Does anyone have any thoughts on owning a less expensive trainer (tri specific, not road) for day in-day out training as well as a bike specifically for racing. I just purchased a sweet new tri bike and am nervous about the lifetime of the frame due to riding the thing day in and day out (crashes, etc…). Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
I don’t think most people have the luxury of having a “training” bike. Plus, you train like you race. Unless you can set up both bikes identically, you are asking for trouble on race day.
You likely paid a lot of money for that bike. Ride the hell out of it.
Are you rich? If so buy as many bikes as you want. Personally, when I decided to blow my wad on an expensive bike, I picked a bike that I’d ride all the time - ended up not even being a tri bike but a carbon roadie, because I live in a place with a lot of hills, plus do a fair amount of group riding. My tri bike is a perfectly decent, fast, but decidedly ‘budget’ aluminum cervelo. It’s a great bike and I don’t feel like I lose any time at all to people on more expensive bikes.
Like most, I race infrequently and ride very frequently. I feel like my bike purchases reflect this.
If you spent some $$ on a nice bike, RIDE IT. That’s what it’s for…not to sit in your garage and look shiny.
Just keep it clean, well-lubed and it will take care of you for a long, long time. You’ll wear out before the frame will.
definatly, I had to settle for a full DA 7800 gruppo on my training bike rather than the full SRAM RED on my race bike. sucks.
Four years ago, I invested in a good training bike–a Trek Madone. I’ve logged countless hours on that bike. Then, last winter, I acquired a TTX on sale and have ridden it in the races and major training rides this season. It’s nice having another nice bike in the garage, but my base-bike is still the Madone.
And, I did one race this year on the Madone–and was only off of my season speed average by 2 mph.
I live in the uk where winter is damp and cold - everyone I know has a winter bike with full guards as well as a race bike. They don’t cost that much. Much more enjoyable riding in the rain on a bike with guards - and if its snowy or icy - we break out the mountain bikes.
I would prefer to have two different tools than the same tool at two price points i.e. a tri bike and a road, mountain, or 'cross bike.
Bikes are made for riding lot’s of miles so that is what you should do with your new bike, that said, when I upgraded my bike I put the old one on my trainer (originally I was intending to sell it) and it is still there 2 years later, it is nice to not have to consistently carry a bike through the house if I am going to ride the trainer but certainly wasteful…
Do you already have a road bike? I wouldn’t consider a second bike a luxury, especially if you live somewhere with a wet/cold season.
I have two tri bikes set up basically the same. A 2008 QR Kilo which is all upgraded component wise as well as post, , stem, seat and handlebars. Was planning on puttng back all "stock " parts when I upgraded frame. I bought upgraded frameset on bonktown which is a QR Lucero light. Then got such great deals on components through haggling and ST classified kept the Kilo tricked out. Everything is the same size wise on bikes but I think frame size is off a bit even though both are mediums. A good reason to get a leftover QR CD01 and relagating the Lucero Lite to a training bike. Riny days I ride my od Atala but will be getting a rod bike of fixed gear soon. Maybe crossbike way to many choices. But the money I have been saving in gas and my fitness justifies it. Right? Forgot I pretend I am like cowboy and his horse after riding. The Bike gets taken care of before I rest or eat. No matter which bike I ride it gets cleaned and inspected after I ride. If you keep on it should only take 5 - 10 minutes most of the times.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the frame. That should be fine. If you live in an area with a lot of moisture and grit on the roads (or have snowy winters with salted roads), then your components (anything with moving parts) are going to take a beating. Those I would worry about more. In any case, they will survive rough conditions with a little care, but it can be nice to have a set of components that you don’t care about quite so much, and then jump on your nice, crisp racing bike when the weather improves.
If you ride on an indoor trainer at all, it’s nice to have a beater to sweat on, rather than your nice race bike.
Also, the beaters tend to be much heavier than our nice race bikes…I’m a big believer in train heavy race light.
Until recently, over the past 5 years I had a racing bike as well as a training bike. Both were identical Zipp 2001’s setup exactly the same. It was great knowing that I could train all day every day on one and be able to just take the other off the wall for a race with race wheels and new tires and have it feel exactly the same as my training bike.
All that said, about 6 months ago I sold them both and now have just one bike for racing and training.
The real advantage to having 2 bikes is if one breaks you can just pull the other off the wall and go until you have time to fix the broken one. I don’t think this ever happened to me though : ) I work on my bikes everyday so they don’t break often. Just keep you one bike in excellent maintenance condition and you’ll never have a problem. I don’t think you’ll wear out that new frame anytime soon. I ride my Look 596 about 5 days per week.