Bike advice - Triathlon Week

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

Is this a really dumb idea?
I can't afford a road bike but I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I want
to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a little more suitable
for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires and changing
handlebars to make my mountain bike a little more "road worthy" or is this a
complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got to make a
difference but is a mountain bike frame totally unsuitable for this? Is it
worth changing pedals?

I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to but that will take
time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell cheap? In the meantime
I'd like to get out there and have some fun.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Andy

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Andrew Adams" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Is this a really dumb idea?
> I can't afford a road bike but I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I
want
> to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a little more
suitable
> for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires and changing
> handlebars to make my mountain bike a little more "road worthy" or is this
a
> complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got to make a
> difference but is a mountain bike frame totally unsuitable for this? Is
it
> worth changing pedals?
>
> I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to but that will
take
> time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell cheap? In the meantime
> I'd like to get out there and have some fun.
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Andy
>
>
>

Heaven's sake, NO! Don't do it! : O

First, some tri's have mountain bike divisions. Even if your race doesn't,
you'll see others out there.

Next, the brake bridges on your frame will be at the wrong height for road
rimes; road rims are a different diameter than mountain bike rims. Somebody
check me on this...

Last, you will be stuck with a bastard bike. It won't be right for trail or
time trial. I'm sure the mountain bike is fun to ride "as is".

Consider putting on (road) slick tires and leave the rest alone.

You didn't say, but I am assuming you are not considering a longish distance
race(?).

My Heavy-Handed Two Cents,

rsquared

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

Andrew Adams wrote:
> Is this a really dumb idea?
> I can't afford a road bike but I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I want
> to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a little more suitable
> for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires and changing
> handlebars to make my mountain bike a little more "road worthy" or is this a
> complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got to make a
> difference but is a mountain bike frame totally unsuitable for this? Is it
> worth changing pedals?
>
> I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to but that will take
> time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell cheap? In the meantime
> I'd like to get out there and have some fun.
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Andy
>
>
>

I did my first season on a 10 year old steel frame mountain bike that
weighed about 20kg, and in Sprint Tris I wasn't on my own with the MTB.
So if you're short of cash by all means use the MTB. The other thing you
could do is buy a cheap second hand road bike (I found one for $90), put
a decent set of tyres and some tri bars on it, and you would have
something to keep you going till you can afford a decent road bike
(which was what I did for my second season).

DaveB (still saving)

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Andrew Adams" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Is this a really dumb idea?
> I can't afford a road bike but I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I
want
> to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a little more
suitable
> for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires and changing
> handlebars to make my mountain bike a little more "road worthy" or is this
a
> complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got to make a
> difference but is a mountain bike frame totally unsuitable for this? Is
it
> worth changing pedals?

Putting on slick tires will give you less rolling resistance, and clip-in
pedals (and I would just stick with the mountain-bike kind) if you don't
already have them will spare your quads a little for the run portion of the
race. But I can't think of anything else you could do to a mountain bike
would make a big difference in your time.

> I know...... save up for a decent road bike.

Not at all......just have fun doing a few races on your mountain bike until
you decide whether you like the sport.

> I'd love to but that will take
> time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell cheap?
> In the meantime
> I'd like to get out there and have some fun.

That's exactly what you should do.......on your mountain bike! If you're
really hung up on this maybe you could borrow a road bike......but trust me,
you'll see other people racing on mountain bikes, particularly if it's a
sprint race.....lots of beginners show up on bikes of every type and
condition......just don't pass me on my expensive Litespeed tri-bike or I
will become extremely cross.

Susan in LA

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

The advice here looks good.

The first tri I did was a sprint tri, which included a 15 mi. bike leg. I
used my (Diamondback) hybrid/touring bike. The only mod I did was replace
the pedals with some clip type pedals. I highly recommend that so that you
don't completely kill your quads on the bike before the run. I even left
the grippy tires on - just inflated them ~10% higher than their max. rated
pressure the morning of the race. And there were several other participants
riding similar bikes, so I certainly didn't feel out of place - just felt
like the newbie that I was (and proud of it :-)

Go for it!

-Mike

"Andrew Adams" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Is this a really dumb idea?
> I can't afford a road bike but I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I
want
> to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a little more
suitable
> for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires and changing
> handlebars to make my mountain bike a little more "road worthy" or is this
a
> complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got to make a
> difference but is a mountain bike frame totally unsuitable for this? Is
it
> worth changing pedals?
>
> I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to but that will
take
> time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell cheap? In the meantime
> I'd like to get out there and have some fun.
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Andy
>
>
>

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

I ride my wifes mountain bike as is. Making mods like slicks and
aerobars in many races would move you OUT of the fat tire division. So
not only would you have spent a bunch of money to do this you'd also be
competing with bikes that weigh half as much as yours.

foratc10 · 05-01-2005, 08:58 AM

Say Andy....you wouldn't happen to know anything about GE turbines would you?

A Colorado Turbine Hand

Andy C.

05-02-2005, 05:59 PM

The xterra series is a fun off-road triathlon, but you should be a
strong mtn biker before trying it. I did the Hawaii one, and it was a
blast, I ended up completely covered in mud. And the trail run was
straight up and straight down and it crushed me.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

If there is no fat tire divition in the tri's you are doing, then by
all means switch the tires. I would not do much beyond that. (I already
had clipless pedels on the mtn bike when I was riding it in road tri's)

If you are in any sort of shape you will almost certainly pass a couple
of people on "fast" road bikes. That feels pretty good.

roger

On 2005-05-02 14:46:43 -0400, "metallifried" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> said:

> The main reason not to do this, which I didn't really see mentioned
> anywhere, is the fact that road bikes weigh almost nothing compared to
> mountain bikes, primarily due to the size of the frame.
>
> I would try to find a race that's done on a mountain bike trail - I'm
> sure that they exist. Failing that, as long as you're not doing a
> half-iron or more you should be fine.

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