Do I need a road bike?

Welcome to BT!

1.  Lots of people ride mountain bikes when they first start doing triathlons.  Some races even have separate classes for mountain bikes.

2.  Take a look on the BT home page for the free 13-week beginner training plan for sprint races.  That will give you an idea of the type of preparation required to get you comfortably through your first race.  

Good luck,

Mark

As others have said you don't need a road bike to do a tri.  You might think about putting slick tires on which shouldn't cost too much. 

I'm not sure what you're asking in number 2?

Good luck on the smoking cessation!  I quit over 8 years ago and I don't regret it one bit.  It may really help when you're craving a smoke to head out for a jog or a swim or something that is more difficult when you're a smokeer just to remind yourself of why you're doing it.  I'm guessing you will notice a difference in your lung capacity fairly quickly.  

1.  You do not need to have a road bike.  However, tris are a great excuse to get one if you really want one!  But the mountain bike will be fine - you won't be the only one by any means.

2.  If you train consistently, you will see a nice amount of improvement - let's face it, you'll be be able to do a tri, whereas you couldn't do one on day 1 of training.   I second the recommendation to check out the training plans on the site.

Good luck with the smoking. I quit 10 plus years ago cold turkey and never looked back. My wife has been smoke free for 3 months. She used chantix to help her along the way.

As far as a bike...ride what you can afford. To reiterate a previous poster...swap your tires for road/slick tires. Also get a tire repair kit and know how to use it. Here is a good kit that I have seen many folks use to include myself. There are other brands too. http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bikeprods.aspx?prodid=1047

Use the free training plans. Find one that fits you. You can always mix and match and adjust as necessary.

Also check out Jeff Galloway's site regarding walk/run. http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/walk_breaks.html

best of luck

Need is very subjective. Mrs. gearboy thinks I don't "need" most of the things I have in the gearzone. But as others have said, if you don't have the money, or are unsure, go with your mountain bike (just swap out the tires). Later, you will discover your needs w/r/t new bikes is to have n+1, where n=the current number of bikes. The only other thing you may need is a pair of goggles for the swim.  I assume you have a pair of sneakers.  Theoretically (and I've seen it done), you can do the whole thing in either a bathing suit or bike shorts.

I think to answer the second question you will start to see a lot of changes, both physically and mentally.  For me, the biggest mental change was in what I considered a "long" workout.  I just got back into tri-ing after a nearly 10 year hiatus, and my baseline at the start of this year was low.  Now a mile swim is a reasonable short swim, my short bike loop is about 16 miles.  My run is weak, so I won't go there. But the point is not only that you will be doing longer distances, but that they will seem reasonable. Plus if you are having weight issues now, they will get a lot better, even as you eat more overall.

It's smart to take it slow at first, so you can get to know your body's responses before pushing yourself.

There are other threads about people's first races, but the common theme is that everyone is nervous (even after doing many races, people get nervous); practice bricks (two workouts back to back, like bike-run) and transitions; take it easy in the swim; and try to have fun.

Of course you NEED a road bike

And you'll NEEDa wetsuit...

then you'll NEEDa tri-bike...

then you'll NEEDlots of gels, GU's, sportsdrink, and recovery drink...

then you'll NEED race entry fees and transportation $$

It's the American way!

Seriously, as long as you've got a bike in good working condition somewhat close to the right size, helmet, running shoes, and a swimsuit, you're good to go. 

Oh, oh, can I add to this?

You'll NEED aerobars

You'll NEED tri-shoes

You'll NEED a race belt

You'll NEED a tri-suit...

Congratulations on the decision to quit smoking!  I too gave up smoking for lactic acid (first running, then tris, and now cycling).

You'll be surprised how much progress you make if you are consistent.  I actually found that the free-floating energy I had during quitting was pretty easy to channel in to exercise.  If I got an urge to smoke at home, I would do a few crunches on my fitness ball until the urge passed

You'll be fine on the mountain bike if your goal is to finish.  Have you thought about signing up for an off-road tri (like Xterra).  That would enable you to turn the MTB into an asset rather than a liability. 

 Since your new, let me explain that red is used to show sarcasm here at BT.  Just in case you didn't know.