New bike questions (101 level type questions)

Hi Brian,

I'm not a bike guru but can offer you some perspective.  First, full disclosure, I ride a CAAD10 and don't have any experience with the Treks. (I love my CAAD10 BTW).

1) You mentioned needing a "better bike" which I assume means that you already have a bike? Is it a road bike? Have you done any races yet?  If it is a road bike then I would ask what kind of bike you really need.  If you haven't done any triathlons yet then I might suggest getting a race or two under your belt to see if you like the sport first.  If you find that you love it and want to train primarily for triathlons then I would suggest getting a tri bike over a road bike.  But you won't know that until you do some tris first.

2) Trek vs. Cannondale - you'll probably hear it many more times but get the bike that fits you best.  Frames from different manufacturers have different geometry that suit different people better.  Does your LBS do a bike fitting?  You want to get the bike that most closely matches your body type.  For example, I've read that Cannondales tend to be a little long and seem to fit people with longer torsos and shorter legs. Either way fit comes first.  If you find your sales guy pushing you towards the more expensive bike even if its not the best bike for you, run hard and fast and find another store. Don't buy the marketing hype.

3) Carbon vs Aluminium - Not all Carbon is created equal.  Some are pretty poor and you would be better off getting an aluminium frame. That being said, I believe the CAAD10 is probably the best aluminum road frame you can currently get.  I have no idea how it compares to Cannondales own carbon frames or Trek's carbon frames.  Still, bang for the buck, it's pretty hard to beat the CAAD10 frame (if it fits you that is).

4) Components - Really, everything at the 105 level and above should be good enough for the amateur athlete.  I ride a CAAD10-5 or with 105 level components.  105 is good enough for 90% of us here on BT. I believe the differences in going higher is a few grams here or there.

At least that's my 2c

I see that you have IMFL on your race list.  I'd go carbon.  I feel that it helps dampen the ride and that it makes recovery go better.  With the training volume that you will be doing to prepare, I think that is a good direction.

I have had no problems with "dents and dings" on any of my bikes, carbon or aluminum.

The reason that I recommend carbon is the high training volume most people put in to complete an IM.  Anything that makes you less fatigued and/or aids recovery is a good thing.

One thing that you did not ask about is wheels.  Do the bikes that you are looking at all come with the same wheelset?  Wheels make a big difference.  If the aluminum bike has a better wheelset, well...

Thanks everyone for all the information and suggestions.  

@wushunut - "better bike"...good question.  I've done 1 HIM and 2 Oly races in the past two years, and for all three, I've used a Giant sport fitness bike.  Essentially, it's their lower end road bike with a flat handle bars.  It's a really nice around town bike, so needless to say, I need to upgrade to a "better bike".  

@jmkizer and @six000mileyear - carbon vs. alum is the key question, and thanks for your comments.  I'm going to try a few models and see what I like best.  Budget issues are also an issues, so the all-in cost is important...so the new seat and pedals comments were very helpful too.

@DanielG - bike fit...a must.  Thanks!

BTW, does anybody have any opinions on the Kestrel Talon Road bike?  The Nytro and All3Sports packages seem interesting.