it would help us to give you better advice if you provided some basic info, like what your budget is, how tall you are, wether you plan to compete or are just doing it for the fun(?) and challenge, etc.
2010-10-04 19:12:31
7
Looking for a bike for triathlon
I'm going to try to do the Pittsburgh Sprint Traithlon this year, but I need a bike suitable for it, and I don't have a lot of money to spend. Does anyone have any suggestions or where to find one that isn't too expensive? I don't care if it's used, as long as it would work for the triathlon. I'm not too knowledgeable on bikes. If anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it! Thanks!
2010-10-04 18:51:37
Following up on what Cburch said....I have done the Adventure race portion of the triathlon the last two years and have seen all types of bikes. from mine that I picked up at goodwill a few weeks before the race for 7 bucks. It is an old bike (i forget the name but i think it like g Lapierre, type tour de france) and I replaced the tubes, tires and a few cables. to ones that probably cost multiple thousands of dollars.
and I honestly didn't feel like some hack just because I was not riding a hi-tech bike. Pretty much all of the people I had interac tions with were very friendly.
2010-10-04 19:18:14
+1 on size and money.
If it were just the race, probably someone here could loan you a sutable bike, but chances are you also want to train.
2010-10-04 20:00:56
Are you talking about the tri 10 months from now?
I did the sprint this year on the same road bike I use for commuting. Lots of people were on mountain bikes, old road bikes, whatever they found in the garage. If you're actually competitive, you'll probably get better advice. But it's entirely possible to compete with this one for $75 plus new brakes. http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/bik/1987290500.html
2010-10-04 20:26:46
Sorry I didn't post additional info. Again, I'm new to this whole triathlon thing.
Yes, I do mean the next Pgh Triathlon about 10 months away.
I'm only doing this for fun, but if I like it, I will probably do it again.
I really could only afford to spend up to maybe $200.
I'm 5'7" tall.
Hope this helps. Thanks for all the info. At least I know if I find a cheaper road bike, I won't be the only one who doesn't have a super-nice bike!
Thanks Joe for the link to the craigslist ad. Since I'm a woman, is it ok to use a mans bike in the triathlon? I wasn't sure if they are designed any different between a mans and womans besides the position of the middle bar on the body.
2010-10-06 20:29:04
women ride "mens" frame bikes all the time. The only consideration is if it fits and is comfortable for you.
Here are some areas where a mens bike CAN differ:
wider handle bars and larger brakes because men tend to have wider shoulders and larger hands.
longer reach to the handlebars because men tend to have longer torsos than women
narrower seat with a longer nose
that said, sometimes there are no differences between the mens and womens models except for the paint color. it sounds like you could benefit from test riding some different bikes to get a feel for what works for you.
2010-10-08 16:41:42