Wondering What you'd do: Bike vs Bike and gear

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been doing tri’s for a dew years now, and have finally gotten to the point where I can invest in upgrading equipment etc. My first priority is getting a tri bike to replace the road bike I’ve been using. I also don’t have a ton of other equipment really just a basic tri kit. Would I be better of getting a bike in the 2-3K range (P2 comparable) + aero helm, skin suit, wheels etc, or getting something in the 5-6k range just the bike and upgrading everything else over the next few years? Also in the higher price segment I was looking at the premier (seems like a great value esp. after the aero bike shootout) or the Parlee TTiR as the disc breaks seem to be significantly safer? Love to hear what others think or would do.
Thanks!

id go with a p2 or similar, upgrade bars, wheels, and helmet.

id go with a p2 or similar, upgrade bars, wheels, and helmet.

^^This
.

Think of your frame (bike) as the foundation. Buy smart, but conserve your budget, because every other part on the bike is easily upgraded later. I call this out because you mention the P2. At MSRP, the P2 is not a good value, because there are faster frames available for similar spend. Provided the fit is optimized, I would look at the Felt IA and Trek Speed Concept ahead of the P2.

After that, these are the other high-impact investments to line up.
Aero helmet: inexpensive with big benefitsTri suit: relatively inexpensive for the benefitDeep wheels: expensive, and high impactAero cockpit: expensive, and high impact (Felt IA is already very good)Aero front brake: if basic bike’s brakes are not aero alreadySince you mentioned the list above, the Premier Tactical is nearly impossible to beat for value. You get the total bike plus Ultegra Di2. The only high-impact things you would lack are helmet and tri suit

I bought a Felt IA 16 for $3K. Then, I added Flo 60/90 wheels ($1,200), Alpha X ($1,000), and Omega X brakes ($400). Net, I spent more than the Tactical’s price, but I do not have Ultegra Di2, a disc wheel, or a travel case. The upside is that I did my initial purchase and upgrades over a 12 month period. But, if that product existed 18 months ago, and I knew then what I would spend, the Tactical would have been a no-brainer.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot that the Tactical also comes with a power meter. I bought one of those too for another $1K.

BTW…I have less than $3K in my 2015 P2…incl: FLO 60/90…Garmin 510, a saddle change and a Stages PM.

You crushed the value. In my market, I have not seen anyone offer a new P2 for less than $2,800 MSRP. I was looking at used bikes and local sales for about five months before I finally gave up and bought a new IA16.

Thanks for the replies so far, seems like the answer might heavily depend on what prices are at my LBS? If prices seem to be lower for P2, IA etc then going that route?

id go with a p2 or similar, upgrade bars, wheels, and helmet.

^^This

I did go with this
.

Yep, it distills down to a shopping & price optimization project. Thanks to the recent ultimate aero test, we learned that there is not a huge degree of difference between frames in overall bike performance. However, there are differences, and given the choices at equivalent price points, I would generally choose faster over slower. If I were shopping value bikes right now, this is how I would rank and research some of the top contenders. If you jump up to a higher price tier, that potentially change the entire dynamic.
Felt IA16 $3K- I have one, so I am biased
Trek Speed Concept 7 $3K- really tied for the IA 16, but someone has to win
Giant Trinity Advanced Pro 2 $3,100 - looks like a tremendous value (Ultegra) for a likely very fast bike, but no data yet
Quintana Roo PR three $2,500 - very good value, the draft box option bumps it above the P2 in my opinionCervelo P2 $2,800 - legacy design and potentially the slowest at the a higher price point for the components and performance
There are a slew of recent new models from BMC, Argon 18, Orbea, that also enter the mix above. And of course, Canyon is coming to the US later this year which will stir thing up some more. In many regards, you won’t go wrong simply buying a bike for its looks.

The “cost” of an item includes the residual value at the end of the use period (for each user).

If it was my money, I’d factor that in, also. Doesn’t matter which brand you choose, they’ll all depreciate…some just worse than others. If you’re not familiar with the different brands, check Ebay or your local markets. Some brands hold their values a lot better than others.

Good luck.

True, though I generally consider all bike stuff as consumable expenses, especially if you figure a long use period (~5 years). However, if you are someone who upgrades a bike every couple years, then I would definitely factor a premium brand that holds value. What I have seen in longer term used bike values (starting around 3 years old), is that most bikes that were comparable as new tend to converge on the same price points after several years of depreciation. Basically, all used bikes tend to cost the same, so depreciation is generally equivalent for most bikes.

The current gen P2/P3 is about five years old. It is one of the oldest frame designs currently on the market. So, Cervelo is due for a model refresh. When Cervelo updates the P2/P3, the used values of the now-current gen will likely plummet.

I was looking at the premier (seems like a great value esp. after the aero bike shootout)

That would be my move should I find myself in your shoes. For $300 more (used A2 aero helmet and sleeved suit) you’ve got a package that holds it own against anything else on the market.

P2 is great bike and great value. I’d go with that if you fit on a long low frame. If you need tall and narrow consider Specialized Shiv. That too is a great bike and great value.

Mount an $800 set of Flo wheels to it.

Helmet, can’t go wrong with the Giro Advantage 2. They can be found for under $100 on amazon. The only downside with that helmet is flying with it. It is big and doesn’t fit too well in overhead bags.