Thinking of Trying a Tri

Hi Ladybug...welcome to the group! First off, I'd say if you already have a mountain bike and are in the market to buy one for triathlons, I'd go ahead and purchase a road bike instead of a hybrid. You don't need a tri-specific model, just a good quality road bike with Shimano Tiagra or Shimano 105 components will be fine. It's something you can add aero bars to in the future if you feel you need them. Go with a good brand name, like Specialized, Cannondale, Trek or something similar, as they will hold their resale value better if you find the need to upgrade in a few years. Shop around at different bike stores, and go with the one that is enthusiastic about making sure you have the right size bike for you. The more attention the sales guy is paying to details like frame size, cmponents, proper fit, etc., the more apt he is to steer you in the right direction, and is less likely doing all that work strictly to make a dollar.

Lastly, look into doing a short distance triathlon this summer, you should be able to find something that might fit your experience level, something that has distances that you can manage after a couple months of training. Check out Ron's training programs here, as there are several that should suit your beginner status level.

Post often and ask lots of questions...there are some fine folks here happy to help out!

Max

Hi Ladybug,

I to am from the great white north. where are you from?

I am in Edmonton, there are lots of races that you could do probably this year.

After all why wait to get the bug...

Short distance like a sprints are doable trust me, When I started down this road I weighed 325 lbs. at my first race.

It was a blast and now I am hooked

Oh by the way I am now around 190 lbs. that was done in 1 yr. just doing tri races and eating right.

As far as your question about what type of bike to buy is concerned I would not buy the hybrid I would go with a good road bike.

If you are not sure if this tri thing will work for you throw a couple of slicks on the mountain bike and away you go.

If you are a little not sure what people will think of you riding a mountain bike go down to a race in your area and you will see lots of them. In some races they evan have separate divisions for mountain bikes.

So welcome the site.

Have fun.

Roy

I agree with Max and Roy about the bike thing!  Good luck in your training - you will find plenty of advice here!