1 Comment April 11th, 2010

What is a good starter road bike for a first triatholon?

Im training for my first triatholon and am looking for a good road bike for the riding portion. I have been training on a stationary bike at the gym and am needing to get some miles done on a road bike. Ive looked at some local, Houston Tx, bike shops and the prices are well over what I want to spend on a bike. Any suggestions on brands and dealers would be great.


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This entry was posted on Sunday, April 11th, 2010 at 7:14 am and is filed under Bikes-Bicycles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

One Response to “What is a good starter road bike for a first triatholon?”

  1. Bozz NC Says:
    April 11th, 2010 at 7:16 am

    Ebay! Start with bikes 4 years and older, aluminum, at least 10 speeds. Riding in a Tri is a lot like riding a century. Bike fit and comfort are more important than saving weight. If your position and pedal stroke are comfortable to you, chances are they’re more efficient as well.

    Then, invest in a set of Tri Aero Bars.. around 60 bucks, and practice with them. More than you think you should! If you wait till the day of your triathlon, you’ll dump, wipe, face plant, or hurt someone else the first time you get the wobbles. Make sure you’re riding intervals and sprints, not just long distance, low effort spins on an exercise bike.

    Anything by one of the larger cycle manufacturers will suit you fine as long as you’re comfortable with the bike, it has a big gear you can spin for an hour at high speed, and you rack up the seat time in prep for race day. Good Luck!

    And to the Chris S below me.. I agree seem like they are a purely optional expediture, but I have found that they come in very handy when resting your arms and shoulders before or after a long swim. My Veloton group actually restricts their use in TT due to 2 or 3 guys riding aero bars in a paceline last year. A direct result of poor planning on the part of the organizers, but needless to say, that particular group ended up with a broken clavicle, a broken collarbone, three green-stick arm fractures, and yards of road rash!

    Also, Have to ditto the shoes and pedals. Most of all though, be comfortable. Dont buy new gear the day before your Tri. If you havent trained in or on it, chances are it will just hurt you.