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Are £2k + Tri bikes worth the extra for newbies?

Hi,



Sorry if this is a question that has been asked many times before, I have read through as much of the forum as I could but have seen nothing that really answers my questions.



I'm a newbie to Tri's, and as such didn't spend a vast amount on my initial gear (Orca S2 wetsuit £99, Carrera Valour bike £299) but having done my first sprint, did better than I was expecting, with a 12min 750M open water swim, and a 32:31 20k bike.



My question then, is would I benefit at this stage from spending a load more cash on a decent bike? At the race, I had the chance to feel other riders bikes and noticed how much lighter they were in comparison to mine, however, I don't think I did all that bad, but was wondering how much of an improvement I could expect, compared to how much it would cost.



Any answers would help, thanks for your time.



Ronnie.

Comments

  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    The simple answer is if you have the money & want one..do it!

    The complex answer is it depends...on how much you trained to get that time, do you carry any extra weight (cheaper to lose it from you than to 'buy lightness' in a bike), plus a lighter bike does not make you lighter on the run, can you improve your run &/or swim time, without spending cash, would that money be better spent on joining a club &/or getting coaching.

    I would suggest sticking with your current kit maximise your potential with good training, good nutrition & enjoy your first season in the sport, then take the winter to research, train etc & see how things lie..plus end of season is a great time to but a bike..prices drop you have the whole winter to play.
  • TTX PROTTX PRO Posts: 225
    I agree with britspin,if you have the money go for it but make sure you get it insured just incase
  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    I also agree with britspin/TTX, I am in a similarish situation, in that I havent been in the sport for that long, but i feel as though i really want to take the step and get a really nice bike.

    My reasons for this are, I have the spare money, in as much as it is spare that I dont need it to live on! and I enjoy the sport, it makes me happy doing this stuff, so i feel its worth it!



    also I was always unsure about how much difference a quality bike would make, compared to my current trek 1000 which i have had professionally set up, aerobars fitted etc, so i think i have got the best out of it.



    BUT I was lucky enough to try out a couple of mates bike, namely a felt b2 and trek madone, recently. And WOW! I always found that when my trek got up to over about 35kph ish it would start to get a little twitchy, causing me a little unease, but both these bikes were so smooth at top speed I felt so much more confident! It allowed me to sustain the higher speeds, and caused an average increase of about 5kph over the course I was doing.

    So In my mind its worth it, if you have the spare money that is!

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