Renting is a viable option, but a decent race wheel setup does not have to cost "thousands." For a few hundred you can usually find a good used front and a disc cover for the rear.
I've rented a couple times and saw nothing wrong with it. I went to the local LBS, and for $50 they put a pair of Specialized Tri Spokes on the bike with my cassette. I went in and had the wheels installed the Wed of race week and then returned by Tues after the race. Cost $50.
I figured I could rent those for quite a while before coming close to owning my own set of wheels...
I've rented a couple times and saw nothing wrong with it. I went to the local LBS, and for $50 they put a pair of Specialized Tri Spokes on the bike with my cassette. I went in and had the wheels installed the Wed of race week and then returned by Tues after the race. Cost $50.
I figured I could rent those for quite a while before coming close to owning my own set of wheels...
Why not?
Eight races to break even on the kind of expenditures I'm referring to. And I've done twice that many in a year.