Every sport has associated expenses and triathlon is no exception. Financially speaking, the bike is the LARGEST expense for many new triathletes. While you’re trying out the sport to see if you’re going to like it, you can use a bike you already own, borrow a bike from a friend, or purchase a new (or used) bike. Biking options are listed below for people who are unsure which type of bike to use or purchase to race triathlons.

Mountain Bike – Mountain bikes are the least efficient for triathlon. However, if you already own a mountain bike, you can race your first, second or third race with a mountain bike. (Just keep in mind that you probably won’t take first place overall.) Using a mountain bike allows you to“test-drive” the sport before you spend money on a new road bike. If you race on a mountain bike, I suggest putting racing slicks on it because the knobby tires are not made for the road and will slow you down quite a bit. The cost for mountain bike slicks is about $50 for two. Luckily, this is a fairly small investment! I would recommend that you don’t invest any money into your mountain bike beyond slick tires. I’ve seen athletes throw on aero-bars, order skinnier rims, etc. In the long run, it’s simply not worth it.

Road Bike – In general, road bikes work just fine for the sport. Many novice and intermediate triathletes train with them and have been racing on them for years. One of the drawbacks of road bikes is that they are not really designed for the “bike-to-run” transition. This means that the road bike frame geometry is more “relaxed” than a tri-bike; thus it can sometimes hinder your performance on the run. Some athletes modify their road bikes by adding aero-bars and a fast-forward seat post, basically converting it into a tri-bike. However, when it comes down to it, the bike is still a road bike. One benefit of road bikes is that entry-level ones are a little less expensive than tri-bikes and are a little easier to get used to. Another benefit is that they can be used for road racing and recreational riding as well. If you are looking to buy a new bike for triathlon, a good entry-level road bike will cost you about $1,000.

Tri-Bike - Tri-bikes are designed specifically for triathlon. They force you into an aero position for better aerodynamics, and the frame geometry is a little more aggressive than a road bike’s frame. This allows you to use different muscle groups in your legs, so when you go from bike to run, the transition is a little more forgiving. It is important to note that tri-bikes are a little more difficult to learn to ride than a road bike. However, the learning curve isn’t that steep and if you haven’t ridden a road bike before, you won’t know the difference It is very common for newer triathletes to race their first season or two with a road bike then upgrade to a tri-bike later on. The cost of an entry-level tri-bike is about $1,500.

In review, here are your biking options. You can go the economical route and use your mountain bike, or dust off that old Schwinn 10-speed road bike for now, or, if your budget allows, you can buy a good road or tri-bike. If you buy, I suggest that you shop for your bike (and all your equipment) locally, instead of buying everything online. I am a big believer in supporting the local retail stores.

Happy Training
David Pruetz
Owner/Coach,InTraining, LLC
www.intraining.biz
davidp@intraining.biz

Popularity: 14% [?]