triathletes - bike advice please

[racmac]

Ok I am a keen runner and am considering triathlons although we are talking in the future here.

I want to buy a bike but want one that if i do decide to do a triathlon would be suitable.

Any suggestions/must haves please?

bump

Oooh a thread I actually know something about and can comment on!
Basically any road bike that fits you ( doesn't have to be ladies specific if a mens one fits better) will do for tris.
I initially bought a tri bike but found it too restrictive (it's not good for hilly courses, for example) and I now race on a normal road bike with aero bars.
Go to a tri shop and see what they offer. Lots do tri packages which include a basic bike, but it depends on your budget. You could buy the best frame/bike you can afford, then gradually add better components like groupsets, bars and carbon bits and bobs.
Tri magazine often have reviews of bikes in, and the womens versions of the bikes they show are often similar.
I hear Boardman bikes have bought out a range of womens bikes ( at halfords of all places) and Boadman have had consistently good reviews, and they're good value too. If you have a spare grand, their carbon bike looks pretty good. I have a cannondale synapse which is fine, then there's the specialised dolce which gets good reviews, the list goes on.

then gradually add better components like groupsets, bars and carbon bits and bobs.
lost me there !

I dont want to spend too much money because i havent ridden bike for years and not sure if i want to do triathlons just thinking about it at mo.

Ill have a look at the Boardman bikes - thanks

Are there restrictions on bikes at triathlons?

How many have you done? How did you get started?

I got started because my boss at the time was an Iron(wo)man! And now i'm doing one myself, in 10 days time! That was only 2 years ago, so it can be done
Prior to that I did no sport at all so you're one step ahead already

there are no restrictions on bikes at tris. I did my first (a womens only race, very friendly) on my mountain bike. Many people do. We've seen people racing on Bromptons!
The most important rule is you must wear your helmet at all times when with your bike. But these rules will all be laid out for you before you get to the race.

Look out for womens only races at Dorney lake, Cotswold water park (my first race here) and all sprint races will have first timers in.
The triathlon community is very friendly and welcoming to newbies, they all love introducing people to their sport.
Another forum you might want to frequent for advice is Tritalk - www.tritalk.co.uk/forums - there are loads of newbie threads on here, and all manner of bike advice.

if you're not sure whether you'll like it, borrow a bike for your first race.
I guarantee you'll love it though!
Still time to register for races this summer

thanks for that

Good luck. I'm temporarily reduced to spectator status but like trilottie use a road bike. No tribars yet because I'm a wimp. My little sister does the same and she's an ironman.
We're both quite small and found that women-specific bikes suited us, but if you are taller that might not be the case.
DH did his first tri on a city bike!

trilottie, which ironman are you doing?

I'm doing ironman Austria, on the 4th of July. training has been chaotic but we're here now with injuries fixed (is that your problem cardicorgi?) and a fair amount of training in the bag. taper time now

tri bars are great, it really doesn't take that long to get used to them and their main purpose for me is to give my wrists a rest and somewhere to mount water bottle and garmin! plus when you're out riding you look like a proper triathlete rather than a poncy cyclist

so racmac, i think you need to sign up now. which one are you going to do?
my favourite saying at the moment is "the miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start"

I have to get a bike first lol!
and perhaps do a bit of swimming as i havent been in years!

I have no idea what a tri bar is so i cant go along to a tri until i no the lingo

I did my first tri (a sprint) last year with an ANCIENT peugeot road bike that was still in my parents' shed from when I was a teenager. For that distance (20km) it really doesn't matter what you are riding. However, I wouldn't have wanted to use it for a second tri, or for a longer distance because it was heavy. There were certainly plenty of people there doing their first race on mountain/city bikes and even some recliners.

I have now bought a gorgeous mid-range Giant women-specific road bike, but haven't had the chance to ride it much yet because I am pregnant! So no races for me this year. I miss it!

Go for it, I LOVED my first tri even though the swim was hard. Can't wait to get back to it next year.

Trilottie - are you me (also a Lottie!) Good luck with Ironman Austria!!! I aim to do a full ironman before I'm 40 so you are my hero

ha ha - i haven't done it yet and even if i do i'll be towards the back - so i don't think i deserve being a hero :S
the plan was to do it this year and then get pregnant in september - so i'm doing it the other way round to you! (tis why i'm browsing the mumsnet forums - much to DH's amusement) Hopefully will come back to it afterwards though, I can't imagine not training. (lack of sleep, lack of cash and lack of time notwithstanding)
The trouble with triathlon is its a very expensive sport! not just 3 sports to buy kit for, the races are quite expensive too and there's an ever increasing list of bike bling to buy.

Racmac - tri bars are those sticky out things on handlebars you might have seen at the Olympics or on the tour de france time trial. It means you put your elbows on pads on the handlebars in order to make yourself more aerodynamic.
oh and as for must haves, look for bikes that have a carbon fork. Full carbon bike probably isn't needed, but most mid range bikes have a carbon fork to soak up the road vibrations through your arms. Your LBS (local bike shop) can advise though. If you strike up a relationship with them, you'll get all the good advice, they'll order stuff in specially for you, and you might get a discount.

really must go and watch the game I dislike football but its better than working.

Not injured, pregnant I'm thinking of doing a half ironman next year though as a focus for getting fit again. DH has assured me that if I want to then he will make sure that I get a bit of time on my own to train. challenge Walchsee looks like a nice one and is not far from us.

Best of luck in Kärnten trilottie, it's supposed to be a fantastic place to race.

Heading4home, that sounds like my first racing bike. Early eighties Peugeot in egg-yolk yellow with 10 gears. I still have it actually, but I also have a bianchi Dama Bianca which I love.

racmac, no need to know the lingo. At my first tri there was a group of about 10 of us hanging back at the start and comparing how nervous we were.

cardicorgi - doh! i am an idiot, you can tell I'm not in the baby/TTC zone yet. I'm surrounded by pregnant triathletes! Well hopefully that will be me in a couple of months time. A half IM is a good thing to aim for, its the perfect distance I think. A challenge, but still over and done with by about lunchtime. We now joke we won't get out of bed for anything less than a half IM!

This month's Tri plus features a woman who trained all the way through her pregnancy and now goes for 3am bike rides to not disturb family time!

Thanks for the luck, i'll need it! Not long to go now! just packing the motorcaravavan before we go to the ferry on Sunday. I'll pop in when I get back to tell everyone how i got on. Fingers crossed its not saline drip/hospital/DNF!

So, trilottie, how did it go? I hope that Austria was a bit cooler that South Germany on Sunday.

I'm on tritalk too (Rubber Duck) but I've not posted very much - some of them are clearly far more hard-core than me.

I'm still being reasonably sporty but with the heat that we now have, the pool is definitely the best place to be. I may put my bike on the turbo trainer in the cellar as that's quite cool and then just use my moutain bike for outdoor rides and the drop position is no longer comfortable.

Well, I'm back! (We had an extended holiday, 2 weeks in the sun, lovely)
No it wasn't much cooler, around 34 degrees although the day itself was a bit cloudier to start off with, then a HUGE thunderstorm while I was on the bike, soaking wet through and really painful rain and freezing cold, I was not happy. The the sun came out again, phew!
Had to walk the last 17km of the marathon but i walked fast and overtook a few people, and then I finished! 15:05, so quite pleased with that. And although saying all the way through and afterwards I'm not doing it again, I really want to now! the whole event was so special.

Then a couple of days later we drove over the GrossGlockner pass and my DP popped the question on the top! so a very special holiday!

Well done! Did you saviour the whole finish and "trilottie, you are an Ironman"?

Your DP chose a good setting, congratulations (I'm assuming that you said yes).