What's the Best Bike for a Beginning Triathlete?

Many people pop onto Google and search for something like...

"Best Triathlon Bikes of 2014"

For me, however, (and I've daydreamed on those search results countless times) that search typically yields ambiguous and completely impractical answers.  A better question is probably, "What's the best triathlon bike for me!"

There's a bit of a qualification process that needs to happen before an individual can determine what's best for his or her unique needs, wants, and budget. Below are some points to consider before you break out the check book and make that investment.

•  What do I need?  The truth is that I've seen (and in fact been beaten on occasion by) people competing in triathlons on bikes ranging from $10,000 triathlon bikes, to old steel road bikes, to mountainbikes with slicks, beach cruisers, and even BMX bikes.  Yep!  I saw a guy riding a 24" BMX bike at a local sprint triathlon. The amazing thing isn't actually what he was riding, but how fast he was!  What you'll need is a bike.  It's that simple: You need a bike.

• What do I want? I'll caution you to be careful for what you wish for! What I thought I wanted was really what my ego wanted, not what my body, fitness, budget, and ability level needed or deserved.

I wanted a P5 like I wanted air!  Racked & Ready at Ironman California 70.3, March, 2013. This is the Cervelo P5 belonging to the reigning Ironman World Champion, Frederik Van Lierde. Likely well in excess of $10,000 US.

So how much faster would I have been on Frederik's bike, than on my own? 

None!  Seriously, I probably couldn't have even finished the race on his bike.  I could, however, have spent $10,000 looking fast in the process of DNF'ing.  In fact, I saw more than a few athletes blow up right before my eyes at Ironman California 70.3, especially going up Mt. "Mother-F'er!" (Yep! The bike course is on a military base and it feels like it.) You've got to be comfortable in order to perform, and I'd surely suffer on this state of the art beast of a bike!

•  What is your budget? This can make a huge difference in the bike buying process. In my case I didn't have the budget that would allow for me to purchase two bikes: An Aero Tri-Bike & a road bike. So I bought a road bike.  Over the past 18 months I've ridden about 7,500 miles.  Of those 7,500 miles, exactly 144 miles were under race conditions.  That's 1.9% of my bike time. Was I battling for the lead?  Nope!  Just learning the ropes, and learning my limits.  If I did have the budget I'd absolutely have bought two bikes, and I'd love 'em and ride 'em both!  What a privilege; to race on the best bike for that particular event.  Have you ever watched an ITU race?  Javier Gomez, Alistair Brownlee, and Gwen Jorgansen are the very fastest Triathletes in the world racing Olympic Distance. What do they ride?  Road bikes.  Have you ever seen someone dominating the Ironman World Championships in Kona riding a road bike?  Nope! Not in the last 25 years anyway, and it'll never happen again.  Bikes a purpose built now.  If you've got the budget to stock your garage with the latest and greatest...game on!  Bike the best bike that serves your purpose.  If you don't have the budget, it becomes even more critical to buy a bike that is comfortable, versatile, and dependable.

It's my opinion, especially as it applies to beginning triathletes, you need to find comfort first. The speed will come.  You'll quickly learn that comfort instills confidence, and confidence leads to speed.

• Keep safety in mind as well. Tri bikes often leave their pilots precariously perched in that elusive, expensive, and often uncomfortable "Aero" position.  This is rarely a position ideally suited for handling and safety. "Aero" bikes typically don't handle well at all, even in the best of hands.  They'll get you there in a hurry, but what's the risk versus the return? They're also typically not very comfortable for many age group athletes, especially at the middle to the back of the pack. The less comfortable you are on the bike, the less safe you'll feel on the day.  I'm nowhere near the sharp end of the field, and getting me from the back of the pack to the front isn't going to happen with the swipe of a debit card.  It's gonna take years of blood, sweat, and tears.  Comfort, however, is going to give me confidence, strong finishes, great memories...with tons of smiles along the way.

Humble by today's standards, my 2005 Felt F3 isn't the perfect triathlon bike. It wasn't built for triathlon. but it's mine, I know it,  and I love it.

Over the years I've become an strong advocate for both Felt and Specialized bicycles.  They both build a wide range of bikes that cover a wide range of abilities and budgets. They don't have that flashy exotic Italian name, yet they are at the front of the back in all areas of cycling, from ITU to IM to Tour de France, to the downhill mountainbike world championships!  The truth as I see it is that true beginners can ride whatever the heck they want.  So find what attracts you at a local dealer, make sure you're buying something appropriate, and enjoy the ride.  As you advance in your abilities and change your longer term goals, you'll know when it's time to make that investment in "the next step up."  Maybe it'll be clip on  bars, a new wheelset, or a complete upgrade. You'll know when or if it's time to make a change.

To wrap it up, don't forget to give yourself a moment to enjoy the sport before you dive in up to your eyebrows trying to wring its neck for every extra second you can spare. Train smart! Train with a purpose! Mend your aches and pains.  Give yourself time to really fall in love with the Triathlon lifestyle and the energy at the events you participate in.  And...oh yea...don't forget the rest of your life!

Hugs,
 

Andy Blasquez