Lake Waconia Tri (Page 2)

I had an aluminum bike for many, many years (and, in fact, prefer it to carbon). And I've ridden Zipps and Heds since I got it. Don't put down the Al-u-min-ee-um (as the brits say).

Skewers are a dime a dozen. Any bike shop has a box of them lying around and will give you one for a couple of bucks (Gear West included). Failing that, pull the skewer out of your training wheels on race day.

Tires: probikekit.com  Great prices (best I've found), excellent customer service, fast turnaround, and you can often find a coupon for an additional 5-10% off. I just got a new set of Vittorias (b/c, yes, I am lame...I wanted a color to match my bike...SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT PEOPLE WASTING $$ ON STUFF THEY DON'T DESERVE??? :p) for about a third of what they retail around here for.

Cassette: same thing as skewers...grab a 105 or Ultegra cassette off ebay or nashbar.

You can pimp those puppies out for far less than $300.

Eventually you will want race wheels. Trust me. And then you will be stuck laying out a crapload more than $200.

If you need the cash, then that's one t hing. But if you really aren't strapped for $$, and you like tris...enjoy the free stuff. It's free speed. If nothing else...THEY LOOK PRETTY!

Seriously, keep the wheels. Ride on them all the time if you want. They're definitely durable enough to take what most triathletes can throw at them. And, like rocker said, you can get these babies rolling for WAY less than $300. Heck, pick up a cheap chain whip and put the cassette from your training wheels onto your race wheels. Will take you all of about 10 minutes. Then use the skewers from your training wheels, too. So all you need is tyres. Rocker's right about probikekit.com, too. Easily the best prices on just about anything.

Keep them and enjoy the hell out of them. Or let me pay you $50 for them.

You guys are horrible influences.  I was going to do the practical thing, now you've got me all excited about gaining 0.5 mph on my next sprint tri!  Anybody want to help me glue on the tubulars?

Hey congrats on the tires, I was one of the people hoping that every name was not there until they got to my name for the wheels.  I think that is the only way I will see a set of wheels like that in the near future.  I am not to the point of needing the wheels, but would argue that they will help improve speed, just not as much as the elites. 

As many others have suggested, you can find some pretty basic parts to get them up and running.  I was trying to figure out what I could sell in order to buy them off you, but I decided I should hang on to my soul a bit longer!

What, you came here expecting the crackheads to tell you to put down the crack pipe?!?!

Enjoy the wheels. I have clinchers so I can't help you with tubies but I think there may be some videos to help you floating around the intarwebz. Good luck!