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Bike help needed..........please!!

Afternoon to All,



This is my first post on this forum and have recently subscribed to the magazine !



I need some help/advice on the purchase of my first bike for triathlons, i have a Trek Mountain bike but in order for me to take this seriously i think an investment into a bike essential !!



I have been looking on the net and in various magazines, i have around 500-650 to spend as my first triathlon bike. I have been looking at the Trek 1.2 and 1.5, seem to be good value for money and also good quality build. Do trek bikes tend to be better than most others in my price range ?? Any advice is much appreciatted...



Thanks

Tim

Comments

  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    You've come to the right place Tim. There are people here with some serious bike-knowledge (don't get me wrong; I'm definetely not one of them[&:]).

    With the amount you have to spend you can get a reasonable bike to start, which you can upgrade parts of later. Happy bike-hunting,

    Benny
  • Hi there,



    I have recently bought a Cube attempt 2007 model for £599.99, reduced from £890. Off chain reaction bikes. Its awesome, i'm also a first time triathlete and this is a really good bike. Quick, light and looks good too.



    Check them out!
  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    I have a bit of bike knowledge - try to get a caad 5 or higher Cannondale and put tribars etc on and up grade as your budget allows you. The frame is excellent and worth upgrading. Best of all bust the bank - get another 300 quid and anything you get at around a grand will be better
  • The best bike in your price range (or any price range) is the one which fits you the best. Trek bikes are not a cut above the opposition in terms of quality or value - although all of the publicity and marketing over the last decade would make some people think that. (Lance armstrong's team bike, etc).



    Your price range is a popular one and all of the big manufacturers do bikes in this range: Specialized, Giant, Trek, Bianchi, etc. Whatever you buy you will end up loving it providing it is a good fit.



    So if you have some brand loyalty to Trek then by all means check them out, but bear in mind that other bikes (such as the Spesh Allez) use the better-specification Shimano Tiagra groupset rather than the cheaper Sora stuff on the Trek 1.5. Sora is sufficient but uses a different shifting system and is still only 8-spd I think, so upgrading as you go along is more difficult.



    f you want to step out of the box you could also look at less well-known but quality brands, such as Planet X, Focus, Dolan, Ribble, etc.



    Ribble have a great "bike-builder" function on their website which enables you to build a bike part by part and see the price as you go along. Even if you don't want a Ribble bike, playing with bikebuilder helps you learn about the different components available and judge what you should be getting for your money. It's pretty addictive, if you are a bike saddo like me [8D]



    Another thing: Don't bother with a triple chainset. It's unnecessary and you never see a pro triathlete or cyclist using one. More gears ain't necessarily better. As long as you have 9 or 10 on the back and 2 on the front, that's fine. If you need a triple chainring to help you climb hills then you need stronger legs, not more gears [:D]



    Oh, and make sure you get a carbon fork, although I think every bike in your price range should have them.

  • Thanks for all your help guys, think Ironjohn is probably right......i need to probably pop down to my local bike shop in kent and check a few out, i can't wait to get my new bike and start carving up the countryside !!



    I am 6ft 1in, is the best size probably a 60 frame ?



    I am really enjoying training (even at this time of year!) and having something to train for is even better ! I can see myself getting hooked on this sport !! Only problem i have is i wish there where more Swimming pools in and around London to help with my training !



    I have been speaking to a good friend about the challenge ahead and she said that i should concentrate the most on my swimming.....she said that if you are Swim Fit then it makes the whole triathlon alot easier because your recovery time will be quicker and then you will not be too drained to finish the race! Would you say this is partly true ?
  • go to www.triandrun.com they are doing an amazing sale on customer built bikes starting at around £380 i think??
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