IslandBritt

Ok, So I am a total Newbie on the search for the right bike to begin Tri Training with without breaking the bank. I am 27 yrs old, 5'8 ish, with a 34 inch inseam.

So far I'm thinking of starting with a:

-Carpe 60- 54 inch $284

-GNC Denali- 52" $199

-Diamondback Calico ST 29"- 54" $299

Which is the better bike for the price? Any other beginner bikes I should look into? Am I totally screwing myself by buying a cheaper bike right off the bat? I'm just looking for some advise and reviews from ppl who know the sport better than me...

_ForceD_

Well...you can "train" for triathlon on just about anything with pedals. What you use in the race is completely different. But the question I'd ask you first is how certain are you that you want to get into triathlon? I'm not trying to turn you off, but it isn't a cheap sport. If you're not certain...testing the waters with a cheap/low-end bike, or even a loaner from a friend, could save you from spending huge $$$ for something you might end up not using.

But, IMO, you at least probably want a road bike, if not a triathlon/TT specific bike. Of the three you mentioned I think that the Denali is the only road bike. It would be OK to give triathlon a try. But, understand that it's a low-end, low-quality department store bike. For the same money you can probably get something much more suitable for triathlon buying used (e.g. eBay, Craigslist).

Off topic just a bit...but as a "total newbie"...how is your swimming? Are you comfortable swimming in open water; with lots of other swimmers making contact; waves and chop; can't see the bottom? Lots of really good pool swimmers get into their first triathlon and discover that they're nowhere close to ready to swim in open water.

Dan

CliffordK

I'd agree with _ForceD_.

Look on Craigslist for a good used road bike, maybe around $300. Perhaps I lean a bit towards vintage bikes, but I'd rather have a moderate quality 30 year old bike than a low quality new bike. However, with some patience, you'll probably be able to snag a reasonably modern bike, 10 to 15 years old in your price range.

Budget for some extras, tires, tubes, water bottles, etc. Also plan to learn to "tune" your bike.

Many Triathlon riders gravitate toward TT bikes. That is an option, but perhaps your first bike should be a road bike, and then if you really like it, get some TT bars for it, or a full TT bike for your second bike.

IslandBritt

I am open to suggestions, those were just the bikes I was looking at new in my price range. I have run some halves and am interested into adding these into my regular cross training routine, even if Tri does not capture my competitive heart.

As for swimming, I live on South Padre Island, and am often in the salt water here, I generally am not panicky in water, not being able to see the bottom and such, but am in no way a competitive swimmer. As stated above, I would like to find a way to incorporate this into my regular cross training either way, so I don't anticipate a problem there, though I do know that learning proper swimming technique will be a struggle at the beginning.

I am going into this with a goal of Tri Girls (Sprint) in Harlingen Texas, August 13th. If I don't feel comfortable by then I will change this, but that is my starting goal.

Back to the bikes, when I visited my local bike shop I was introduced to the Specialized Dolce bikes that the suggested. Beginning in the $750 ish range... I am thinking of trying to find something like this used... what do y'all think?

_ForceD_

Yeah, that Dolce would be good. Eventually you could put some clip-on bars on it to give you more of a triathlon/TT profile when riding. But you don't really need that for your first race. One of the things you can budget for down the road as mentioned above. But yeah...look for something used. But find out what size bike you need and make sure you're buying something that fits you.

Dan

amvenne14

I did my first couple of Tris on a $150 Schwinn that I got on Craigslist. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the sport first, and figured if I didn't I would at least have a road bike to keep riding. After that I bought a used Felt TT bike to keep racing and now I'm building my own TT bike for fun. It worked out perfect for me to go with a cheaper road bike first, and attach a set of aero bars once I did a few more events. Its an expensive sport to get started in, and you can always upgrade the bike later if its something you want to keep doing.

IslandBritt

Thank you all for the suggestions!

I am waiting for something to pop up used that will fit me. I am a Female, 5'8- 5'9 with a 34" inseam... I'm thinking a 52-54 still would fit me...

I appreciate the help!