Should I buy a road bike or a triathalon bike?

Question

I have about £1000 to spend and can't decide what type of bike to get. I do alot of miles on my mountain bike and want to diversify to the road. I'm not actually going to do a triathalon because I swim like a brick.

I'm about 100kg (and need to stay that heavy for rugby next season) so whatever bike I go for needs to be pretty robust.

Any thoughts on which style of bike I should go for or what make/models are worth considering would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 1

A triathlon/time trial bike is a pretty specialized machine.  To acheive the highest level of aerodynamics, they put you into a fairly forward, very low position.  Many people do not find the position particularly comfortable.  If you do not plan to compete in Triathlons, I suggest you borrow a tri bike and ride it a while before you commit to buying one.

As a mountain biker, you will find a road bike more familiar than a tri bike.  A road bike can be nearly as fast as a tri bike especially if you ride on the drops.

Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, Bianchi make great bikes.   With your budget, you could set yourself apart from the crowd with a DeRosa, Cervelo, Felt, or Scott, as well.  The trick is to go test ride a number of bikes and buy the one that feels best.  Be sure and take nice, long test rides.  An hour test ride will show up problems with fit and comfort.  A 10 minute turn about the parking lot will not.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

i would get a road bike, tri bikes are harder to ride and it gets longer to get used to it. a roadbike is much more flexible and you can ride easily

get a giant tcr, the best road bike for the money or a fuji

Answer 3

I would go for the road bike as triathlon bikes are in a time-trial format and are much harder to ride/more specialised. I don't think tri bikes are as robust as road bikes and with a road bike, you'd get a lot more miles for your money with a more comfortable ride.

Answer 4

a motor bike is better

Answer 5

Get a road bike. If you aren't going to race in time trials, then don't get a bike that was made solely for that purpose.

You can get a great bike for the amount of money you've budgeted. The bicycle business is very competitive. Any two bikes at the same price point are very likely to be equivalent values. Make that competition work for you. Go to your local bike shop. Tell them where and how you want to ride. Let them match you up with the bike that best meets your needs. Test ride that bike. Then go to other stores and test ride what they have to offer. Do not pay attention to brand names, marketing hype, or fancy brochures. Pay attention to, but don't get hung up on components. At your price range, they all work well and reliably. One bike will fit you better and feel better than the others. You'll be able to tell this very soon after sitting on the seat and test riding for a few minutes. Buy that bike. It is the one you will enjoy the most.

Your weight is not a problem. There are lots of people who weigh more than you who ride road bikes.

HTH

Answer 6

Well if your not going to do triathlon i would go for a road bike because they are a better layout and more comfortable.

Makes wise i would look at Trek, Specialized also look at the make cube which is a German make. However they are made with the best components in that price bracket.