General Discussion Triathlon Talk » New Bike for 2020 Triathlon Rss Feed  
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2020-01-02 4:50 PM


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Subject: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Hey there, Justin here - new to this site!

I did a spring triathlon last year and loved it. However, i purchased a cheap $200 road bike from Dick's just to make sure I enjoyed the sport.... I Do!

Any recommendations on a quality, beginner bike that won't break the bank!? (Roughly $500, maybe a bit more)?

Thanks in advance for your help and guidance and Happy New Year!


2020-01-02 10:58 PM
in reply to: jlobdell


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Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Can't give you a bike recommendation in that price range, but welcome to this forum!
2020-01-03 8:34 AM
in reply to: HaydenHunter


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Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Hey there, no worries. I just felt like the bike i used was cheap/not a smooth ride and held me back a bit - thank you very much and Happy New Year!
2020-01-03 11:25 AM
in reply to: jlobdell

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1508
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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon

Ya, you aren't going to find anything new in that price range.  Watch the used bike listings though.  Something that was fast 10 years ago is still going to be fast even if the manufacturer has come out with something newer that the previous owner feel the need to burn a few thousand dollars on.  For my first race, I had a bike budget of $300.  I thought I would find a decent street bike for that price.  As I looked at the price of clip-on aero bars I realized that unless I got the bike for free they would be out of the budget.  I lucked out and found a 15-year-old aluminum frame Triathlon bike with an aero frame design.  It was a very good find and they came down from the $320 asking price to $300.  It had good component groupsets, an upgraded saddle (that would cost $300 on its own), it was well maintained, it was in good condition, and it didn't hurt that it looked really flashy and got compliments from everyone that saw it.  It was also really fun to ride.  It had some drawbacks in that it was not really adjustable and could not move to the best position for me to ride in.  It also has 650C wheels which made tire shopping difficult.   It was a 9-speed.  I replaced it with a 10-speed 700C carbon frame bike that was half its age and met the spec given to be by my bike fitter.  I kept my first bike as my "B" bike and am as fast on it as my "A" bike that I spent $1500 on used.  Whatever you get, make sure it is fun to ride.  If it fits well the bike will be fun to ride if it doesn't fit fell then you won't like it and won't stick with it.

2020-01-03 1:11 PM
in reply to: jlobdell

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Master
2479
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Atlanta, Georgia
Gold member
Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Welcome to the board..

Yah, no new bike in that price range worth mentioning BUT the Cervelo P2 is an older design that is still sold. It was pretty cutting edge stuff a decade ago and they sold like hotcakes. I am certain you could find a used one at the price you mentioned, given a little patience. Lots of tri-folks bought these and would have either upgraded or left the sport. I recommend keeping an eye on the eBay's/local Craigslist for suitable frame. I advise one with a Shimano groupset..

Good luck with your training but careful..this sport is addictive!
2020-01-03 1:55 PM
in reply to: alltom1

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Master
3888
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Overland Park, KS
Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
I wouldn't necessarily say you couldn't get something quality in that range. For the first 5 years of my triathlon experience I rode a Felt F75 road bike with a 105 Shimano groupset. I added clip-on aerobars and a Fast Forward Seatpost to get into a more tri-specific position. When I looked at bicycle blue book website my bike showed up at under $400 in "excellent" condition.

Check craigslist, Facebook Swap & Shop pages etc. I bet you can find something quality and smooth riding for around $500. it might be 8-10 years old but my 2011 Felt with original 105 shifters/derailers still runs strong.


2020-01-03 2:22 PM
in reply to: reecealan

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Master
3888
20001000500100100100252525
Overland Park, KS
Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Here's an example of what's out there used. Not sure what year but this is a Specialized Transition TT bike for $500 and if you look it up in bicycle blue book I'm sure the seller could come down a little on price. You have to shop around a bit so it could take a few months to find something but if you're not in a big hurry something will show up that's in your price range.

https://huntsville.craigslist.org/bik/d/albertville-specialized-tran...
2020-01-03 3:40 PM
in reply to: 0

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Champion
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon

Welcome Justin,

A new "entry level" road bike from your local shop is likely to run you $700-800 before you add anything else like pedals.  Nothing wrong with "entry level" though.  Many of the bike frames come from the same factories in China and at that end are almost all the same Shimano components.  

You *can* go somewhere like bikesdirect.com and get bikes under $500.  However...you'll likely make up much of the difference paying the local shop to assemble and/or tune up the bike and run a basic fit setup.  (These are usually included in the price of bikes they have on the floor.)  

Alternatively, you can go the used route.  Your local shop might have a selection of used bikes in addition to the new ones.  You *can* do CL or garage sales.  (I've bought used bikes off E-bay well before CL was viable.)  I put about 1500 miles on an old Raleigh and I've put over 5000 miles on an old Klein bought through E-Bay.  A caution about this route...there's no such thing as a "cheap bike," especially one you're buying sight unseen.  Expect to put new tires and tubes, new brake pads, possibly a new chain, and probably a tune-up on that bike.  This gets pricey if you're paying the local shop mechanic for all of this.  For a locally purchased bike, consider paying the mechanic at the shop for a pre-purchase inspection (if you're especially lucky, he'll already be familiar with it because the current owner had it maintained at the shop).  

Edited (I thought you had a second post mentioning bumpy ride).  If your biggest objection with the bike you have is a bumpy ride, you can probably get different tires for $30-40 apiece rather than a whole different bike.  Do some homework, but you might be able to swap 700Cx35 tires for 700Cx32 or 700Cx28 with 700Cx25 without changing rims.  700C would be the rim diameter and the x## the approximate width of the tire in mm.  Narrower tires usually require higher pressure and are considerably lighter weight.  Just looking briefly, within a single tire, going from 700Cx35 to 700Cx32 is about 2 ounces lighter (and this is rotating mass) and probably runs 5-10 psi higher pressure.  



Edited by McFuzz 2020-01-03 4:00 PM
2020-01-03 4:05 PM
in reply to: alltom1


4

Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Thanks for that feedback!
2020-01-03 4:07 PM
in reply to: reecealan


4

Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
Thanks so much for that specific example!
2020-01-03 9:32 PM
in reply to: 0

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Master
8247
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Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: New Bike for 2020 Triathlon
I sold a P2 (not sure of year--2010?) in 2018 for about $500, plus a bit more for some newer add-ons like pedals and aero-bars. It was still in really good shape (it had gotten me to/through two world championships for 70.3 distance). I think I bought it for about $800 "new" (secondhand, around 2015?). Very serviceable and sturdy bike, and reasonably fast, handles well even on some pretty technical courses. I only sold it because of some persistent fit issues that could not be addressed with that particular model of bike (I was kind of between sizes; the reach on the size that fit best height and leg-length wise was just too short and it was making my back too tight over long distances). Actually I am still riding a newer P2--the reach can be more easily adjusted on that model, and it is just the most comfortable bike I've found.

Edited by Hot Runner 2020-01-03 9:34 PM


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