When looking to buy your first triathlon bike you have so many options it can be daunting but these tips from Will Clarke will help to guide you through it.
Road bike or time trial bike?
The first thing you need to decide and I guess the most common question for beginners is do I start with a road bike or time trial (TT) bike? The ideal is that you have both, a road bike to train with and a TT bike to race with. A TT bike is by far the best option if you are looking to go fast in the race, due to the aerodynamics on the frame, the geometry and position it allows you to hold which will make you much more slippery from the wind on the road. However for a beginner I believe it’s best to start with a road bike which is perfect for your training rides and also fine for getting around well in a triathlon.
What’s your budget?
You need to know your budget for your new bike because there are endless possibilities and you can spend anywhere between a few hundred pounds all the way up to around £15,000 (over $18,000) for the latest super bikes. If you are looking to pick up a deal then it can be worth looking at forums online and adverts in the back of magazines as bikes are never sold at the value the seller would like for them, so you can get some very nice bikes for not a lot of money. It all depends on how serious the hobby is to you.
Fit and size
Fit is the next most important and that is the problem when buying something online. Every bike shop will help you to find the right size bike for you and some good shops will offer you a bike fit before you buy. You do not want to the up buying the wrong size bike for you as you’ll never be able to make it work.
Which groupset?
The three main component companies Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM offer a range in all their groupsets (all the moving parts on the bike). The most expensive is Dura Ace, Record, SRAM Red. All are now offering electronic gears. The high end is quite expensive and, to be honest ,to the untrained eye not performing much different to their 2nd in line or even their 3rd. So also look out for Shimano Ultegra or 105, Campagnolo Chorus and Athena and SRAM Force and Rival. Their cheapest options are perfectly fine for a beginner, but if you can it’s always nice to try to get a smarter group set for your money.
Wheels are key
Wheels are also worth looking at and again you can spend a lot of money on wheels and they actually do make a big impact to performance. A beginner starting should invest in a good quality pair of training/racing wheels. Strong enough to withstand the winter miles but hopefully somewhat lightweight and fast enough to race with, especially if coupled with some fast tyres. The first years of my career I started with some wheels that served me well for both training and racing.
