Question for Triathletes (Read 1138 times)

When I started looking into Bikes, I was surprised how expensive they were. (I guess I'm just used to buying bikes from Target for my kids). Even an entry level road bike is about $700.

Yeah, but you definitely get what you pay for. The typical department store bike has a lifespan of a few hundred miles, is heavy, works poorly, and is difficult to repair or adjust; they're also generally assembled by surly minimum-wage teenagers. The $700 bike will last for years and can be easily upgraded, and was put together by a bike shop mechanic. (I have a pretty low opinion of department store bikes; I found one recently that had PLASTIC brakes. I could bend them with my fingers. Horror, horror, horror...) did

I just replied here... http://www.runningahead.com/forums/post/007ecbb6613f4fd98dccded888c5d109#focus ...regarding this topic (page 2). My opinion hasn't changed in the last 5 minutes. Craig

No, you don't need a tri bike, and some people don't want them. I'm one of those people. I want to ride my bike for other purposes than tris, so I wanted a good road bike that would work for tris. Now, my road bike has more of a tri configuration, but it is NOT a tri bike. I got my bike on craigslist for $800. The original price on the the bike was $2000, and it was only 3 years old and well cared for. The woman who sold it to me rode it in tris. It was just a little too small for her. Honestly, I see more road bikes than tri bikes in the tris I do. You will see fancier bikes at Olys than you'll see at Sprints. It really doesn't matter if you're doing it for fun, but a good bike makes it more fun. I would recommend going to a bike shop and do some browsing and some learning about components and carbon and such so you know what to look for. Then, wait for a good deal or look on craigslist. I found a new bike for a really good deal, but I found a nicer bike on craigslist for about the same price. I started my tri training on a mountain bike and HATED biking. As soon as i got my road bike, I fell in love with biking. DH also bought his road bike on craigslist. It was a $1600 bike for about $800 including pedals and shoes, and the bike was almost never ridden (1 year old). Yes, entry level bikes will run you $600-700 often without pedals. BUT -- you can get that same bike on craigslist for about $300 if you are patient. So, decide what you want, then be patient and shop around. I had a hard time finding a women's bike small enough for me, but it didn't take long for the perfect one to come up. After that, I really didn't see many, though. I guess I got lucky! Kelli