I’m going to start training for my first triathlon, probably olympic length with my eyes on making it to Ironman Hawaii 
Right now I am looking at buying my first bike…the mountain bike from walmart just doesn’t cut it. I cant decide between the Specialized Transition Elite Bike or the Specialized Dolce Multisport Bike (adding shifters on to the aerobars of course). Any suggestions??? My price range goes up to around $1400. Thanks
I would seriously consider the Cervelo Dual. I have both a Cervelo P2K and an R2.5 road bike…they are awesome.
Spot
I also highly recommend the Cervelo Dual. I have one and it’s a great bike. Cost is about $100 above your price range, but value is about $1000 than the other bikes.
Also, have you taken into account stuff like shoes, pedals, helmet, spare tube and blowout bag, and cycling/tri gear?
If your price range for the bike and all of that stuff equals $1400, I still recommend getting the Dual. It is money well spent.
The $999 deal
Coming from a guy that is fairly new to the sport, I have regretted not buying a road bike first. Depending upon how seriously you want to take tri’s, a road bike is good because you can train with cycling groups without them letting you know that you are being ‘unsocial’ by having aero bars on your bike. Just a bit of advice… Good luck.
$1400 is just for the bike… I test rode both of the afore mentioned bikes and they seemed really wobbly…is that normal for going from a mountain bike to a triathlon bike?
I can’t comment on the wobby aspect, but if you’re going to spend somewhere around $1400, the Cervelo Dual is probably the best bike out there.
Having said that, I am pretty new to tri’s and got a Specialzed Allez elite road bike and a set of the Visiontech shorty aero bars which are working great for me. It’s much easier to get used to road cycling IMHO on a road bike vs a tri bike, and those bars let me get more aero without being too stretched out and too far over the front wheel which is a big problem for ppl trying to convert a road bike to tri’s. My setup goes for about $1200 retail (bike+aerobars).
Racing bikes in general will seem twitchy at first due to the narrow tires etc. You soon learn to ride the suckers straight.
So is the consensus of everyone out there that I should go for the Cervelo Dual??? Has anyone had a specialized or any other brand of bike and liked it? Keep in mind thar I’m a woman with a 54 inseam
Where do you live? What are your local dealers like?
Theyre really nice… Bicycles Inc. in the DFW area, but they only sell Specialized and Trek… I think
You should probably see how it fits and feels. Your butt will be on that thing for hours so you want to go for comfort. FYI, a lot of people on forum, or at least the very vocal ones, are really into Cervelos.
That being said, I have a Cervelo One (I’m a girl, it was my first tri bike and I have never actually ridden a road bike, hope I don’t get flamed for admitting that…). The more time I spend on it, the more I realize it is not quite the right fit for me. I really don’t think I could put the time in on it required for an Ironman.
I am still undecided as to whether I should have gotten a road bike or a tri bike. I really don’t know. One thing about getting a tri bike is you learn to be comfortable in aerobars real fast.
First off, this is Slowtwitch - therefore nearly everyone is going to tell you Cervelo, the one that fits, Cervelo will fit, and maybe Felt. Welcome. 
I’d also recommend buying a road bike if this will be your first “real” bike. With that kind of a price range for just the bike, you can get a lot of bike (even a Cervelo if you so desire). Your best bet is to post where you live, and get recommendations for a good shop in your area. Then trust the bike shop dude.
I 'm a family man with a kid in college and all my training partners have loads of dough and ride 5K cannondales.
and dammit my 1499 cervelo dual is the slickest bike in our bunch.
everyone loves it, especially me.
look at ebay. I just saw a 51 going for a bout 900 bucks yesterday.
Sorry… DFW is a local term meaning Dallas Fort Worth, Texas… basically Im right in between the two.
Is Richardsons a Felt dealer? I would investigate some “tri specific” brands before I made a final choice.
So you would recommend a tri specific brand over a tri division of a bike manufacturer?
I’m saying you should look. And I’m a Trek dealer.
So any suggestions… all the treks Ive seen have been too expensive or not geared toward triathlons.
I think Felt represents a great value. And…yes, Cervelo (drink Kool-Aid now) :~)
I don’t stock any of the Trek Tri bikes. The entry level bike is much better this year, but I would like to see if they plan on sticking it out.
QR has a bike in your price range as well if I remember correctly. All three of those companies started out making tri bikes. Even though their respective lines have grown, they still have a commitment to the sport that the big guys don’t have.
I hope that helps