Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

Dropped myself in it by committing to a tri-athalon last night.

No experience, more or less starting from scratch.

Need a bike (currently have a 13 yr old Trek mountain bike).

Am thinking £300ish should buy something fairly decent secondhand?

I like Treks, as mine has been faultless over the years.

Any other makes to consider?

What are the main things to look out for?

Am going to get measured for a frame this afternoon.

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

750m Swim / 20km Bike / 5km Run

PG

The Spesh Allez offers very good value. I have one for my every day bike and my Ribble for the good days.

PG

Oh, and

Not to drink too much and end up saying you'll do a tri-athalon

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

Oh dear.....blew the budget by just a little bit...

Brought a carbon framed Trek

The training can begin as soon as I shake my cold off.

DCI Gene Hunt

And a picture/link to said bike??

SJ_Skyline

Best of luck Bob.

I've taken part in Duathlons (not a very strong swimmer) and the transition from bike to run is a bloody nightmare. Practice it at the gym as much as you can as the first 750m after transition you really are running on someone elses legs. The more you practice the easier it gets

Indoor-tri is a good way of training at the gym: 5km row / 20km bike / 5km run. If you can manage this and then feel ok to do it again the following day then you're getting there.

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

will get some pics up later in the week

Things to do:

1. Spend lots more money on buying gear (SPD shoes, tri-ath outfit, helmet, glasses, goggles, wet/dry suit etc)

2. Learn to swim front crawl with a RC injury (get lessons/physio)

3. Get used to running outside (hate it)

4. Train hard

5. Realise that I may have jumped in at the deep end

SJ_Skyline

Have you cycled with SPDs before? If not then spend an hour sitting on your bike in the garage just clipping in and out, out and in otherwise when you really need to clip out on the road you may find you wished you had spent more time practicing!

...and don't be a wuss about the run, 5km should only take you 25 to 30 minutes!

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

Cheers

Luckily there is a pool at the gym.

I will break it down to begin with (ie learn to swim properly). Decent spinning classes at gym too, and I have good running/swimming/cycling partners.

Will do some open water swimming beforehand too.

The individual activities seem daunting enough without beginning to think about stringing them together

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

Haven't used SPDs before - will certainly practice clipping on/off, as I don't like the idea of having my feet stuck in the pedals during a fall.

In fact, I've never even been on a racer.

Mogsi

Having done a couple of sprint tri's last year and a few more planned for this year, time is definitely made or lost in the pool and the transition areas, I totally underestimated the swim in my first tri and got well and truly punished.

Greatest purchase I made last year was some locklaces for my running shoes, saves guffing around with normal laces.....

Elastic shoelaces, elastic shoe laces, shoe laces, shoelaces, curly shoe laces

Good luck with the training.....

Vampire

You'll still fall off though, clipping in and out is ok but doesn't accurately simulate the "OMG I'm going over - noooooo" panic situation. For that you need some sharp rocks, a sharp thorn bush, water etc nearby.

Everyone remembers their first silly SPD crash. Mine was wheelying over backwards on a MTB outside my house, and lying in the road still clipped to the bike with people walking past shaking their heads. Then some time after I rode my bike flat out from the top of Pen-Y-Fan to the valley below, I made it to the bottom ok with burst seals in my suspension forks and 2 buckled wheels, but was so tired I couldn't unclip and toppled over sideways into a gorse bush.

SJ_Skyline

I came off a couple of weeks ago on the black route at Llandegla. Didn't bother unclipping, just grabbed hold of a nearby tree to stop myself enjoying some rather steep, exciting off-piste action right where the "step of doom" used to be

Mogsi

I came off Saturday afternoon in my garage whilst dismounting the rollers, and to top it off I then got an electric shock from the filing cabinet I fell against...

Stoopid things bikes are......

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

As promised....a quick snap:



Its been far too windy to give it a proper blast but it seems to ride very well and is very light.

Suffering from shin splints on the treadmill (within a few minutes), but went out for a gentle jog outside and it was ok. Running needs to improve 5 fold (at least).

I think I might have a painkilling injection for my RC injury so I can crack on with swimming. Current swimming ability = holiday breaststroke swimmer.

Might get a beginner -> triathlete program off the net and work to it.

Luckily have some good training partners.

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

Went for my first proper bike ride on Sunday...

35miles at a good pace, stopping once for refuel. Country backroads (not very flat!).

Was riding with some experienced riders....I found the climbs a real problem....bike isn't geared for them....was quick on the flats and downhills

Was my first time wearing SPD shoes.....happy to say that I didnt manage to have any accidents falls, although took some getting used to clipping in.

Need a new tyre already!

dpb

Relatively heavy/uncomfortable wheels those i suspect - youd be better off with good spec ordinary ones espesh for the climbs.

NIice frame - i have a look 241 which is nothing like as sohistacted

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

wheels weigh 960/1100g each, so not too bad. Need to change the inner tubes for ones with longer valves as foot/hand/co2 pumps wont fit properly with the deep dish wheel.

Am thinking of changing the rear cassette for more suited ratios. Any way of telling what I have now?