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What Bike
trimonster
Posts: 35
in General Chat
I am starting my first season of Tri, and need to get a bike. So far I have found a Barracuda Azzurri at Just below £200. I have also found a Giant OCR4 for £250. Does anybody know of or have an opionion about Barracuda Bikes. Should I be spending the extra for the Giant?
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The Barracuda isn't really a race bike, although it looks a bit like one. It's heavy and is made up from low quality components. If you really, really can't afford anything else, then still don't buy it. Get a proper bike second hand from Ebay.
OCR 4 - OK you're getting there but if you can afford the stretch to the OCR 3 then you'll be getting a bike you might want to keep rather than replace next season. See the other thread for reasons why.
You've entered the London Tri, right? And that's cost you, what, £80? You didn't say "I can't afford the London Tri - I think I'll enter the cheapest tri I can find" did you? The same logic applies with bikes. Some bikes aren't worth having. Unfortunately, a bike worth riding is going to cost you from £300 upwards. You can find cheaper imitations but imitations are what they are.[;)]
You'll get a lot more advice on bike choice if you ask on http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/
i tried that link but seems to be a duff link...
I did have a look around and triuk have some very good beginner packages starting from £399. The £499 one looks to be very good value and includes the fabled OCR3.... Let me know what you think.
http://triuk.com//index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=17&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26&vmcchk=1
I suppose even if you take it up and decide it aint for you you could probably make most of it back on ebay selling it all off.
Forgot the 's' in Dales.
Have looked at the £499 option. I think its a good deal, but i already have a wetsuit and helmet. but I suppose there i no harm having spare. Definatly could sell the bike and get a good price off ebay.
Scott S60, the Bianchi C2C via Nirone, the Cannondale R500 (but that's more than I really wanted to pay, though I believe it's by far the best of the three...?)
So; any comments greatfully recieved.
If gradual upgradeability is important to you then try and go for the Cannondale. Otherwise, just go for the one which fits the best, and the one that makes you go all lovely and gooey when you see/touch/ride it [:D]
Others to consider in your price range: Specialized Allez, Giant OCR, or 2nd hand from Ebay.
http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=60958
Which is the same cost as the Cannondale but has the 105,s and Felt are well respected also.
You wont need to upgrade 105,s for a while unless you advance in the sport quite quick, so to speak
sadly they've only got one left and it's going to the kingston store for someone that isn't me... damn... great colour too!
Link here
A phone call costs almost nothing in the context of kitting out for, entering and travelling to events, and it could save you from a world of pain. Let's face it, you can usually tell if the guy on the other end of the line knows his onions or if he's just a salesman trying to snag you.
This way, you are less likely to become one of the three or four guys (or often girls as fitting for girls is slightly more involved) that come to us for a fitting each month who have either been gypped out of their hard-earned cash for an unsuitable, heavy behemoth of a beast, or have bought / been sold a bike that's the wrong size.
I don't want to turn this into an advert, but if anyone wants to contact me off-forum, my email is [email=220forum@multimit.com]220forum@multimit.com[/email] & I'll be pleased to try and advise.
Have you looked at the Try a tri package? A £100 cheaper with a one- model-below bike.
I will keep you up to date!
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the only thing to look out for on the cheaper bikes is if it is 7spd. you then can't upgrade to 8, 9 or 10 spd as the spacing of the rear dropouts is different. if you get an 8spd machine, spares will be hard to find.
best bet is to ensure it's 9spd. ribble bikes are great entry level framesets - designed by Terry Dolan - supplier of the GB olympic track cyclist.
i've riden a Dolan for years - won't go anywhere else now. and just bought the ribble for my girlfriend as she's just starting out in tri's.