All new to this in Arizona

Hey Ken...welcome to BT. I did my first Tri a month ago tomorrow. The most essential gear you will need include:

Bike
Helmet
Swimwear
Goggles
Running shoes
Shirt of some kind(for the bike and run)

If you want some of the gear cheap you can always check craigslist for used stuff. As for clothing, I purchased pearl izumi tri shorts and use those with an under armor compression top that i have used for years.

Hope this helps

The biggext investment you need to make now is time. Start swimming, biking, and runnng.

Any pair of goggles will do for the swim...

Go and get fitted for running shoes (Runner's Den, Roadrunner, etc), this will get you in the right shoes and can make all the difference in the world.

Any bike will do for now...just get out and spend some time in the saddle (I used a 20yr old road bike for my few tri's) Make sure you wear a helmet.

Once you've been training and maybe done a few sprints, you'll become more familiar with what's out there and you'll see some things that you'll like. Don't be afraid to ask people about their gear and where they got them - - tri peeps are very friendly.

Get some sunglasses, a hat, a watch too!

This is a great place to start. Using the training logs on this site is a great tool to track your training.

Edited by Fitzy 2009-06-16 9:50 AM

Your First Triathlon by Joe Friel will point you in the right direction. Then you have to collect ALL of Joe Friel's books (or borrow them from a fellow triathlete until you amass your own library). 

Hang around here on BT, come out to group rides, runs and swims. We are a very friendly crowd, and even friendlier if you bring beer!

WELCOME!!! Most of your questions can be answered on these boards and on this site!

Thank you everyone for your help.  I just bought a mountain bike recently, which of course is not really the best bike for doing tri's.  Any recommendation on what kind of bike to look for?

It's not the best bike, but it's certainly doable, plenty of people do their first few triathlons on mtn bikes. If you do that, I'd recommend a pair of slick tires instead of knobbies.

If you want a bike specifically for road/tri, I'd look in the classifieds here and on eBay. Fuji, Trek, Specialized all make pretty decent entry level road bikes. I'd look for minimum of Shimano 105 components (Gears and levers and brakes, etc), and almost anything 2005ish and newer will be perfectly fine. Even older will be good, but depending on use you may need to look at replacing some of the components if you go older than that.

You don't have to worry about clipon pedal systems, aero bars, any of that unless you want to and have the budget, but see how you like triathlons and riding before you plop down a huge chunk of $$$.

John

Ken,
It sounds like you have enough gear to start.  Get on that mountain bike and ride.  Every day.  Take it to the grocery store, to work, wherever.  Ride it enough that you feel like a kid again.  Enjoy going fast and maybe even work on your wheelies.

Ride it to a pool and practice swimming.  If you're like most of us, your swimming will really stink at first.  I can ride a hundred miles, but I feel like I'm going to die after a few hundred yards in the pool.  If you feel that way too, get a book called Total Immersion and take your time learning how to swim relaxed.  Many folks have promised that once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to swim for miles.

Since you have a bike and I'm assuming something to wear in the pool, the next purchase should be a pair of running shoes.  Don't buy these on your own, and don't skimp here.  A good pair could cost $80-100!  If you don't have that kind of coin... stash away some money for a few months while you focus on riding and swimming.  Once you have the cash, go to a running store like Sole Sports or Road Runners.  Explain that you need a new pair of shoes and aren't sure where to start.  They will ask you run for them so that they can analyze your gait.  Then, they'll help you find just the right pair of shoes. (Believe it or not, all of those different shoes really have specific purposes).  Don't shy away from this step.  Don't go get any ol' pair of shoes from the mall.  If you get a pair that is specifically designed for a light-weight under-pronator and you're a medium-built over-pronator, then you will start getting injuries in no time.  Really.  Go to a running store and have them help you.

If you're hooked on swim-bike-run by the end of summer, then sign up for the Pabst Blue Ribbon Off-Road Triathlon.  It's short, requires a mountain bike and ends with a slip and slide!  Here's a link to the website for more information... http://redrockco.com/pbr-road-triathlon 

I wish you the best of luck and I hope you come to love triathlon.

Scott

I have an entry level road bike for sale. E-mail me and we can discuss this.

[email protected]

Scott,

That sounds like a great triathlon!  I am going to look more into it.

Thanks,
Ken