Olympic tri on a hybrid bike?

Why do something that you are fairly sure you will be uncomfortable completing??  There is no "rush" to doing any certain distance.  I would suggest doing the sprint and in the future training adequately for the olympic so that the cycling portion doesn't present as much of a challenge.

Welcome to BT and good luck with whatever decision you make!

Edited by Daremo 2009-06-02 8:26 PM

I regularly ride 25+ miles on my hybrid trek and will be using it in my first tri (an oly) at the end of June. My bike fits me well and is comfortable even at those distances. I am not as fast as I could be on a road bike but I usually keep up with friends paces on rides. All comes down to the engine and the fit but if it is not comfortable I would not do it.

< doing an upcoming cancer 150 on my hybrid.

Trying to decide on different wheels, but Im pretty comfortable on the Trek 7300. I have done 65 miles at a time before by myself, so I think with others around and some encouragement two 75 mile days wont be too bad. The 65 mile ride was on my 7th ride ever since I was a kid. Just headed out and kept going.

Im not very fast...I go 270lbs and at 65 miles I avg'd just a touch over 12. I suppose pretty pathetic really but I survived.

I do get off the bike and stretch after the first 5 miles, seems thats where I notice the first few twinges coming. Then usually about every 10 miles after that. I have never had the bike fitted for me, shop I bought it from just said "keep adjusting it till it feels right" - nice. I didnt know any better though.

Nice to know other people are using Hybrid bikes.

IMO, there's nothing wrong with riding a hybrid any distance as long as you are OK with being slow. But with the exception of fatigue pain (Eg. a sore neck simply from having to hold up your head on a long bike ride), I wouldn't do anything that causes other types of pain. If I get any pain that I can't explain, I stop immediately and start trying to solve the puzzle of what is causing the pain.

I did my first Tri an Olympic one at that (56K Bike) on a Mountain Bike. A cheapo Jeep Wrangler one at that and did fine. Wasn't very fast but my goal was to finish and that I did. There were several people riding Hybrids and mountain bikes. I would say go for it!!