I opted for a road bike over a tt bike, because I thought it would give me more bang for my buck. I live in a very hilly area and tri bikes aren't the best on hills.
I have a lot of friends who have different bikes for different conditions. A rain bike, a tt bike, a hill climbing bike blah, blah, blah. I would love to have options for every condition, but don't have the money for options. So I chose a nice road bike with good components and threw on some aerobars and poof a tt bike... Kind of!!
That is kind of comforting!
I think my biggest hangup and possible issue is that I have freakish proportions. Like, a decently long torso for my height (5'2"), but short-ish legs and t-rex arms. I have the smallest SU 1.0 that Trek made and even the fit on that bike isn't optimal. I have no idea how I'd even go about trying out all the bikes out there or how to start narrowing them down.
I did my first tri on a mountain bike, then bought a decent road bike. I'm now on my third road bike (will get a new one in the next couple of years). I've used them for many triathlons, including two Ironmans. I bought a tri bike a year and a half ago and I love it. I still ride my road bike a lot, and always when I'm in groups.
I'm also short (5'1") with short legs. For a while, I didn't buy a tri bike because I would probably have needed a custom frame. But, there are a lot more choices now with the stock frames. Also, "women specific" bikes do not work for me. Work with a good bike shop. They can find the right bike for you. The Trek isn't your only option! There are a lot of great bike manufacturers out there. Trek is popular, but that doesn't mean I is best for you!
Maybe like $200? I don't know what bikes cost. I sort of want to buy one for riding around town and running errands and whatnot and that's how much I'm looking to spend. no idea if that's reasonable though.
My dad has ALWAYS wanted a kayak and asked for it at every birthday, Christmas, etc. that I can remember. No one ever got it for him, because it just wasn't really something he'd use.
A couple years ago, amidst a midlife crisis, he decided to buy one for himself just months after buying a brand new BMW X3 (see: midlife crisis). Then he discovered that he couldn't get the kayak on top of the car without scratching it up - total fail but good story
I think logistics of how we'd get it around is why it won't be a 2014 purchase either. DH wants a truck and a hitch to go with his canoe. That would raise the price slightly
My current bike was 3K and $400 for the original fit. I spent another $40 when I got aerobars and I get re-fit every 6 months. I love my bike, it is not fancy - just a good road bike - but I dont feel that it has hindered me in anyway, whatsoever.
If I ever do invest in a tt bike, I would go no less than 5K but probably no more than 8K. It helps that my bike fitter has all my measurements so I could basically order my bike in pieces (or have people GIVE me pieces ). I just dont think a 3K tt bike would give me any more oomph than my current road bike. Although, it would definitely look prettier!!!
I know a few people with bikes in the 15K + range and my opinion is, if you can afford it, then go for it. I cant afford it so its a moot point, lol. I still giggle at my husband's face when I told him the price of my wheels...and informed him that was the price PER wheel.
My dad has ALWAYS wanted a kayak and asked for it at every birthday, Christmas, etc. that I can remember. No one ever got it for him, because it just wasn't really something he'd use.
A couple years ago, amidst a midlife crisis, he decided to buy one for himself just months after buying a brand new BMW X3 (see: midlife crisis). Then he discovered that he couldn't get the kayak on top of the car without scratching it up - total fail but good story
I think logistics of how we'd get it around is why it won't be a 2014 purchase either. DH wants a truck and a hitch to go with his canoe. That would raise the price slightly
This sounds like the sort of thought process that would go around in our house, too. For example, we had to get the Outback instead of the Impreza so we could fit an acceptable number of skis and bikes inside, but we also had to get the appropriate roof apparati to carry them on top for versatility. We have not yet managed to install the new garage so that we can get the car with bikes on the roof inside.
Do you do that sort of as a preventative thing? Or do you need something changed about that often?
Usually about every 6 months, my bike feels "off" so I take it in to get everything repositioned. Even the seat just moving down ever so slightly will impact your power, and over 6 months it does tend to move down just a little. I also think just taking my bike in/out of my car repeatedly slightly moves things.
I've also had my bike majorly adjusted a few times just because my cycling style changed. If my bike fitter changes one thing then he usually also has to change a few other things. Aside from just wanting as much power as possible, if my bike does not fit perfectly, it's very uncomfortable to ride because of my scoliosis. Cycling, no matter what, is challenging with my back.