After taking up swimming classes recently we are now thinking of investing in new bikes with the possibility of venturing into triathlon at some stage (seems like a logical progression...)

My question then, is what is the difference between a tri bike and a road bike or is there even a difference??? Is a tri bike just a road bike that as been "tweaked"?

Following on from that I'm curious as to what people recommend, I guess we would be looking at something in the $1000 - $2000 price range. I've seen some pretty hot looking bikes out there but would rather spend the hard earned cash after doing some research on the right bike and not necessarily the prettiest bike (I do like the pretty things though...)

I also find the concept of those "cleat" things a bit scary as I'm forgetful at the best of times, are they an essential accessory? I can imagine them causing a few mishaps...

Beki

Im not the most experienced Triathlete around (age 24) but my advice would be stick to a Road Bike then "tweak" it down the track with aeccesories like Tri Bars to make it more like a Tri Bike. Another quick thought, Road Bike easier to re sell once you look at up grading.

As far as I know the main difference between a Tri bike and a road bike is the Angle between the Pedal and Seat, Tri bikes are very up right and you sit directly over the pedals where as roads bikes sit further back with the pedals slightly out in front. Tri Bikes are also called Time Trial Bikes, so they are generally more aero dynamic well they look it anyway.

I ride a Lear Sport bike which I purchased for $1200 with accesories on it and it does fine, I have completed numrous olympic tri's on it plus a Half Ironman. Obviously doesn't get the most attention in transition but that can be good aswell as your opponetts dont even have a second thought about you, that is untill you ride past them, some times.....

Re Cleats, you dont need them to start off with, get confident on your bike first and then if wish to get more serious about Tris then put them on your bike. But dont worry you would be able to count on one hand how many Triathlets haven't fallen off whilst stopping at a stop sign becasue off cleats, I know I have (a couple of times)

Good luck with your Triathlons.

Hi Beki

In my experience, cleats do make a big difference in comfort, speed and efficiency. They are scary and awkward at first, but once you get the hang of them, you will have no problems. It just becomes a reflex to click in and out as you need to. Its kinda like learning to ride a bike.
Having said that, they are not necessary when you are just starting out and in a short race, any time you gain will be lost to the time it takes to change into your running shoes in transition. And they are something you can very easily add later on, after you buy your first bike and see if you like tris.

Trialthlon is an awesome sport - I hope you enjoy your first steps.

When I bought my bike I went and got two practical riding lessons from a prof bike shop. Just basics like emergency stops, balance, cornering and cleats. What a difference it made. Best $150 I have spent.

Don't forget to get the spokey dokes - they are performance AND looks improving!

Go for good componentry (refer the shimano website) and whatever you do get your bike fitted professionally.

http://www.shimano.com.au/publish/content/...g/road_101.html

Good advice all round already.

You are going to do much more riding (training) in 'road' mode, therefore road bike and fit tribars , move seat forward etc, wheels for racing, whatever. As neavesy said, the angles are steeper on the tri bike. The point is you would be more uncomfortable doing road type riding (most of training) on a tri bike. That said, you need to get comfortable in tri bike mode before racing (if indeed you are racing in tri bike mode).
This is why most serious guys have more than one bike.

Then having decided on the type of bike, as Wobbly man said- and worth repeating- the 'bike fit' is the single most important thing, even better if the shop has a 'bike fit measuring' set up. Don't let the sales guy just look at you and recommend a size. Its not as simple as just leg length.

As an example: I am short (1.65) and on first glance would do with a small frame ( 46.5 cm ). However, my morphology is such that my torso is that of a taller person, so on measurement I decided to go up a frame size, and drop the seat a bit to get back to the same knee bend on extension, so that my top tube matches torso. You can also muck around with stem length etc, esp if you are going to fit tri bars.

The other thing to decide on is the terrain and what your strengths are. If you are going to ndo lotys of steep hills and you are not a good climber, then ask for a 'real' compact chainring/cluster set-up. I have 53/39 with cluster 12-23, but you can get more compact @ 50/34 with cluster up to 27 in other words a 34:27 is almost 1:1 and get you up the steepest hills- handy if you are doing Port HIM with MFD hill.

Get good components first up- retrofitting is much morte expensive. Your starting point if serious should be Shimano 105 group which should be in your price bracket (dep on frame quality).

...and lastly again don't forget 'bike fit'.

Good luck

Bah, Humbug, Beki....heres good componentry -Campagnolos website ..... hehehe

Prof

I have a ladies Trek - 1500 WSD. It is perfect for the tri's I do (sprint mainly) and also for long rides. Cleats are scarey at first, I fell over as soon as I stopped the first time and still do occasionally when I am not thinking about stopping.

I recommend the 1500 - it is awesome. And go to bike shop to get fitted properly, the bike is so much more comfortable when it fits!!

Hi,

I bought a bike recently as well. I think pretty much has been said before. Regarding the clipless pedals, I say go for it. If you are planning on doing triathlons, you'll eventually move up in distances and you'll need them. Better to get used to them straight away, and I feel they really make a difference.

Just be aware when you buy the bike that there are quite a few extra cost to the bike (Helmet, pedals, shoes, bike computer, pump, aero bars, extra inner tubes,...) It all adds up. It is really worth having a look at diffferent stores and negotiating as you can really get a good deal when you buy everything at once.

Hi Beki,

Some great advice has been given already and here is an article that talks about the physical differences between a road and tri bike.

http://www.trinewbies.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=11

It has already been said but my biggest piece of advice is which ever bike you choose make sure you get fitted properly. Good bike shops will have a bike fit service and a good fit will help you ride much better and injury free. One thing about Tri bikes is they do tend to put more weight on the front wheel as a consequence of the relatively steeper seat angle. What this does is make you slightly more unstable.

You might be better off when you are starting out going for a good road bike and then move onto a Tri bike. There are plently of great bikes out there it all depends on how much you want to spend. Check out the Cervelo Soloist Team - a great bike that also has a reversable seat post that can be set up in both road and tri geometry.

Good luck in your search!

Danny

Danny,

The steeper seat tube angle makes you less stable, but one thing to think of is that triathlons tend to have fewer high-speed corners than road races, so it doesn't matter so much. Also, there are numerous articles showing that steeper seat tubes resulted in the same power output with the same quadriceps activation but lower hamstring activation - leaving you more energy for your run. (No I can't cite it, it's at work, but try google scholar). Most female cyclists I know prefer steeper seat tubes for comfort.

Beki,

1. Cleats don't cause you mishaps. Forgetting to pedal causes you mishaps. The bikeshop will set you up on an indoor trainer. Practise clipping and unclipping with both feet at this stage and you won't have a problem. If you want to do triathlons, the shop will recommend one-strap shoes. I'll recommend a two-strap shoe (no ratchets or anything). During your race, you have the front strap loose, so you can get your feet in quick, and then once you're on the bike you can tighten it as needed. They'll be much more comfortable for general riding though.

2. If you have small hands (like I do) then women's specific handlebars and brake levers are worth paying a little more for. I've never had them, but I really have to reach for the brakes, and when I wear full-finger gloves in winter, it gets pretty hard to reach.

3. You absolutely must get a women's specific saddle. Most bike shops will switch the saddle for no extra cost. Women's sit-bones are too far apart for a mens saddle.

4. Get a hard saddle. It hurts more at first, but it keeps the pressure on the bones. If you get a soft cushy saddle, then you sink into it, so you end up with pressure on the soft tissue, which is really not good.

5. Don't buy a bike with Shimano Sora componentry. If you're really pushing the budget get tiagra. Otherwise go for 105 or Ultegra. Or Campagnolo equivalent, but then you end up paying way more for something that makes so much noise when you freewheel, you'll be embarrassed...

6. If the bike shop wants to adjust your fit buy just giving you a shorter headstem (pushes the handlebars forwards or back) make sure it's not smaller than about 100mm. If you start getting down to 90mm, you probably just need a smaller frame.

7. Make sure you get quotes from multiple bike shops. You want included a helmet, track pump (floor standing high pressure one), travel pump, spare tubes, patch kit, tyre levers, a multi-tool so you can fix and adjust stuff, an under-seat bag, flashing lights, cages for your drink bottles (bidons), some clear sunnies if you'll ride at night (often best bought at electrical safety stores), cycling knicks (bibknicks are more comfortable because elastic on your waist sucks), ... gee is that everything? Oh, and a year of servicing... and hopefully a mechanic who is happy to show you how to do a basic service so you don't have to keep paying after that.

i'm sure the more exxy stuff is nice... sorry to bore some of you with this again...

but i went to IMOZ with a $400- second hand aluminium framed road bike with a conglomeration of shimano componentry, sora, tiagra, old 600 bits and scraped it into the top third on the bike leg.
plus i only had a 7 speed cassette and no aero wheels.


most important is that your bike fits, the gearing suits the course and your componentry works properly.

once you have a bike suited to the purpose the quality of the bits is only of marginal importance.

Wow guys, so much to think about! Thanks for the great advice, I think I might have to print this thread off and study it

I'm not planning on rushing into getting anything, plenty of time to research and from reading this thread there is certainly a lot to research...

Can anyone recommend a couple of good bike shops in Sydney that would be worth checking out?

Below is Rohan's last bike. That is why he ended up with bits and pieces for his latest bike

ediited P.S, Rohan I hope I haven't done this joke before.

Unicycle Accident - Amazing videos are here

Wow! If you had a decent bike, you might've been in the top 5 %

Bikes like that are fine if you know stuff about bikes, know how to fix bits when the old bits get worn out, know where to acquire those bits... Big problem with anything lower than 105 is the lack of 10 speed. Not that there's anything wrong with anything less and in fact I think 10 speed is ridiculous. But it's really hard to get parts for 7 speed bikes now. So while it might be cheaper to start with, chances are the ongoing costs will be higher.

Beginners have to be especially careful because it's so hard to get a good fit. If you go to a bike shop with a huge range and someone who knows how to fit bikes, then you'll get one that's good. Then if you go to buy another bike, 2nd hand is far more viable, because you will really know what you're looking for. I was going to get that for my second bike, but instead I got a 105-spec alu bike with carbon forks for $1300 a few years ago when the going rate was about $1700-$1800. I'm pretty sure the huge discount was because it had such a hideously ugly colour scheme. Gee it's ugly. It's so ugly. I love it.

Really. One of the most important things in cycling is the optimal cadence. 10 speed, especially with a compact crank, not only gives you greater variation but also smoother shifts with smaller cadence variation.

Does one need a 23 on cluster? Or even 25 or 27? Sure you do. Chain link bend is more important than lubrication in minimising friction on chain, thus pedalling a 50:25 (or 53:27) will be more effecient than 34:17 (or 39:20) with the same cadence/speed.
Give me more gears , I use them all. (haven't needed the 34:23 combo yet, got to find a steeper hill)

Maybe a bit too much info for the poster, but certainly doesn't support your statement.

Rohan is a very fit , young guy and also already a good runner. the tri demographic may have bling, but that doesn't mean they are very strong (strong swimmers yes).

Over an hr cycling, I immediately dropped >1min with my new bike, with much less body fatigue, and I already had a fairly decent bike. The fit, smooth componentry (already mentioned) and the carbon frame all important. Carbon not so much for its weight, but stiffness in relation to weight (more responsive esp climbing), but the neglected issue of riding on 'dead' roads where the grit is course. This is where you can still ride hard and not feel the fatigue from micro vibrations. My riding partner hates me for this ( he has a Trek Alum) and will be upgrading shortly.

cheers ( get a decent bike first up-- don't pay attention to freaks like Rohan )

colin just likes to call me young so he doesn't feel so old. i am in fact slap bang in the middle of middle age.

he does make a good point about getting a "decent" bike. mine is decent... but not acceptable. the fourth discipline of triathlon is the art of bling. more important to look fast than go fast. so beki if you like pretty bikes you are on the right track in tri.

hey tanky,
i never have probs getting spares. if it looks like it'll fit or work, chances are you can make it fit or work.. so i have a 9speed ultegra derailleur connected to a 7speed sora sti, swapping cogs on the 7speed cassette... bewdifull..

... but then for the past 20 years i have only owned cars from the 1950s and have never had an issue finding parts for them either.
this is the green approach to car ownership and triathlon. everything can be fixed/modified to live another day.

Hmmm... somehow I don't think the way to encourage the majority of beginners from a non-mechanical background into cycling is by encouraging them to buy something they have to 'make work'... I was too scared to tweak anything on my bike for the first six months I had it!

On the topic of gearing, I think a 25 or a 27 are a great idea. The first thing I did when I moved in with Steven was steal his cluster, because I had a 12-23 and he had a 13-25. I don't train on Mt Coot-tha any more so I gave it back. I really don't see the point of having a 12 though. When do I use a 52/12 ?? Even when I'm racing crits, I never go beyond the 14 cog because it doesn't let me wind up quickly enough... and going down hills - well you have to be in a very aero position already, and then be pretty damn strong at pedalling to make a bigger impact than you get from the increased drag of pedalling anyway.

A question for Colin - by chain link bend - do they mean bend in the direction it's meant to (for which yes, a smaller cog means more bend) or bend because the chain is not in a straight line from the front cog to the rear? - the cogs are parallel to the frame, and the further out your cluster reaches, the more your chain links are forced to bend to get onto the teeth. I think it means the latter. In which case the biggest point that comes out of it is that a lot of the possible gear combinations you get are not really all that sensible...

Haven't used your 34/23 - what are you doing? I need to ride where you're riding My boyfriend takes me riding places where I've resorted to using my 30/23 (yes, one of my bikes has a triple, and gee I'm glad I took it out that day).

me too. even if you don't look too macho with such granny gear ratios. plenty of folks walking up MFD hill at imoz due to really poor cassette selection. i use a 13-26 cassette. but then i always aim to get some hills into a ride.

the bend colin is talking about is how the chain has to wrap round a small cog. so if you notice norman stadler now has large jockey wheels on his derailleur to try to avoid this as much as possible.

So basically what I'm working out here is that I don't want to be getting something that I'll have to "fiddle" with or "tweak" to begin with - fair enough

So my next question is about makes and models. I would ideally like to get something that I'm going to be able to happily ride for the foreseeable future, I don't want to get 12 months down the line and be wishing I'd bought something else

Are there any suggestions for particular makes being more bang for their buck? I don't want to be paying $$$ for flashy brand A when brand B does exactly the same thing for $1000 less... Of course I don't want to be a cheapskate either but there must be some pretty good mid range bikes out there

I really have no idea when it comes to bikes so any help is greatly appreciated

Cheers

PS Yes Rohan, I do like the pretty things but I'm willing to have something not-so-pretty if it works for me

I agree with this one. The more you get into a tri bike position you are further forward over the pedals, a bit more compact (read cramped) and lower down. Eventually if you want to keep riding having a road bike to come back to which in my case was a more sensible allocation of money. I ride most of the year without tri bars and put them on in summer.

Colin's point about the right fit is crucial and it needs to be adjusted on a regular basis as you become stronger and more flexible on the bike.

Re: the models - look into the difference between a compact chain set and a more traditional chain set and then do the models based on cost and after sales service.

Body Fatigue is also a function of alloy and carbon fibre. Carbon fibre forks, stays and seats really make for a better ride.

cheers Plu

hey beki,

this is what serious triathlets and tri-geeks use or want...

costs a mint... but it is about the pinnacle of tri-cool.

cervelo website at.... http://www.cervelo.com/home.aspx?ref=1440:900

Mmmmmmm, pretty.....

Really? I think it's ugly! I guess that's why I went back to cycling instead of staying with triathlon...

Source

source

Now that is pretty. I love those traditional style bikes. I am thinking of buying one cheaply when I go to the Netherlands later in the year and bringing it home, but 4 bikes seems a tad excessive for one girl.

Sorry for the hijak. Beki, I have heard it said by several people in the know that Giant represent good value for money. But I don't have one. I have an Avanti Giro, with Shimano 105 componentry. It cost approx $1500 4 years ago, has done close to 20,000k since then and has seen me through from sprint distance tris to my first Ironman earlier this year. I have had no mechanical problems with it and have replaced only tires and tubes. It runs very well, with an occassional professional service. I added clip-on tri-bars/aero-bars when I started doing longer races. Oh, I love my bike.

I think the most important thing is comfort, so get on the various bikes in your price range and buy whatever you feel most comfortable on. Also go into a few different shops and talk to different people until you get someone you feel you can trust. Good luck, make sure you tell us what you get.

Beki,

Here is a link to a thread I started last year.

I bought a second hand tri bike and it has served me well in its limited use so far.

Good luck!

Rohan - is the bike in the pic fitted with Shimano or Campagnolo? Will look cool with aero seat tube and tri-bars though.

You got a good deal. Discount retail on the Giro was $1699 about 4 years ago.

Miss Z gives good advice - try different shops. No shops stock all ranges. Two bikes can be nearly identical and yet one just feels better for you. And... if your bike shop guy is worth dealing with, he'll respect your decision to try before you buy, and to try to get a better deal elsewhere.

Chain link bend: yep, study done at John Hopkins Uni worked out loss due to friction and found that the 'bend' in the direction its meant to bend is the main parameter affecting friction- hence the use of big jockey wheels, so makes sense too to use the bigger cogs on cluster- less bend.

No, I am keeping the 39/23 (yeah actually 39) for something more verticle. I am quite light, and have strong legs, hence I can climb with seasoned cyclists without getting out of saddle- went up MFD a few times on my old bike on a 42/19 ! and up Galston Gorge (whioch Plu knows) quite quickly on 39/19. Got to use my strengths, which is why I'll give Busselton a miss and do Port.

Now for Beki- Azzurri is even more bang for buck. As an example I have a full carbon (monocoque- no joins), with Ultegra, Shimano wheels etc for under $2500. So what is an azzurri? My carbon frame is made at the same Taiwanese factory as other more expensive brands which would have set me back $4000. There are only two carbon factories.

You'll easily get an Azzurri frame plus 105 for under $1500, tiagra as low as a grand.

Azzurri Uno (Columbus Alum, carbon forks, shimano wheels, 105) --$1,700

over at transitions they hail the azzurri as the pinnacle of bang for your buck bikes.



try this for an example of pricing and also possible supplier.

Just for comparison I paid the same price for Giant OCR Zero with same gear set and wheels and including helmet, cleats, lights.. The bike I showed earlier. It has carbon forks, seat and stays. This was a 2006 model I got at the end of 2006 the week before the Port Half Ironman - my Reynold's 601 died the week before! A year later I coo could have paid the same price for full carbon finre - they are like computers these bikes. Sometime you just ahve to make a decision.

The other difference to Colin's bike is that I have a compact chain set. I just felt it was better for my old legs. I need to ride next to Colin again but I suspect my first gear is equilivant to his first gear. That is roughly how it compared to my old bike. The big gears don't really worry me as all I have around penno are hills. When I did the Nepean Triathlon my top gear was enough for me to hold 33km per hour - I was happy with that without trashing the legs

I looked at the Trek equilivant and liked it but it was so much more and an alloy frame and I wanted some carbon to soften the ride. I looked at Colin's model and did not think I was good enough for carbon fibre and could not really understand why it was cheaper. I did look at the same distributors alloy bikes and they were a good price as well but you could see the joins were not as polished in their finish but that was cosmetic.

Re Galston Gorge - Colin need to work out the similar gear on my bike, to see what you did. What cadence in those gears?



Does this mean I have a 36/ 50 on front and 12/23 on back?

39/23 =741
30/21 = 756 so my 3rd gear is still easier than your first gear. I went up the gorge (Hornsby side) in my seat in third gear in 12 minutes - I think you did it in 10 minutes.. However, between 12-23 I have to lose one gear and I am not sure if I have a 21 or it goes to 20?

We stopped in at Cheeky Monkey on the way home from work tonight for a bit of a browse and I was recommended this

It's around the $1300 price so certainly won't be breaking the bank. I've never heard of Vivente before - does anyone have any comments, etc?

I'm going to check out a few other places at the weekend and during the week but I'm worried that I'm going to end up getting a bit bogged down in too much choice

Thanks again for all the info

Colin, Rohan,
Azzuri bikes are the same brand as Learsport, right? I think the Azzuri and the Lear 8000 (or is it 8500?) are the same spec, diff paintjob but a few hundred dollars different?

PLU talk about hijacking Beki's subject. You and Colin need to get a room.

Beki,

Suggest you go for known road bike or transistion recommended bike.

I have a Cannondale R800 road bike does the job. When bought quite a few years ago cost $3000+ ouch

You get much, much more bang for your buck now.

PLU mentioned (when on subject) about just wacking aero bars on,etc. If you only do a few races a year. I think that is the way to go.

thomo (I am going to do a tri this year)

I thought the same thing TankGirl - that was the alloy brand I was looking into. I think MPH and Highwayman ride Learsports.

Thomo I will take the bait Gearing is important and I did not understand the difference between compact gearing and what I had on the old bike. The compact gearing is big in Europe I believe. If anything I might go back to a more traditional choice if I did my research again. Yes the Galston bit was a bit of a hijack and comparing my third gear to Colin's 1st might be useful advice. Mind you I agree the thread is getting a tad toooo technical.

See you at the Nepean Thomo

cheers Plu

I'm also thinking of competing on the bike-but duathlons not triathlons-I can swim worth a damn. Theres only 1 thing stopping me

[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/450521531_6059538d85.jpg?v=0[/img]

I picked this up of my brothers rubbish heap of old bike bits earlier this year and have been riding it ever since. I have replaced the bent forks (with another set off the same heap) and I lashed out and bought new tires-after getting a flat on my way home from work first time I rode it. Finding 27" tyres and tubes isn't as easy as it once was. I even added lights! I also took the rack off-I've left the mudgaurd on though. Malvern Star rules!
I dont think I can modify it enough to be anywhere near competitive though. So I am watching this thread with interest for the same advice Beki wants.
From my own research Shogun seems to be very good value-their entry level ninja has simano 105 components (not the full groupset though) and retails for about $1200 although if you shop around you can get it for well under $1100. Being in Sydney Beki I've heard good things about Cell bikes-do a google search and look at their site.

Not the same, though a similar Azzurri to Learsport (similar frame material, components and wheels) would be priced the same, not more expensive..

The owner of Pedals Plus (Ben Larsen, experienced cyclist and triathlete) designed the Azzurri frames inc high end carbon frames and had them manufactured in Asia. In particular the carbon fibre frames are made by the same factory as Colnago and has 15yr warranty.
He gave it an Italian name because frankly, if you called it Wallaby, no-one would take it seriously even though made by same factories.

He then sold the distribution rights to Learsport in rest of Aus, in return for being sole agent for Learsport in Sydney, which is why you had the brands side by side. Learsport did not have a 'high end' eg Carbon fibre, timetrial or tri bikes.

To further confuse things he then sold the entire Azzurri product to Learsport whilst retaining Sydney distribution for it. Learsport in return have discontinued the Learsport brand and the shops (though remaining Learsport) will sell Azzurri and other products (saw a Colnago in the Canberra shop).

Pedals Plus also sell a range inc Kuota in the two Sydney shops.

I did a bit of homework before settling on the Azzurri Forza. As a comparison the Kuota Ksano is the closest but about $4,900 vs my $2,500 (inc pedals etc).

Hope this info helps Beki too



edit: hijack for Plu:

39/23 gives you a speed of 19.1kph @ 90rpm cadence (39/23x2.09x90x60) and

36/21 gives you a speed of 19.3 @ 90 cadence, so they are similar.

39/19 I climbed in would have been 23.2 if I had done 90 cadence (more likely 75)

The numbers are stamped on inside of all the cogs and chainrings btw

2.09 = wheel circumference (m)

hey wooh,
if that thing fits you or takes few adjustments to fit you, then it is competitive!

just consider yourself retro-cool.

two bikes at IMOZ very similar to that. one even retained both mudguards and a wire basket carrier.

I bought an Azzurri 'Uno' about 18 months ago for around $1400 marked down (w/out pedals). I did my homework, looked around for probably six weeks and honestly couldn't find anything equivalent in the same price bracket. I went in with my eyes open and it actually surpassed all expectations that I had for this cheap Taiwanese bike. I've clocked up around 5000km's (gathered dust for a few months) and it hasnt missed a beat unlike my highend MTB which has had it's fair share of problems (now converted into single-speed!).

This same thread appeared around 18 months ago and the pitfalls of fitting a tri-bars to a roadbike were discussed. Apparently the rider is 'stretched' to a less-than-optimum position and the practice is not recommended.

I agree with those who suggest that tri's are the most techno obsessed geeks out there. I spent a while riding with a bunch of guys in WA, some of whom were participated in tri's, and there was a large degree of bike-envy and one-upmanship. Personally I'll stick to running: no carbon or midriff tops required.

I've had a look into the Azzurri bike - certainly seems to be highly recommended here as a bit of a bargain. Looking at the Vivente it's classed as a "recreational" road bike and even though I'm not looking at tri's just yet, I think something more aimed at fitness and competition would be appropriate

This may be a silly question, but how important is it to get a "women's specific" bike? I mean, can I just get one of the guys ones and add a women's seat and handle bars? There isn't an awful lot of choice in women's bikes...

WOOH - I had a quickie look at the Cell website and their prices are certainly very attractive. The advantage with the Azzurri is that Pedals Plus is really close to home and I'd rather buy from somewhere local so that trips for help/service, etc doesn't become a hassle

I reckon an entry level road bike will be fine to begin with.

I ride to work every day on Shimano Sora gears and they run beautifully. I don't race bikes but I saw an A grade criterium 18 months ago in Glenelg, (won by Chris Jongewaard) which had some top class riders. One bloke, who was keeping up in the pack, was was riding an Avanti Sprint.
(base model Avanti; retailed at the time for around $800).

He was proudly representing the non-gear freak community....

I agree 100% with this Ralph. In January I started to get all sorts of niggles and I was riding with a tri bar and my body was not used to it - as well as my seat being put into a racing position. I am not saying I could not have adjusted but I just took off the bars as I had no races coming up. Now I just ride the bike normally - in the lounge room

Cheers Plu

Edit: Yes since January I have had the stem adjusted for when I put the tribars back on.

If you do go there , then tell Ben to look after you (i.e. $$$$)- tell him I said so

edit: Plu, ralph- you have to adjust the stem at the same time when fitting tri bars

I have not read the thread, but in my experience of 4 years competing in all different distances of triathlons, the great majority of age group/amatuer triathletes do not own tri-specific bikes. They own road bikes and add tri-bars. The bike can be adjusted so you are not 'stretched' by moving the seat and changing the stem. Many bikes shops and also some physios offer bike-fits where they will set it up for you appropriately. I am not saying this as any sort of expert in geometry, physics or anatomy, just as a triathlete who knows lots of other triathletes.

Trust me Beki, you don't need a tri-specific bike. Unless it happens to be the one that you like the most, feel the most comfy on and fits your budget best. And the exact same thing goes for women's specific bikes.

Tank Girl, etc

Azzurri is in the process of wiping out Lear Sport, so yes they are the same brand different paint job, not sure about specs v frame, good thing about these brands you can buy direct from azzurri I think some where on web, not sure if price match the store down the road or how the service compares either, but would be worth a look.

Neavesy, read my earlier response. They are more than just "the same brand different paint job". For example, Learsport did not have a carbon equivalent. Azzurri was designed and manufactured by someone (at that stage) unassociated with Learsport.

But it is true that Learsport (shops) have dropped the Learsport 'brand' or name, and will be selling not only Azzurri, but other brands as well.

Beki, have you had a look at both Giant and Orbea as they also offer very good value for money? The big name brands are much easier to get any warranty work sorted out with.

As for road or tri go Road bike
As for clip on tri bars, yes just do it
As for women specific or "generic" it doesn't really matter except go generic, it offers much more variety for you to choose from.

The key in all this is get a good fitting done and you will be fine. I have to disagree with Plu and others on the stretched out problem with clip on bars. "You are stretched out, because your badly fitted up for your bike in the time trial type position". If you spend thetime to get the set up right you will have more enjoyment from your riding and be less injured as well.
Bear in mind as you ride more (which is the key to being better) you will need to fine tune your position as any gain/loss in weight or flexibility will affect your optimal functional position.

Lastly when looking at "PRICE" also be aware of false economy. It is better to look at value for money over the long term.

Stay upright

Well, we ended up at Pedals Plus and very nicely looked after - on order are a pair (yes we ended up with his and hers) of Azzurri Primo at less than the cost of the Uno

We actually ended up spending about $1000 less than we had budgeted and that included shoes, pedals, helmets and starter kit x 2. Very excited and can't wait to get out on them!

Thanks again for all the tips and advice, will let you know how we go

cool

the pedals plus guys would be my favourite LBS guys outside of my mates in town here. Great deals, and great back-up.

the feedback on the azzuris (road and tri) has been really good considering their competitive pricing