Best Car for Triathlon

potsy11

I am looking at getting a car (2nd hand about 5-10k).

As I do alot of Tri during the Spring / Summer it entails alot of travelling around the country.

Bearing in mind Tri Bike and all the gear that goes with it what do you think would be a reasonable vehicle to buy??

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Potsy

baza1976

To fit in I'd say any of these 3 : Audi, Merc or Range Rover

Worms and cans spring to mind:)

too much trifle

have the same problem, +,
i have a full support squad of 3 kids & wife,
we're now looking at getting a motor home, we saw a few people using them at tri's this year,
a lot of registrations you have to be there the evening before, when you start working out b&b, hotels etc, it starts to add up!

louthandproud

potsy11 wrote: »

I am looking at getting a car (2nd hand about 5-10k).

As I do alot of Tri during the Spring / Summer it entails alot of travelling around the country.

Bearing in mind Tri Bike and all the gear that goes with it what do you think would be a reasonable vehicle to buy??

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Potsy

There's a mighty big boot in the VW Passat, same goes for the equivalent Skoda, Octavia I think it is.

HardyEustace

too much trifle wrote: »

have the same problem, +,
i have a full support squad of 3 kids & wife,
we're now looking at getting a motor home, we saw a few people using them at tri's this year,
a lot of registrations you have to be there the evening before, when you start working out b&b, hotels etc, it starts to add up!

I would LOVE a motor home. Know a few people that have them and they're the ultimate tri accessory.

Having POST-RACE tea and biccies and post-race analysis with six of your pals whilst wrapped in a duvet looking out the window while the rain lashes against it with six pairs of mouldy runners under said motor home. PRICELESS

MCOS

?--- are you kidding?! No offense intended and its not a swipe, however I just found your post a bit uppety. Good for you that you are getting a new car to put the TT bike in but I feel that its a bit rude really to ask such a question. Just my opinion of course. If you have a TT bike then you have a fair idea about triathlons (one would think) and therefore possibly have some Tri friends or Club friends to ask or even just to check out the cars parked at Tris!

To answer your question, if you look around at any Tri you will see people taking full bikes and bits of bikes out of everything from a Fiesta to a tricked out Q7. In fact every week during a TT league this year a guy pulled up with his son in tow in a Mitsubishi Colt and pulled a P3C and Specialized S Works from the boot! Both Frames were carefully wrapped in duvets (I kid you not) and the wheels were individually wrapped in wheel bags in the back seat. Others wouls have a rack on the back of their standard Saloon with 2-3 bikes securely tied.

Its not unusual to see a P2C on the backseat of an old golf.

My point is it doesn't matter. Make up your own mind.

My best advice, get a cheaper car and take the missus on a holiday. Earn yourself a seasons worth of brownie points

A bit Catty for a Friday morning perhaps, so what!

thebouldwhacker

Its gotta be an Alfa estate....



















MMMMMMMM.... Alfa

scottreynolds

gersrunning

A Land rover is your only man. I have a passenger discovery and can fit the bike in no probs.....

Rein-in

What about a Fiat 500? A bike fits...but not much else!

This guy did it at London Triathlon last year!

Look closer....there is a bike there.

Peterx

Car with diesel engine, a big boot, towbar and a good towbar mounted bike rack are the way and the light.

Passat, Octavia, Avensis or equivalent would all be fine.

For pure (2 person only) practicality and zero style points you CANNOT beat a van.

tunney

You are looking at steering a major investment by your present involvement in a fad sport. Hardly sensible.

In general four years is the maximum a person stays involved in triathlon. If we are being honest most are involved for two years tops. Now obviously there are exceptions but odds are you won't be doing triathlons in two or so years.

(Edit: by fad I mean as in peoples short term obsession with it, not the sport itself.

sideswipe

You are looking at steering a major investment by your present involvement in a fad sport. Hardly sensible.

So What, the OP made 2 point's that -
1. He was buying a second hand car.
2. He already does "alot of Tri during the Spring / Summer" so could anybody recommend a car on that basis.
I don't think it's fair to say they are "steering a major investment by your present involvement in a fad sport"
Surely everybody is entitled to consider what they need from a car before buying?

jeffontour

tunney wrote: »

(Edit: by fad I mean as in peoples short term obsession with it, not the sport itself.

Everything I do is based on my short term obsession at the time, be what it may. If I took a "what about 3 years time" view on life I'd likely be wealthier, more boring, and have less to look back and laugh at.

But for what it's worth I second the alfa idea. I have a 156 sportwagon and love it. Only caveat is they need to be treated with love and kindness and serviced frequently, which may be a bit pricey. You can pick one up for next to nothing initially though. Don't be scared by the the "alfa spend more time at the mechanics than on the road" crew. Service it as the owners manual recommends and you'll be grinning from ear to ear to and from races.

potsy11

MCOS wrote: »

?--- are you kidding?! No offense intended and its not a swipe, however I just found your post a bit uppety. Good for you that you are getting a new car to put the TT bike in but I feel that its a bit rude really to ask such a question. Just my opinion of course. If you have a TT bike then you have a fair idea about triathlons (one would think) and therefore possibly have some Tri friends or Club friends to ask or even just to check out the cars parked at Tris!

Jesus man. I was just asking a question. I have been looking around for a long time and struggling with the decision. I I thought to myself...."I know, I'll ask the nice people on boards.ie for some advice".

Thanks to all who gave me some ideas. I think I'll be going with accord, avensis with towbar. Seems like a good solution to the hatchback and pushing seats forward.

Tunney - been in the sport a good while. Not going anywhere. I have a few more Events to do. Been swimming and running a lot longer. Don't tar us all with the one brush.

Ok I get it. It's Friday 13 th. People do behave a little weird.

bourne99

Weird responses alright - I'll be careful what I ask in the future.
'Anyone know of a good place to run?'
'How dare you ask that question - and anyway, the odds are you won't be running in two weeks anyway so why bother asking.'
'Thank you'

Anyway, OP, you left out a dozen or so factors like transmission/engine size/ petrol or diesel etc., I'd say take a look at this:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars
which is a much easier way to search the carzone stock.

I drive a Volvo estate and I can't remember how many bikes/beds/washing machines etc. I've had in the boot. But it's thirsty and expensive to tax/insure so isn't for all! I like it though

tunney

bourne99 wrote: »

Weird responses alright - I'll be careful what I ask in the future.
'Anyone know of a good place to run?'
'How dare you ask that question - and anyway, the odds are you won't be running in two weeks anyway so why bother asking.'
'Thank you'

Little touchy eh?

Its an unfortunate fact and there are plenty of stats and numbers to back it up and plenty of reasons put forward for why the rentention rate is so low.
I don't know potsy and I don't know his background but I'd hate for someone to spent 10k on a car specifically for triathlon when statistically its more likely than not that their lifespan in the sport is less than 4 years. It was thrown out there as food for thought that may or may not save a bloke some money.

plodder

Peterx wrote: »

Car with diesel engine, a big boot, towbar and a good towbar mounted bike rack are the way and the light.

Passat, Octavia, Avensis or equivalent would all be fine.

For pure (2 person only) practicality and zero style points you CANNOT beat a van.

This thread reminds me of one of the funniest things I ever saw (could be at least ten years ago). It was a chap who was very big into wind-surfing, and he transported his gear around in an old hearse. :cool:

RJC

With the strong euro just get onto autotrader.co.uk and do a bit of bangernomics and you could be zooming around in an old merc for ATM money.

bourne99

tunney wrote: »

Little touchy eh?

In general, you do seem to enjoy stirring.

jb-ski

Hi Potsy,

IMHO it’s a very valid question and this is exactly the place to ask it.

Obviously, the campervan is the trendiest and coolest:cool: to arrive in
for registration but not the most practical as a day to day car ( which looks like what you’re looking for, from my reading of your post)

I’m in the Volvo V70 camp also, but unfortunately heavy on juice and road tax.

I’d be inclined to an estate with towbar for bike rack, (avensis, laguna , alfa looks good also).

Off topic I know, but I love the idea of shi**y car, and basic bike etc, and top 10 finish,
rather than Range Rover Sport, all the latest gear and bottom finisher.

Let us know what you go for ( and colour, of course), and we’ll try to slot you into a sterio-type:D

brownian

Slightly off topic, but if you accept the consensus, and get a car with a towbar, do take a look at Thule's 2-bike ball-hitch mounted rack. This is the two-arms, sits vertically on top of your towbar, then two protruding bits with fitments for two bikes one, not Thule's monster 3-4 bike platform. Can't see it online now, but similar to the Adventure 610 which which is 63 quid on MicksGarage.

Slogger Jogger

I don't do tri.. (hopeless swimmer), but I've an Octavia estate 1.9TDI 4x4. Its the business. Fuel consumption avg 5.0/100k. Just the thing for mucky back roads. Boot capacity with back seats down is huge.

tribesman

I'd steer away from saloons with towbars and try to get something that you can put the bike in the back. That way you can leave the bike locked in the car. Imagine you are on the way to a tri you want to stop for a bite to eat on the way. Do you chance leaving the bike on the towbar rack? Will it still be there when you get back?

I'd say most hatchbacks will take a bike in the back with the seats down but you won't have much room for passengers. I have a citroen xsara picasso and, because it is a little taller then a normal hatchback, it takes the bike standing up with the front wheel removed. That way you only have to fold one of the rear seats so you still have room for 4 passengers.

I'd say the ideal would be something where the bike fits in without even removing the front wheel. Have a look at the citroen berlingo multispace here

jb-ski

tribesman wrote: »

That way you can leave the bike locked in the car. Imagine you are on the way to a tri you want to stop for a bite to eat on the way. Do you chance leaving the bike on the towbar rack? Will it still be there when you get back?

[/URL]

hi, you can lock the bike/bikes on to towbar rack. of course, you can snip or cut locks open, but if someone wants the bikes that badly, they'll break into car anyway.

hunkymonkey

Changed over to an estate this year, would highly recommend it. I only got it as a stopgap between cars and had no intention of buying an estate but going for one in my next car. Wouldn't recommend the Audi a4 estate, lovely looking & reliable car but doesn't give ya much more room than the saloon. VW & Skoda have huge room, more place to put the empty water bottles and rubbish, my mates call it the 'skip' but great for transporting loads of gear.

As for some of the comments on this thread, absolutely hilarious. Don't ya know your taking up valuable threadspace for talking about estate cars, especially such expensive ones costing between 5-10G 'in these recessionary times'. Leave it for the only essential things in ART, such as powermeters, TT bikes etc and contributing to threads that ask such important questions like who'll win in a marathon between superman and batman! (wonder who'll be the first goon to post up the answer to this)

It might be a fad sport but is your assumption is that once he leaves triathlon that he/she goes to sit on their couch to watch premiership football? Wheres the stats for that. The majority of people I know over the years who've left tri have gotten an interest in oudoor life, whether that be hiking, AR, or going to the single sports e.g. running or cycling. All activities where an estate car wouldn't go amiss, although my knowledge is only anecdotal.

So Pottsy, stop asking practical questions!

Izoard

hunkymonkey wrote: »

As for some of the comments on this thread, absolutely hilarious. Don't ya know your taking up valuable threadspace for talking about estate cars, especially such expensive ones costing between 5-10G 'in these recessionary times'. Leave it for the only essential things in ART, such as powermeters, TT bikes etc and contributing to threads that ask such important questions like who'll win in a marathon between superman and batman! (wonder who'll be the first goon to post up the answer to this)

I'll be that goon...absolutely kicked superman's as$ @ DCM '09....:)

KentuckyPete

I've an Avensis Verso - world's most boring car but de job for me, the OH, three smallies, full camping gear and full triathlon kit during the summer circuit around Munster. Fair handy for carrying bags of cement too

Will tell you a good one about choosing (and defending) your car model:
I was up on a training spin in Kilkenny on Saturday with some mates. Rather than the security hassle of having the bike on the roof in downtown Kilkenny on Saturday night I folded down two of the back seats and stuck it in the boot.
Yesterday I was coming back via the new Waterford bypass and toll bridge. Yer wan at the toll booth looked into the car and because two of the seats were folded and I had "cargo" in the back she wanted to charge me the full price for a commercial vehicle! ffs...:P
Needless to say I persuaded her otherwise - I reckon they must be on commission or something.

n-dawg

jeffontour wrote: »

Everything I do is based on my short term obsession at the time, be what it may. If I took a "what about 3 years time" view on life I'd likely be wealthier, more boring, and have less to look back and laugh at.

Fantastic Quote