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New-ish to Tri with ?'s
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 2019-03-27 10:31 AM |
 13 |  Subject: New-ish to Tri with ?'sHello All! I am very excited to be here! A little background about me: I grew up doing competitive sports, I did 3 sports in HS (swimming, field hockey and track) and 2 in college (swimming and field hockey). I did my first Triathlon in 2012, an Olympic, but life (marriage and 2 children) got in the way and now I am starting back at square one. I am so excited to be getting back into this, but it is very different than my training before. The past triathlon I did with Team in Training, so there was a lot of support, mentors, coaching and a set training schedule, but this time I am training/trying to figure things out on my own. I have two young kids and I work full-time, so I get training time in when I have a chance. I have been swimming 3 times a week (2kish yards per session), doing spin classes 2x a week at the gym and a then doing a couch to 5k run program (on month 2 now). I also play field hockey still once a week and I count my game as a run day for the couch to 5k program (is that bad/wrong?). Questions: 1. I am looking to do a Sprint Tri in June, but I do not have a bike. I rented/borrowed the bike I used during the 2012 season from TNT. I have read everywhere to just use one that you have or borrow one, but that is not an option. I looked on craigslist/ebay/facebook marketplace, but I am short 5'3" and I have no idea what I am really looking for, so it makes me hesitant. I also looked at some of the local bike shops, but I am not sure I want to pony up $700 on a new entry level bike when I might either "grow out of it quickly" or never use it again. What are my options? 2. I found two sprint Tri's within an hour of my house one is June 8 and the other is June 23. Is it too much for a new triathlete to do two sprint tris in this time frame? 3. The June 8 triathlon does the swim portion in a pool. Would it be odd for a women to wear a bathing suit during the swim and then just throw on shorts/bike shirt for bike/run or should I just get a tri suit? If tri suit, any recommendations? Thanks so much!! |
| 2019-03-27 4:58 PM in reply to: FishinPA |
Champion 7553     Albuquerque, New Mexico | Subject: RE: New-ish to Tri with ?'s Welcome! Bikes: Since you don't have a bike at all, spend a little time thinking about what kind of riding you're likely to do and then what bike best supports that. A road bike is efficient and will get you faster triathlon bike splits than other types of bikes, but isn't necessarily the best "all around" bike. (I had a road bike from high school that I rode for years, but got rid of when most of my riding was around the neighborhood with my boys and I spent more time fixing flat tires than riding. I got a mountain bike, did two triathlons on my mountain bike, and got another road bike.) You can ride a lot before you "out grow" a $700 road bike. That said, you might prefer to get a fitness bike and trade road efficiency for versatility (and lower cost). If you've had 2 kids in 7 years, you may spend more time riding with them, hauling them in a trailer, riding to the store, etc. where the upright position and heavier tires are worth sacrificing some efficiency/speed. You can get new fitness bikes for $300-500. Yes, you might find a used bike on Craigslist (I've bought two bikes off E-bay and another online)....but that $50 Schwinn might cost you $200-300 to fix up if you can't do the work yourself. If you want to do races 2 weeks apart, do them! Most of us aren't lucky enough to have that many local races. I don't think it would be odd to wear a swimsuit and pull on shorts/top after the swim (that's my usual recommendation to people who ask). It's best to try this to find out if the swimsuit provides enough support or if the swimsuit binds or chafes on either the bike or run. Hint: try riding/running in a WET swimsuit as well as the dry one...it may be different... |
| 2019-03-28 7:39 AM in reply to: McFuzz |
| 13 | Subject: RE: New-ish to Tri with ?'s McFuzz- Thank you so much for your reply! I will have to do some soul searching in regards to the bike. I am thankful to hear that you can ride for some time before outgrowing the entry level bike. The guy at the shop made it seem like I would be over it within a month and want to upgrade to the next level up (but he does get paid to sell more bikes!). I also need to get over myself, but I thought (my pride told me) I would need a road bike so that I would not be a laughing stock when I show up the day of the triathlon. I will do some brick workouts closer to June (when its warmer outside) to include a wet bathing suit. Since I come from a swimming heavy background, I basically grew up running and doing workouts/dry-land in a wet bathing suit, but I have not biked with a wet suit so I will need to test part that out. Thanks again  |
| 2019-04-01 11:55 AM in reply to: FishinPA |
Master 6595 Rio Rancho, NM | Subject: RE: New-ish to Tri with ?'s Bikes... when I got in to tri I bought a bike off of Craiglist. It was in ok shape and I got it from a college student who was heading back home. That bike got me through a couple years. Then I bought my first tri (TT) bike, also off craigslist. That one got me a couple more years and my first HIM. After that I figured I was serious and I spent more money on a new TT bike. You will certainly not be a laughing stock. I've seen everything from fixies to beach cruisers to TT bikes worth $$$ at local races. Triathletes are a very welcoming bunch and they'll welcome you as you are. Welcome to BT! |
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