. It cost me more to replace them than it was worth. Keep it.
No. It has been my experience that once you sell it, you will wish you hadn’t. You will one day likely get back in tris and buy another TT bike. Just hang on to it. You’ll be glad you did. I’ve sold several different bikes – every one, I wish I’d kept. It cost me more to replace them than it was worth. Keep it.
I’m going with this. I have a TT bike, a track bike, a tandem and several road bikes. I don’t use them all every season, but I know they all fit, are in good shape and ready whenever I decide to do an event that calls for that type of bike. My wife rides horses. I like to point out that when I’m not riding a bike, it cost nothing for boarding, feed or vet bills. If you’ve got the room, just keep it for a while. If you decide you’re NEVER going to need it again, then sell it.
WTF is with this “gotta have a TT bike” if you’re going to do triathlons?
Just sayin’, you know, but this is unmitigated bullshit.
Agreed. While having a TT bike helps with aero and the geometry helps running a little bit, for just doing sprints or Oly’s I really don’t see why he couldn’t race them on a road bike.
Thanks for the feedback all. I actually did several Tri’s on my current road bike before I got the TT bike and managed just fine. My plan was to get the TT bike, dedicate more time to training and get faster on the bike/run and keep the swimming going (already above average in all my results so far).
But then I hurt my shoulder RIGHT after I bought the TT bike so my swim went into the tank and it was tough to ride in the aero bars b/c it hurt when I rode.
Then, like always seems to happen life catched up and you realize you don’t have time to do everything you want to.
I’ve only been doing sprints and selling the TT bike would not stop me from doing those next summer. There are several really great events around here that are always well done.
Someone suggested I sell the road bike and keep the TT bike but I’ve done group rides on the TT bike and it’s just not as comfortable as the road bike (in the persuit bars that is, don’t generally go into the aero bars in a pace line - yes, control is fine but the brakes are a LONG WAYS away - it’s just not a smart thing to do). All the angles are wrong on the persuit bars for long group rides.
Yes, I know some of you are thinking poor Sean, two bikes in the stable and crying about which one to keep…Not asking for sympathy, just some feedback!
The other night I was telling my wife I needed to get a Mtn. bike and she said we don’t have room in the house. I said, the Mtn bike would go in the garage (road/tt bike IN THE HOUSE!). I’d set up some hooks for all the bikes to clear up some space in the garage and she said, “Oh, OK”…That to me sounds like permission to go right ahead and keep them ALL…and my birthday is coming up!
I’m of the thought that selling the TT bike is a good idea. Even if you decide that you want to race in Tri’s again, say after your kids are grown enough to think hanging with dad is lame (hah), by this time there will be a new sweet TT bike that you will want so get it then and use the cash for the one that would collect dust now to purchase other things you need.
Of course I don’t have the finances to fill my garage with extra bikes - hence the donation/fundraiser I am doing with my Cervelo, and the sale of another bike before that one.
