I did my first triathlon last year and quickly realized that my crappy hybrid bike was an anchor around my neck (I think the moment of realization was when a 40+ year old women that weighed more than me passed me!). I am not a serious rider and don't plan to be so not looking to spend a ton. I just need a bike to train on and race with once or twice a year. I don't plan on being Lance. Any thoughts?
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Advice needed - Road bikes (the ones with pedels!)
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 BadgerTJ |
Advice needed - Road bikes (the ones with pedels!) |
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Posts: 12 05/02/08 12:41 PM |
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badgerhockey1 |
bikes | #1 | ||
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Posts: 161 05/02/08 1:29 PM |
I bought a trek pilot 1.0 last year and love it. i probably ride about 150 miles per week on it. its one of the intro type bikes and costs anywhere between
550-800, depending on what time of year you get it. i got mine as a 2006 model on sale right after the 2007s came out for 40% off.
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noshbygosh |
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Posts: 507 05/02/08 2:57 PM |
Well, it depends how serious you are about triathlons. There are bikes especially built for these types of races. They're very fast but not the most
comfortable for other types of riding (especially if you go on long training rides). Hence, you need to figure out if you want a good road bike that will
suffice on triathlons with a purchase of some additional parts, or if you want a bike principally built for triathlons. There are lots of choices out there.
If you live in or near Madison, I'd venture to Cro-Metro (Sp?), which basically caters to racers of various stripes. If you end up going with a nice road
bike and again are near southern Wisconsin, I'd go to Waterford Bicycle and have Richard Schwinn or one of his associates fit you up with something
(presuming you have some cash to spend). Otherwise, any decent local bike shop will help you find a bike. At a minimum, I would test out and ride bikes made
of aluminum, steel, titanium, and carbon. They all "feel" different. Also beware about the components put on the bike. Make sure you get nothing
lower than Shimano 105 parts for the derailleur. Ensure good wheels. And be ready to test a number of different types of seats as well as cleats.
Report back on the specs and bike model. There is lots of drooling going to happen.
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"Goldie: The only mascot who's been spayed." Monsignor, November 15, 2007 |
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CFB Hypesman |
#3 | |||
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Posts: 106 05/02/08 4:57 PM |
I just bought a Motobecane Mirage Sport Pro off ebay 2 months ago. The bike is great. I took it the local bike shop to have it tuned up and it has been great
since. There are a couple places you can look online if you know what kind of fit you need that might save you a few bucks. I looked at the Wheel &
Sprocket expo here in Milwaukee this year but everything was a little out of my range. I spent $500 on the bike including shipping, $65 to have it set up.
This is a pretty good site to compare prices. www.bikesdirect.com |
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BadgerTJ |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 13 05/02/08 7:39 PM |
Thanks for the thoughts. I live in Naperville and will spend some quality time at a local store called "Endure It". I am not a serious triathlete -
just need to have a goal or I won't get out to exercise. Sounds like a decent road bike is the way to go. The research I did had such a broad range that
I was a little intimidated. If I can get something decent for $800 or less I think I can justify it.
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noshbygosh |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 510 05/04/08 3:21 PM |
If I can get something decent for $800 or less I think I can justify it.For that little money, you're better off going to Craigs List or Ebay and buying something used. $800 is set aside for "entry level" bikes with lots of compromises done on parts and components. Don't do it.
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"Goldie: The only mascot who's been spayed." Monsignor, November 15, 2007 |
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DeMayonnaise |
#6 | |||
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Posts: 424 05/04/08 6:50 PM Bring back Taco Johns on Regent Street! |
I'm planning on doing a triathlon this summer and just use my hybrid bike. It's a Fuji Absolute, and works just fine for long rides. I have no problem
keeping a pace with the tools serious bikers who are all decked out in spandex and biking shoes and what
not, while I'm wearing baggy shorts, a cut off T, and have pedals with toe clips. I'm doing the marathon distance, which is like 24 miles on the bike,
so how bad can it be?
#4 in your program, #1 in your heart
We'll miss you Brett |
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noshbygosh |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 512 05/05/08 8:51 AM |
FYI, the spandax in the bike shorts are there for a purpose. It's to protect your crotch from saddle sore. It's not the spandex per se that does it,
it's the cushion (chamois) woven in to the shorts that make it a worthwhile investment.
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"Goldie: The only mascot who's been spayed." Monsignor, November 15, 2007 |
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Sandy Colfax |
Tri Bikes | #8 | ||
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Posts: 41 05/05/08 11:16 AM |
Some good information from all of you. If you are interested in continuing with triathlons I would suggest buying a tri specific bicycle, but only if you
are going to do Olympic or longer distances. You can get by with a good road bike if you stick with the sprint distances. There are lots of reasons to get a
tri or time trial specific bike for the longer distances. The main ones are comfort (on the forward position saves you for the run) and the fact that you can
go much faster than on a road bike.
I have a Felt S22 triathlon bike and a Felt F1 road bike. I use the road bike through most of the "winter" during training rides and use the tri
bike for mostly racing. The funny think about my setup is that my road bike is actually lighter than my tri bike.
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DeMayonnaise |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 428 05/05/08 11:40 AM Bring back Taco Johns on Regent Street! |
When I say keep pace with the serious bikers, I really mean be able to finish a triathlon in a respectable time, not make an olympic team. I guess my
definition of serious biker is probably your definition as just someone who does it as a hobby. As a 22 year old with nothing to do this summer but workout, I
think I have a pretty big advantage over old people with jobs, even if they do have a better bike. I never claim to be an upper echelon biker, nor do I have a
desire to, so my baggy shorts and mediocre bike will do just fine. Can't say I've experienced the crotch rot though, so maybe I'll look into some
shorts. I just want to be able to enjoy going for a bike ride, and not have to spend a lot of time, money or effort doing so. I'm not going to have any
money to spend on a nice bike anytime soon, so what I have will have to work. Heck, I bet by the end of the summer though I could do a 40k at 22 MPH. We'll
call that my goal...40k (24 miles) in an hour.
#4 in your program, #1 in your heart
We'll miss you Brett |
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noshbygosh |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 513 05/05/08 4:18 PM |
I never claim to be an upper echelon biker, nor do I have a desire to, so my baggy shorts and mediocre bike will do just fine.But listen to what Sandy Colfax says. "Recreational" triathletes are easily averaging at least 20+ MPH on the bike ride. That is a damn fast pace, especially when there is no drafting allowed. From my experiences of doing club rides with many of these folks, this is about what the middle of the pack triathletes ride at. If you're on a hybrid without cleats for the pedals and can hang with the rest of the folks, then SF is again right that you need to get a road bike and start some road bike races. This is professional level caliber that we're talking about based on your description.
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"Goldie: The only mascot who's been spayed." Monsignor, November 15, 2007 |
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zoobadger |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 245 05/06/08 8:33 AM |
BadgerTJ wrote:If you want a good road bike and you're on a budget, look for a mid to late 80's Japanese or Trek road bike. Miyata in particular was a very good brand. There's a guy in Chicago who reconditions and sells used bikes on Craigslist. If you respond to any of the more polished used bikes ads it's probably one of his bikes. Let him know what you want and he'll probably have it, or can get it. This is probably one of his, and it'd be a big upgrade from any cheap contemporary hybrid that sold new for less than $600. http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/668903212.html |
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