Subject: RE: 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 |