Subject: RE: Road bike questions... Depends on your "bank" but the Trek 1.2 is a very serviceable bike. I trained and raced on one for several years before getting a tri bike at the end of last year. I think mine was $800 new but that was in Singapore--US prices might be lower. Mine has a triple cassette (gears ) so nice for hilly rides/races (which I rarely have here ). It's not the fastest or most aero bike, but you can improve it by adding aerobars and getting a good fit. I've won a small tri on it, and done 36 minutes for a sprint bike split, which is moving right along for me. I'm faster on my tri bike, but the 1.2 is okay, especially with the bars added. In my experience it's a very comfortable bike; I've done an 85 mile ride on it with no issues. I'd consider it for a HIM or IM if it was hilly with lots of technical descents. It's also held up well to sometimes rough riding conditions here.
If you are willing to buy secondhand, you can usually get more bike for your $. Entry-level bikes tend to come on the market a lot as people get into tri or cycling and upgrade. It helps to know what you're looking for, and something about fit, as well as be able to check (or bring the bike to someone who can check ) before buying for mechanical issues that you might have to pay a lot to fix. Edited by Hot Runner 2015-05-30 6:03 PM
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