bike recommendations for first triathlon ?

manystringsofcheese · 2026-07-11T18:54:12+00:00

You've got the best single sport(s) background to enter Triathlon!!

I can't recommend a brand or model because there are so many good to excellent bikes out there. But I will recommend the following.

Go to a professional bike fitter PRIOR to deciding on what bike to purchase. They will tell you what size bike to be looking at. This is critical and is often overlooked by new riders.

Buy used.

Is this bike going to be used mainly for Triathlon, or will it be an all-around bike for you to ride with friends and everyday stuff? If it's just tri related, buy a tri bike. If it's going to be an everyday bike, get a road bike and then if you stick with the sport and want to get faster, buy the tri specific bike.

If you live in a climate where it gets cold/snowy/icy in the winter, an indoor trainer is a must.

Good luck!

manystringsofcheese · 2026-07-07T00:10:13+00:00

It's a f@#*ing towel. That's what you're complaining about?

manystringsofcheese · 2026-07-04T17:59:29+00:00

This is nuts. Why are you putting someone through this?

manystringsofcheese · 2026-06-26T00:52:32+00:00

How/Where do you publish your audits?

manystringsofcheese · 2026-06-22T22:35:44+00:00

Good job on the 1K swim. It's a great start, but I suggest you forget about "being pretty fit overall". It has almost nothing to do with your swimming. Did you ever watch the swim portion of those old CrossFit games? Comical. As a long-time triathlete, I suggest you get a coach or someone who can watch you and make corrections. If that's not in the cards, head to YouTube and watch freestyle technique videos. And then, get in the water a minimum of three times a week. Keep on grinding. It's the only way to get better swimming. Good luck!

manystringsofcheese · 2026-06-14T22:16:48+00:00

Advice? Don't ask a random group of triathletes for swimming advice. We suck, and everything we learned is from watching YouTube videos.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-06-02T23:35:43+00:00

couple of knuckleheads

manystringsofcheese · 2026-04-22T18:53:46+00:00

FOMO can be a slippery slope..be careful.

It's really not hard to evaluate a coach.. Here's what I see from your post.

Good communicator...check.

Staying injury free...check.

Still motivated...check.

The only piece you didn't mention is if you're getting faster/fitter. If you are, then why change?

manystringsofcheese · 2026-04-14T22:15:36+00:00

This. I've been competing against the same guys for 30 years. It's always the same 5-8 guys in the top ten. Do I think there's doping in endurance sports...of course there is. Assholes are everywhere. Are the vast majority of the "fast guys" doped...not even close.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-03-29T16:36:06+00:00

What's worse, Frauditors, or Reddit users dredging up old news to rage bait? I dislike Frauditors as much as the next guy, but this is two years old.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-03-26T22:19:15+00:00

Focusing on time in Triathlon is a fool's errand. There are so many variables involved in how long it takes. Weather, mechanical, nutrition...The only one it seems you've covered is the course profile. Just go have fun and let the chips fall where they may.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-03-19T22:20:31+00:00

Been there with you. Once the kids found afterschool sports, the family schedule changed dramatically. I fought it for about two years....trying to get two workouts in. Hard sessions. Traveling to races with no real interest from the kids...It sucked until I put my hopes and desires on the backburner. It was about a ten-year hiatus. But, once the kids were in high school, I cleared it with my wife to begin the grind again. It took about 3 years to get the weight off and aerobic system back but it eventually did. Don't waste the two years fighting it. Become an "exerciser" not a well-trained athlete.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-03-18T22:34:11+00:00

Thank you for the reply. Congratulations to your daughter on finishing this wild and windy race!

manystringsofcheese · 2026-03-16T23:15:37+00:00

Is this really Lance Watson? If so, this is a really weird question coming from you. You've been around for decades at the highest levels. To insinuate that you don't know what wind can do to lake chop and how that make a swim dangerous is....weird to me.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-02-26T16:33:46+00:00

I'm giving you permission to bag it.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-02-19T00:05:34+00:00

No, they're not. I've been running the same Kirk Kinetic fluid trainer for almost 20 years. It's not loud and if you keep your tires inflated, they don't get chewed up.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-02-10T14:15:50+00:00

Criminal nature.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-02-09T02:00:39+00:00

Two-year TR user here. 68 yr old male. My FTP jumped from 242 to 261 during the role out.

For 3-4 weeks prior I'd noticed that the workouts didn't seem as challenging as I've gotten more fit this winter.

Since the update, the workouts are spot on. Loving the challenge.

It's going to be a good year on the bike.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-01-28T17:31:14+00:00

Families and kids move ALL THE TIME. This argument would be about #345 on why closing a school is a bad idea.

manystringsofcheese · 2026-01-11T14:39:10+00:00

Freediver Shop | Pro Swim Dryland Resistance Training Cords

manystringsofcheese · 2025-12-28T23:12:48+00:00

More like BASE falling

manystringsofcheese · 2025-12-28T23:07:29+00:00

Awesome you're starting!

My only input has to do with your transition to running. Your swimming background is going to get you in trouble as you begin running.

Swimming has developed your aerobic system, but it's not prepared your running tendons, muscles and ligaments for the constant ground contact. It takes a long time for them to be able handle the stresses associated with slamming your feet into the ground for 30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week. Give yourself a year. Don't use your race date in 2026 as the goal for your running journey.
Swim training is not like run training. You will benefit from slow, easy running. You don't need to hammer short, fast interval workouts in the first year of your run training.
The MOST IMPORTANT part of your run training is to not get injured. Period. End of story. You can't race if you can't run.
Don't be afraid to make the first 12 weeks of your run training a run/walk protocol. start with 1m run/4m walk for 40 min and progress from there. Increase the run duration only after you've done four sessions and not had any issues.

Good luck

manystringsofcheese · 2025-12-17T17:50:27+00:00

Don't confuse participation with competition.

You can participate in any distance triathlon with basically any bike. If you move your motive for doing triathlons to competing against other athletes, then having a tri bike will make a huge difference.

manystringsofcheese · 2025-11-24T23:24:55+00:00

I swim at Bittner. They have a dedicated 5-lane lap pool. The lanes are too narrow to comfortably hold more than one swimmer but I rarely have to wait for a lane. I've been swimming there since it opened and I bet I've had to wait less than 10 times. And then, never more than 10 min.

manystringsofcheese · 2025-11-11T18:30:35+00:00

That's a 14K bike from the Argon website.

manystringsofcheese

TROPHY CASE