Bike advice for noob

PoleStar

Hi all

Hoping to do a first triathlon next year after getting into running this year.

Gonna buy a bike on the bike to work scheme so my budget is up to 1000.

I see that try bikes are all well over that budget.

Will a road bike suffice?

Any recommendations? I have seen a GT series 4 and Giant Defy 2 in that range?

Plus, any good starter training plans or sites out there?

Wish me luck!

RacoonQueen

A road bike will be fine, the majority of people race on road bikes. If you have extra €€ you can't get a bike for over €1000, the BTW scheme will just pay for the first 1000 then you've to pay the rest.

PoleStar

Thanks a mill.

I assume for a beginner there is not much of an advantage to be gained with a try bike anyway?

Briando

There is a light and day difference between them.

80% of the resistance you meet while cycling 30km/h+ is wind resistance from your body. Not the bike frame, wheels etc.

Having a well fitted tri bike will allow you to get into a comfortable postion out of the wind and let you go faster for the same effort.

I moved from a Scott S60 with clipon tri bars to a fitted Tri bike and the difference was astonishing. My training parter who spend the last 2 years giving me ****e for being slower than him, at the same time he bought a road bike. On our first training cycle together he started to complain of his legs burning while trying to stay with me, even while drafting off me.

I cant stick with him while he is on tri bike and I am not, and visa-versa.

If you main focus if triathlon then buy a tri bike. If it is just to cycle then get a road bike, as a lot of cycle clubs only allow people with road bikes to join there group cycles.

Best of luck in your search for a bike.

Daz1214

buy a road bike to start off with...a tt bike is only a race bike, they arent bikes for training on. I have the gt series 4 and have been riding one for 18 months and find it a very good bike. I rode my first year of triathlon on that bike with clip on bars. you can always invest in a tt bike down the line when you are sure triathlon is for you

nice_guy80

What should you be looking for when looking at bikes?
There are so many varing models

frame? material, weight, size?
forks?
gears?
brakes?

anything else. Cheers

PoleStar

Ok

So I am gonna settle on a road bike, funds wont allow a tri bike.

So where to go to get a good bike and good fitting?

PoleStar

Ok so I settled on a Giant Defy. The reviews are too good to ignore for the price.

I am getting it on the bike to work scheme and also the shop I am going to I can get the Defy 1 (and pay a tiny bit extra) or get the defy 2 and kit myself out with helmet and few accessories.

Given I am new to triathlon I am thinking just get the Defy 2 with accessories unless everyone here says for for the defy 1. I am thinking that if I do decide to upgrade in a year or 2, I would probably still want to upgrade from a defy 1 anyway to not much advantage to it.