Intro bike and when to upgrade?

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2009-06-07 10:22 PM

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Subject: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
I'm going to do triathlons, and have running and swimming experience, and commute by bike about 50 miles a week (this will double in August, I'm moving).

I played college football, my playing weight was 6'3" 235, and I am about 250 now.  I expect to loose 25 - 30 lbs. in training, so will still be Clydesdale as I improve.

Question is:  Am I going to be unsafe, inefficient, embarrassed, or all of the above if I just use my commuter bike in training and competition (complete with rack and even baby seat)?  When I upgrade to a tri-bike, what can I get off the shelf under $1000 setup for a Clydesdale?  I'm not getting into triathlons to become a gearhead, so something low maintenance is best.

Thanks for the advice,

sriney

2009-06-08 4:31 AM
in reply to: #2201044

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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
You won't be embarrassed with your commuter bike by anyone but yourself.  The other racers will be too caught up in their own race to care what you're riding.  Unless, of course, you pass someone with an uber expensive bike on your commuter.  They'll notice, and then they'll be embarrassed. 

What you might find helpful is to keep the baby seat on there, and keep snacks in it, and sell them along the way. 

In terms of getting a tri-bike off the shelf for <$1000, you might be in for a long search.  Craigslist and eBay are great places to look, but going to a shop to find one might not be realistic.  The general consensus seems to be to get your first bike used, as you can get a decent one when someone upgrades for a good price.  If you want to go with a road bike, you can find one new at a bike shop for less than 1K, as an entry level bike though.
2009-06-08 9:59 AM
in reply to: #2201044

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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
In my first tri I am going to be using my road bike. It is a Fuji Rouboix Pro with a mix of Ultegra and 105 components. The only upgrade I will be making is a set of aero bars and an aero bottle for drinking. Will it be the fastest? NO...... but then again neither will I. When it comes down to how succesfull I will be, it will come down to me not the bike. Buy or use a bike that you are comfortable on, and you enjoy riding. The only thing that makes us faster is time in the the saddle.

2009-06-08 8:55 PM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
If you want a new bike and can afford one, buy one.  I bought my first tri specific bike last year for @ $800 it was a Javelin and it was on closeout.  I do believe you can pick up a Felt for that price.  I will tell you that since I've also bought a road bike and would rather ride it.  If I had a choice I would take the road bike.  I only plan on 4-5 races a year.
2009-06-08 10:38 PM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
I take the rack and baby seat off the back before I race. Other then that I will be on my steel touring frame bike I got used for a while. I personally don't believe that a multi $$$$ bike will make a difference in my overall fitness level or enjoyment from training and racing.  If I start getting competitive and get close to placing I will start cruising the classifieds for a used tri and/or dedicated road bike.  I passed plenty of people on my first tri. It has a lot more to do with the engine I believe. My opinion is keep the bike you are on and have fun.
2009-06-09 7:14 AM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?

In Triathlon you will see everything and for some of us getting passed on hills by "everything" really sucks. I have a friend who did two years of OLY's on an old Mountain bike. His wife finally convinced him that he had to buy a road bike and he went to a race that he had done twice on a mountain bike and over the course of 25 miles he bettered his time buy only a handful of minutes.

Now will it be easier and more efficient to have a great road or tri bike yes. But there is really no reason to run out and spend a lot of money until you make sure this is what you want to do. We all want this to be something that you do but trust me using the "if I spend a lot of money on this it will ensure I use it" approach does not necessarily work (I have a bowflex for sale if anyone is interested).

I sell bikes at a bike shop and get a really great deal on bikes for myself but I know that I will get much more improvement from loosing 50lbs than I will ever get from a $5000 bike. One of the owners of the shop told me yesterday that for every 10 lbs that you lose it will increase you climbing speed by an average of 3 mph.

So in my opinion go out, train hard, run what you brung, and reward yourself with a new bike after reaching some predetermined fitness goal such as weigh loss or Personal Record.

2009-06-09 7:53 AM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
Use your bike now and see if you like triathlons.  If you do, in my opinion wait till Decemeber / January to buy your bike.  Its like buying a car, when the 2010 models come out the 2009 models will be cheaper, I got my bike for $1400 when it was $2500 in the summer.
2009-06-09 9:36 PM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
Great, thanks for the advice guys.  My thoughts were to train hard, do a few Sprints, and work up toward a faster machine.

See you all out there!
2009-06-10 4:04 PM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
I did my first triathlon last year (sprint distance) and used my mountain bike; complete with suspension, blinky rear light, kick stand and baby seat bracket [I did remove the actual baby seat].  Why not just use what you already have for the first year.  Equipment does make a difference but you have to be able to extract the performance from it.  A poor cyclist cannot win a bike race just because they have a $50k bicycle.

I did end up buying a used tri bike for this year but I will be using clips and straps with it this year and not clipless pedals/shoes.  One step at a time for me.  I might even be able to get below the clydesdale weight limit this year.
2009-07-04 10:30 AM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
One thing to note is that the time savings from a tri or time trial bike on really kick in when speeds broach 19 mph. Therefor, you would be better served by getting a light, good training bike to start, and then move into a TT bike later. The handling on a TT bike is very twitchy, so you should be comfy riding a road bike first. If you really get into it later, get a Tri bike then. Get one and add clip on style bars. I train 70% of the time on my road bike, and only do speed work and PR efforts on my TT. Many companies make decent starter road bikes for under $1000.00. Only as time goes on will you notice the benefits of higher end gear. Good luck, and I am sure you will have fun on whatever you end up with. Just remember it will have to be you on the bike, so go with you your gut when you pick on out!
-Steve
2009-07-08 7:49 PM
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Subject: RE: Intro bike and when to upgrade?
I only had an old mountain bike. When I say "old" I meant about 10yrs old.  I figured I would just use it but after taking it for a few runs, I realized that there was no way it was going to work.  I went to a bike shop and experienced the sticker shock of bikes in the thousands of dollars.  Sorry but I believe the majority of that cost is hype so I refuse to waste that money. I ended up just buying a 700c Schwinn off of Amazon.com for around $250 shipped.  I took the same route I had been taking with my mountain bike and improved by 5 mph so I feel as if I got a lot of bang for the buck.  The bike is far from perfect but I can adjust and I feel like I can grow with this bike. 

Good luck and don't feel shamed into wasting a bunch of money early in the game. (just my humble opinion)

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