[momski98]

Timm and the kids made up a certificate for me saying I could "upgrade" my bike!

At my stepbrother's wedding last month, we were talking to my cousin who did triathlons for a while and now does bike racing. He was joking about how he did his first triathlon on a mountain bike, and went out a bought a racing bike the very next day. Totally made me laugh, as I have heard from almost every person I've talked to about triathlons how they did their first race with a mountain bike, and went out right after to get a lighter bike. I guess that gave Timm the idea to upgrade my bike.

I really don't see me doing much more than one or 2 sprint triathlons each year, especially now that I'm working full time. I'd like to give a dualthon a try, and a few longer bike rides. My cousin was trying to convince dh I need to spend at least $1200-$1500 on a bike....not sure he was swayed, though! LOL. And, honestly, I'm not sure I can justify that much in a bike right now. But I'm excited to start looking!

Any suggestions?

[Jess_jugs]

Ooh, that sounds great!!! Happy shopping & happy birthday!!!!!

Hugs,
Jess

[mom2emnkate]

Oh Wow, cool! No suggestions, but I can't wait to see pictures of what you get!

[rachinaz]

What a coincidence! I am thinking about trying a tri and went to a local bike shop yesterday and talked to a guy for a while. He told me that an entry level road bike is the best bet for someone new to triathlons and/or not planning on being an elite racer or anything (I being in both of those categories . They are good bikes for long rides as well so more versatile (and far less expensive) than a triathlon specific bike.

All told, he said to expect to spend $700-900. That included the needed accessories (water bottle holder, pump and tire kit for bike, he recommended bike shorts.......maybe a couple other things, I don't remember). He said biking shoes aren't necessary and can wait and my normal Bell helmet is fine so I don't need another one.

One thing he also said for bikes below $1500, shop for features and don't worry about the brand. As long as you're buying from a good bike shop (and not Walmart or someplace like that), all the entry level bikes will be good quality. Shop for max number of gears, placement of the hand break and gear shifter, etc. The bike brand maker only makes the frame anyway and other companies make all the gear equip, tires, and all that.

The local bike shop here also offers rentals. I can rent a bike for $75 for about 5 days. If I like it, they apply the rental to the purchase price. If not, I'm only out $75 instead of $900. Seems like a good deal to me! You might want to check that out if your local bike shop offers that.

Good luck and let us know what you get (with pictures, of course!). I would recommend as a first step to find a good bike shop then go in and ask a lot of questions. The guy I talked to was really nice and gave me a lot of really good info on what to look for.

I think I'm going to look for one around the holidays and count it as a Christmas gift...................

ETA: AND happy birthday.........AND what a cool gift for your family to give you. That's awesome.

This post has been edited by rachinaz: 16 October 2007 - 09:42 PM

[colnken]

Woo Hoo! So exciting!!!!

Looks like Rachel received some great advice! I also think fit is everything. Different brands will just "fit" differently so check out as many as you can. For instance, DH is a Trek lover (as is my man Lance ), but there is something about the Trek frame style that just didn't feel comfortable for me so I went with the women's specific design from Specialized. I have the Ruby Comp Triple:



Also, a good reputable bike shop will measure you for the right fit and once you get your bike, can adjust brakes, shifters, etc. for the most comfortable fit.

Rachel's right, too, about the gears, brakes, etc. being made by different companies. They seem to be classified into "good" "better" and "best" options. I used to dismiss DH's constant chatter about all that, but after testing some out you really can tell the difference. Definitely go for the features you want. It was important to me to have smooth shifters, so I went with the "better" option there.

A lightweight frame was also important to me, so I went up a few levels in price to get an all carbon fiber frame. Some of the entry level bikes will have carbon inserts (in the fork, the seat post) on the aluminum frame. Look for a model in your price range with as much carbon as possible. It will make the ride smoother and the frame a little lighter.

Regarding padded bike shorts, they can get a little pricey. But my bike seat is pretty thin and hard, so I would never ride without them. My behind would never forgive me! I only have one good pair (and one crappy old pair, LOL), so I have these on my Christmas list:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?p...aign=gbase_feed

It's a padded liner you can wear under running shorts, turning any shorts into bike shorts. Most bike shops should sell them.

Allyn, I think you said you already have bike shoes for spinning? The only thing you'll need then is the clip-in pedals. This is a leap I just recently took, LOL. I was really dragging my feet on getting them after watching DH fall over a few times when he had to stop quick. But I found some Specialized shoes on clearance so I couldn't pass it up. It is taking a little getting used to, but the difference in leg power is amazing. I've easily increased my average speed 1-2 mph without much effort.

Also, since you and I both have to stow away our bikes once the snow flies, you can look into getting a bike trainer so you can ride all winter! DH got me this for Christmas a few years ago, and I keep my hybrid bike on it (and will be putting my road bike on it soon), right next to my treadmill so I can do run/bike intervals. LOVE IT!

http://trisports.com/blactrakflui.html

I hope this helps~ good luck! I really like Rachel's idea of renting a bike. Especially if your rental money can ultimately go towards a purchase. Keep us posted!

Lisa

This post has been edited by colnken: 16 October 2007 - 11:48 PM

[rachinaz]

colnken, on Oct 16 2007, 09:44 PM, said:

Regarding padded bike shorts, they can get a little pricey. But my bike seat is pretty thin and hard, so I would never ride without them. My behind would never forgive me! I only have one good pair (and one crappy old pair, LOL), so I have these on my Christmas list:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?p...aign=gbase_feed

It's a padded liner you can wear under running shorts, turning any shorts into bike shorts. Most bike shops should sell them.

Also, since you and I both have to stow away our bikes once the snow flies, you can look into getting a bike trainer so you can ride all winter! DH got me this for Christmas a few years ago, and I keep my hybrid bike on it (and will be putting my road bike on it soon), right next to my treadmill so I can do run/bike intervals. LOVE IT!

http://trisports.com/blactrakflui.html
Lisa

Cool. I never knew there was such a thing as a padded liner. The things I learn........

And the bike trainer is cool. Of course, I'd be using it once the heat turns hellish as opposed to the snow flying. But all the same.

[momski98]

Thanks for the input, girls! I do know of a couple of good bike shops around here, so I will be able to shop around quite a bit. In fact, one of my spinning instructors works (and races) for one of them.

I'm already set with the shorts, helmet, shoes, etc. Although, I don't do the clip pedals yet, Lisa. I'm a little nervous about that! LOL. My spinning instructor was telling me, though, the difference they make, so I have been playing around with the idea.

And a bike trainer is my number one item on my Christmas list. We have a stationary bike, but it's just not the same.

I hadn't heard about the bike rental thing, but I will def. keep that in mind and see if it is an option!!

Thanks again, girls! I can't wait to go shopping!

[Peace~Karen]

momski98, on Oct 17 2007, 10:08 AM, said:

Although, I don't do the clip pedals yet, Lisa. I'm a little nervous about that! LOL. My spinning instructor was telling me, though, the difference they make, so I have been playing around with the idea.

Reading through this thread, that was the one bit of advice I was going to offer. Clip-in pedals will allow you to get more power in every rotation. I'm sure you know this from spin class. Just be sure to practice getting in and out of the pedals someplace safe.

Belated happy birthday! Hope you enjoy the new bike!

Peace,
Karen

[colnken]

momski98, on Oct 17 2007, 09:08 AM, said:

Although, I don't do the clip pedals yet, Lisa. I'm a little nervous about that! LOL. My spinning instructor was telling me, though, the difference they make, so I have been playing around with the idea.

So you do have the shoes, but just not the cleats on the soles of the shoes? Or you just don't have the pedals? You must clip in for spin class, right? Color me confused.

Can I make one more suggestion? If you are in the market for pedals, and your shoes have the recessed design, try these:

http://bikesport.com...logId=39&id=496

These are great because you can clip in with bike shoes, or flip them over to the platform side for use with street shoes if you are just taking a short ride and don't want to have to wear your bike shoes. If you want to save some $, DH bought some new ones on Ebay for under $40.

HTH!

Lisa

This post has been edited by colnken: 17 October 2007 - 05:36 PM

[okatybug]

How exciting. Congrats!! Enjoy purchasing