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How to build a tri bike on a super-tight budget: One member's example

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How to build a tri bike on a super-tight budget: One member's example

Old 12-21-09, 03:18 AM
  #26  
Barchettaman
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These shifters were the subject of a thread over on Classic and Vintage:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...thumb-shifters
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Old 06-20-10, 01:00 PM
  #27  
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My budget tri build.
My old leader road bike frame too small as a road bike $170
Fork from my Giant OCR 3 roadbike ? price
Used Alex 260 a-class rims with shimano 9sp cassette $50
Derailleurs from old giant roadbike (sora) est $30
53/38 square taper Vuelta crank $35 new
bullhorns $20 ebay
Aerobars profile design century comps $50 new (I had these on the giant) I cut them into two pieces and put the bar ends on them
Used Suntour friction bar end shifters $20
Brake levers tekro inline brake levers off the Giant est cost $15
Sette zero setback seatpost $20 I would like to modify this like the OP and make it like the profile design. I don't have the welding skills

Most of the parts I had laying around. The only new parts I had to buy were the bullhorns, crank and BB, and bar end shifters.

I am glad that I am using the frame instead of having it collect dust in my garage.
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Old 08-29-10, 11:57 AM
  #28  
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how much smaller frame sizes are you guys going with making TT bikes? I ride a 61, and my dad wants to sell his old specialized (i think it has 57.5 TT, i ride a 590). I was thinking of getting it off of him and throwing bull horns and aero bars on it to ride in TT's next year. I was also thinking that possibly with the smaller size, i may not have to get a reverse seat post because the seat to BB is more forward than i am used to riding to begin with.

Is the forward seat post merely for the increase in breathing efficiency? or is there a mechanical advantage as well?
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Old 08-30-10, 05:28 AM
  #29  
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The forward seat post effectively increases the seat tube angle (78 degs is the angle favoured by triathletes) so the whole body 'pivots' round the bottom bracket.
This is also supposed to make running off the bike easier as the leg muscles are used in a slightly different way.
I would suggest going with the frame from your dad, as a) it's always fun to build up a bike, b) it's sitting there not doing much anyway so it will be a cheap buil, and c) it might well work! Plus even if it isn't perfect you will most likely be able to sell it on to a tri newbie as there are so mnay people coming into the sport.
Best of luck - just my $0.02
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Old 08-30-10, 06:56 PM
  #30  
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You are probably pretty close. I think Competitive Cyclist has an option for tri bike fit if I remember correctly
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Old 09-07-10, 02:32 PM
  #31  
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One more addition to this thread.

The 'original' tri bike, the Quintana Roo Superform, is often seen for sale on eBay and other internet sites. It's now fairly unloved as it needs 26"/650 wheels and tyres and has an relatively unfashionable steel frame. However it offers the kind of geometry (a steep seat-tube angle) of any modern tri bike, and is specifically designed that way, so handles better (and safer) and fits better than a road bike frame with a FF seat post.

Well worth looking out for if you are on a tight budget.

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Old 09-12-10, 12:57 AM
  #32  
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I posted this on the road bike thread but I think it's better suited here. It's a 2000 Cannondale Multisport 2000 w/ Ultegra. It has pretty odd 650c spinergy spox wheels and its a small frame (52cm) but I'm pretty short and it fits me well. Currently saving up for cleats for the speedplay pedals it came with. Got the whole bike for $85

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Old 09-13-10, 02:04 AM
  #33  
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$85? Deal of the century.
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Old 09-18-10, 08:00 PM
  #34  
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Hmm...$85. What decrepit, crippled, former TT rider did you rob-then-leave-dinner-money for that? A story worth telling I think.
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Old 09-21-10, 10:26 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by deadprez012
Hmm...$85. What decrepit, crippled, former TT rider did you rob-then-leave-dinner-money for that? A story worth telling I think.
Haha, it's not that interesting but here's the story:
The night before I bought this I was in a pretty depressed mood. I pulled up to my house and saw my brother fumbling with his car on the driveway and i knew something was up. He had my '07 CAAD8 Optimo1 on his roof rack (i bought it 3 days prior) and decided to hit the garage with the top tube..

So I hopped on Craigslist when I got inside the house and I saw this thing for $85, but I was too late, someone had already claimed it for the next day. I was pissed again.. But for some reason that someone never showed up to get it so the guy called me and I was there quick.

The seller was the neighbor of a Triathlon rider who just gave it to him. It was for his wife to ride but she ended up not riding it cus it was too "stiff" so he put it up on CL. He even gave me extra Michelin Ironman tires in case I needed em. Cool guy. Also.. I just found out that the Thomson Elite Seatpost that came with the bike is worth as much as I paid for it! wow.
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Old 09-21-10, 04:57 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by irvri
Haha, it's not that interesting but here's the story:
The night before I bought this I was in a pretty depressed mood. I pulled up to my house and saw my brother fumbling with his car on the driveway and i knew something was up. He had my '07 CAAD8 Optimo1 on his roof rack (i bought it 3 days prior) and decided to hit the garage with the top tube..

So I hopped on Craigslist when I got inside the house and I saw this thing for $85, but I was too late, someone had already claimed it for the next day. I was pissed again.. But for some reason that someone never showed up to get it so the guy called me and I was there quick.

The seller was the neighbor of a Triathlon rider who just gave it to him. It was for his wife to ride but she ended up not riding it cus it was too "stiff" so he put it up on CL. He even gave me extra Michelin Ironman tires in case I needed em. Cool guy. Also.. I just found out that the Thomson Elite Seatpost that came with the bike is worth as much as I paid for it! wow.
I maintain my righteous level of jealousy.

I got this...



...for $100.

$217 later, I have this...



...and as much as I love it, $85 < $317! Good find friend
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Old 09-21-10, 05:05 PM
  #37  
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Even though I own a race bike that converts pretty readily to a TT bike (Cervelo Soloist Team), I haven't done enough time trialing to bother. So when I did an omnium a couple of weeks ago, instead of messing with my saddle position, I just set up my old Trek 660 as a fixed gear TT machine.

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Old 03-04-11, 10:03 PM
  #38  
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I can't believe that I started this thread almost 2 years ago. I have pretty much forgotten about it until now. It is cool to look back and see how far I have come. I have included a pic of the bike that I am currently racing on. And just like before I still know how to get good deals, I built up the entire bike as seen with all sram red and the zipp vukas for under a $1000, not including the wheels.

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Old 03-05-11, 12:48 AM
  #39  
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Wow amazing szaffiri, i love those wheels! You must have gotten some sweet ass deals, can you break down the parts/price/story? I'd love to hear about it.

Heres my new one as well, $355 w/ wheels but I'd rather have yours haha
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Old 03-07-11, 08:42 PM
  #40  
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1988 Cannondale $62.50 at a garage sale. (I paid $125 for two similar vintage aluminum framed bikes) Added the aerobars ($20) and nitto 66 forward seat post ($15) and new tires and have been doing triathlons on it for 5 years now. I have continued to upgrade and add speed components bit by bit, such as an aero drink bottle and an aero helmet. I just added an Adamo seat and the wireless computer system with cadence and HR recently. There are more upgrades in the works for this season to keep this vintage beauty in service for a while yet. These may toss me out of the "budget build" category, but are also great steals (Carbon fork $63 on sale at Nashbar, "New" 9 speed cassette wheelset to get higher gearing $78, I also invested in an older set of Zipp 404's for competition $630 w/shipping from Ebay) My oldest son just started riding the other bike this year and wants to do a Tri.
BTW - How do you place the big pictures in your posts? I just get these thumnails.

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Old 03-14-11, 04:06 PM
  #41  
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Lovely bike, Cederbat.
What do you mean buy getting a 9-speed wheelset for 'higher gearing? Surely you could just swap out the 7-speed cassette for one with a low 12 or 11 sprocket if you find yourself regularly spinning out on descents. By the look of your crankset it's a 52/42 Biopace so a 12 on the back should give you plenty of top end, assumin you're not Spartacus.
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Old 03-14-11, 10:52 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by irvri
Wow amazing szaffiri, i love those wheels! You must have gotten some sweet ass deals, can you break down the parts/price/story? I'd love to hear about it.

Heres my new one as well, $355 w/ wheels but I'd rather have yours haha
I'm forced to chime in here... i've got a good one too.
I bought a 2008 p2c w/7800 dura ace on CL for $1950 (shipped). Was in much better condition than i had anticipated (only one minor mark!). sold the wheelset (renn disc, 808 front) for $1050 (already had race wheels). sold rotor rings for $150 (had spare DA rings to replace), sold stock calipers for $50 (had others lying around). sold the pedals that came with it for $50. bought a set of trainer wheels (7700 / open pro) from CL for $100.

Yup, that's a full dura ace p2c for $750. oh, and it came with an aerobottle/carbon cage ($50) + a pretty much new giro aerohelmet ($100) + computer ($40). if you subtract those items... well, i think you've got the idea already.

now i just need to figure how how to upgrade the cockpit on the cheap to the level you guys have (hed or zipp... would be nice).
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Old 03-15-11, 05:01 AM
  #43  
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Dude, great job.....are they 36 spoked wheels, a ton of weight you can loose when you have the cash
enjoy...beat a few others with higher end stuff and enjoy
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Old 03-21-11, 07:42 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Barchettaman
Lovely bike, Cederbat.
What do you mean buy getting a 9-speed wheelset for 'higher gearing? Surely you could just swap out the 7-speed cassette for one with a low 12 or 11 sprocket if you find yourself regularly spinning out on descents. By the look of your crankset it's a 52/42 Biopace so a 12 on the back should give you plenty of top end, assumin you're not Spartacus.
Hi Barchettaman,

Thanks for the comments. The wheelset my Cannondale came with had a 6 speed freewheel system with a 13 tooth small sprocket. My rear wheel also had a flat spot on the rim that I could not get out with truing. This wheelset has served me well for almost 10 years. By upgrading to a 9 speed cassette system I am gaining easier maintenance, flexibility with gearing, an 11 tooth small sprocket, and compatibility with the Zipp wheels I found for races. Every year I do a 90 mile bike race called Race the Lake and it is a draft legal race. In the pack, with the wind, we were hitting sustained speeds of 30+ miles per hour and I averaged 21mph for the event last year. I was spinning pretty good at that pace and hoping to continue to increase my pace in the years to come. This year I hope to keep up with a couple of my riding buddies who averaged 25mph for the event. I am no Spartacus, but I "Tri".
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Old 11-06-11, 02:00 PM
  #45  
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To anyone who has a car more expansive than your tri bikes, you have it all wrong.
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Old 01-17-12, 11:52 AM
  #46  
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'87 Ironman, came to me as a frame. Got the bars in trades, 9-sp Sunrace shifters for $23
Wheels in a trade, had to have the rim trued, was given the cloth disc cover. Had most of it on hand.
Saddle was $40 and the seatpost, used, was $40 at a bike shop. I may switch to a whopping $60 CF crankset.
Not as good a deal as some of you guys, but not bad, around $325, I figure.

I'm looking at a P2K recently, though, and may end up with that, move this back to "real bike" status.








or this one....
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/1998-k...-airfoil-19323

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Old 08-19-15, 05:00 PM
  #47  
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I bought a 2014 CAAD10 and just used it for a tri just this weekend. I noticed that the people with aero bars were much faster than I was. I've been riding it pretty consistently for the past few months, and my average speed on the tri was better than my usual speed. With this said, I think the addition of aero bars (and tri specific shoes) would speed my overall time up a bit. The bike shop wants $120 for a set of them, and I really don't know what I'm looking at. So any advise is recommended. I have a 60 cm frame because I'm 6' 5", and I think the seat might need to be moved back a bit and angled down a tad.

Thoughts?
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Old 05-25-17, 03:35 PM
  #48  
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wow there are some very creative peeps on this site. if that went by me in a race I'd throw the towel in. T
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Old 04-04-18, 08:22 AM
  #49  
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Got this for 75 bucks. Cleaned it up switched saddle and post, added tires. It now has gripshift 7 speed courtesy of BF friend Sloar. Before and after.
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Old 09-04-18, 01:27 PM
  #50  
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Hmm... so what I'm learning is that I need to scour yard sales around me a bit closer. Seems like there are some good finds out there!
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