Bike - If you don’t already have one, a bike will be your biggest expense. You can find good deals by shopping off season, and looking at past year models. Some chain bike stores, such as Performance, have a house brand. This is a good way to avoid the cost of buying a brand like Specialized or Trek. I got a nice aluminum Performance road bike for $600. It had been in the store two years, so the manager was anxious to get rid of it. Current year models with the same components were selling for $1100 or more. You can also shop E-Bay, but again, you need to try out a similar bike so you know if it is the right size for you. Riding the wrong size bike, or even one with the wrong frame geometry can cause you a lot of pain and lead to injuries. It’s best to support your local bike shop instead of buying online. If you already have a mountain or hybrid bike, you’ll be fine using that (and you won’t be the only one out there on one, either). Just remember that you won’t do as well as people who have road bikes. If you’re only competing against yourself, finishing near the bottom doesn’t matter!
Make sure that your bike has two water bottle cages. You’ll need one for plain water and one for an electrolyte replacement drink (very important if you don’t want to bonk near the end of an event). Invest in a medium sized saddle bag to carry basic tools (allen wrenches, tire levers, patch kit, and spare tube). You can find inexpensive cages and bags at any bike or sporting goods store. A mini bike pump runs about $25-$40, but you really do need to have one. If your tire blows during a race, there may not be a support van to help you out. If it blows during a training ride, you may be in for a long walk home. So, learn how to change a tire and always carry the essentials with you. It’s also a good idea to learn how to fix a broken chain. This can be frustrating at first, but with practice you’ll get the hang of it. Finally, invest in a tune-up before your first event, to make sure the gears, brakes, and tires are in good condition. Worn tires make tube blowouts more likely.
Unless you enjoy pain in your nether regions, proper bike shorts are a must. Spinning shorts won’t cut it for longer rides. Women who are prone to yeast infections should buy cotton blend shorts. These can be hard to find, but Performance Bikes usually has some. Bike jerseys are nice because they have rear pockets to stash snacks, kleenex, or whatever. Also, they come in groovy designs and can make you feel hardcore. But, you can get by with any wicking shirt. Avoid cotton! Bike Nashbar is a great place to find inexpensive clothing. Look for their brand and closeout deals. Unfortunately, local bike shops are not the best place to get good deals on clothing.
Well-padded bike gloves are another essential item. Riding without gloves can damage the nerves in your hands. You’ll be more comfortable with gloves and if you crash spectacularly, your hands won’t get scraped up. One other must-have is a helmet. Wear it all the time, even while riding on bike paths or quiet country roads. I hit a car one time (yes, I hit the car, not the other way around) and went flying onto the pavement head first. My helmet split apart from the impact, but I only had a mild concussion. Wheew! Finally, avoid blisters by buying thin, wicking socks.
Clipless pedals and specialized bike shoes are a surefire way to up your performance on the bike. They can be very expensive, though. If you’re aiming for competitiveness, you’ll need to invest in shoes and clipless pedals. If you’re only competing against yourself and don’t mind finishing near the bottom, don’t shell out $100-200. After two years of doing triathlons, I’ve decided to invest in clipless pedals and bike shoes. Because I’ve had problems with my knee, I bought the Speedplay Zero system (also known as the lollipop system). These pedals allow for more “float” or movement, so that you’re not constantly pedaling in one position. Speedplay pedals are definitely on the high end of the price range. The most affordable system is SPD (not to be confused with STD). You can find SPD pedals online for as little as $25. Most bike shoes are compatible with several different systems (except for Look, which has an unusual pedal design). You can buy a Nashbar brand shoe for $25-50 and wear that with just about any pedal. But if you’re willing to make the investment in pedals and shoes, consider paying a little extra for a triathlon specific shoe design. These have features to help make your swim to bike transition smoother, such as a heel loops to pull the shoe on quickly and a single velcro closure.
Toe clips are an affordable alternative to clipless pedal systems. These are little foot cages for your shoe. You can get a pair for $25 or so, and they will give you more power going up the hill. Another inexpensive trick is to wear a pair of stiff-soled shoes for the bike ride, rather than running shoes. This enables you to transfer more power to the pedal, since running shoes are designed to absorb pressure. Of course, wearing different shoes for the bike and run means that you’ll spend more time in the transition area. So, the net benefit may be nil.
Coming soon … Part Three: Running
Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Allen Taylor
Wow! That was worth the wait. I’m going to do my best with firm-soled running shoes and clip pedals for now. But you’ve inspired me to get a saddle bag of some kind, and maybe other goodies.
One other cool thing I learned about is a kind of pedals from Shimano (and maybe other brands) that work with SPD bike shoes on one side and regular shoes on the other side. I use my bike to get to work and around town sometimes, so it would be nice to be able to use any shoes I want. It really blows trying to get flip flops or high heels in that damn cage, or constantly going to the bike shop to get them to switch out my pedals to the non-cage kind (it’s almost impossible to do at home without a special pedal wrench). When I’m ready to invest in a new shoe system, I’ll probably go with that.