Tri Newbie - advise on Bike purchasing please

lucy_lou

Hi there!

I am hoping to enter my first sprint distance triathlon in May http://fingalsprint.3dtri.com/ and am a complete newbie to both running & cycling.

I hope to pick out a new bike suitable for tri & commuting over the next week or two. I will be getting it through a bike scheme in work so have a budget of up to €1K to spend on the bike and any extra equipment.

I know I have to go for or hybrid type model but was just wondering if anyone had any particular recommendations on shops (will have to check if they are in scheme from work) or brands or any additional bits of equipment I might need for a triathlon (I have a decent helmet already).

Thanks a lot!

Domer

I am no expert... like yourself... new to Tri.

I bought a Merida 93 at the end of last year on the BTW scheme. Got it complete with pedals and Simano Tri Shoes for around €900. I find it very good and at that price, it seems to be good value. I am sure others with more experience will give better advice... this is just my personal experience.

Domer

spurscormac

Here's my opinion based on my experience of purchasing on the bike to work scheme last year, and on the advice gotten from the cycling forum on here.

Most will say spend as much as you can from your budget on the bike, in my case, I skipped getting the shoes and pedals and spent the full whack on the new bike.

This is cheaper than upgrading your bike at a later stage, and you can always add bits as you go on.
I for one, will be doing my first Tri this year, and won't be spending the money on the pedals & shoes just yet, would prefer to see if I like them first rather than fork out now and not bother again after one or two.

You will need to get some additional stuff like saddle bag, track pump, spare tubes, and in my case I got one of the co2 inflators, which has saved me some time when fixing a puncture on a commute home.
Then there's the gear, shorts, tops etc etc.

Also, most people would recommend a road bike with drop bars over a hybrid, but it all depends on personal preference, what you are going to use the bike for mostly, and how seriously you'll take the Triathlons.

nomadic

Get a road bike. You can keep €100 aside and buy a hack bike for commuting.

antpower

<antpower banned for shilling this website>

lucy_lou

Thanks for the tips everyone - opted for a trek lexa road bike & have to say it looks pretty cool! :cool: