Getting a bike on a budget

Definitely get a road bike unless the triathlons you will be participating in are off-road. A road bike it is lighter and offers less resistance on the road than a mountain bike because of its narrower tires; also you can attach aero bars to the road bike whereas mtb bars are shorter and not suited to accept aero bars. I know of the KHS 500 and the Giant OCR-3. The KHS would, in my estimation, be the better bike to start with; it has Tiagra shifters which work well and an Ultegra rear derailler which is pretty darned smooth. Of course there is quite a mix of high and low parts but eventually, if you get serious, you can upgrade. When it comes time to upgrade, the first thing you want to look at is a new wheelset.

Actually I was refering to the 2003 model KHS flite 500 not the latest 2004 model KHS flite 500
You can view the specs of the KHS bikes at http://khsbicycles.com
KHS flite 500 2003 model http://khsbicycles.com/flite500spec.html
KHS flite 500 2004 model http://khsbicycles.com/04flite500.html
In the old 2003 model KHS flite 500 the rear derailler is a Tiagra not the Ultegra in the latest 2004 model.(Mixture of Tiagra and Sora components for the old model)
How I wish this was so.....
In fact the KHS500 2003 model is slightly cheaper than the Giant OCR3
Anyway thanks for your advice. I,ll go for a road bike and I,ll take your advice into consideration and look at the KHS model.

What I recommend is to go to your local bike shop and ask about sales and leftovers. Check with a few of them if you can. I picked up a Fuji Team (2003) model for half price of the 2004. I feel that the differences between bikes (unless your at an elite lvl ) are not as important as your own fitness. So figure out your budget and talk to the bike shops about what you can spend and what you want to do with the bike. Remember that high end bikes dont come with pedals. Clipless pedals require bike shoes. Bottle cages, water bottles, seat packs, patchkits extra tube, frame pumps are all extras that need to be bought if you dont already have them and need to be accounted for in your budget. Often a bike shop will give you 20% or so off anything you buy with the bike. Having said all of that take a look at the fuji ace as well. Its in the ballpark for your budget. I saw a left over for $300 which would leave you room for some of the extras.

Check out used bikes too. Ebay, local biking club or tri club, or even on this website! I got a used bike on ebay - it did take a while to find the "perfect" bike for me. It really was in good shape, just needed some minor adjustments. Also check out local bike shops for a cork board with listings of bikes for sale. Or the newspaper. One advantage of a used bike, keeping in mind budget, is that sometimes it already has some equipment on it, such as a computer, or water bottle cage. That saves you a few bucks down the road. Most times, people keep their pedals though.

You could get a punchcard for your local gym and use the stationary bike until you get/find the bike you want. It is a big expense and I wish you luck!

C

Plenty of second hand bikes out there if you need a starter (garage sales, flea markets, etc.) but make sure you get them inspected and tuned. I've also seen some pretty decent deals on close-outs in some of the shops. I built up a pretty good relationship with my bike shop and was able to to get in-house credit with no interest for my wife's bike (they even let her take it home right away, but thats probably more the exception than the rule.)

Yes I,ll definitely go check with my local bicycle shop when I have decided to get one.I am just a beginner aiming to just complete a triathlon with a decent road bike.
Actually I don,t mind getting a second hand bike it's just that I don,t know much about bikes or anything on it and don,t know any bike techie/fanatic friends who can help me inspect the 2nd hand bikes.
I don't like buying 2nd hand stuff on the net cause you don,t know the condition and feel of the merchandise...
I,ll look at the Fuji Ace bikes

Thanks for the advice. I already have a gym membership and have tried the stationary bike workout but nothing beats the real thing.

For what it is worth is LUV my Fuji bike.
Great price for a total begginer and you an always upgrage parts as you get more experience.
I started with the Fuji League (total intro bike) and upgrade to clips and shoe and then a clip on aero bar.

I agree that focusing on your physical ablitites is more important then what type of gears our bike has!

Monty

If you do not know much about bikes, stay away from second hand bikes unless you buy from the local bike club. As I have pointed out before, club members often upgrade their bikes and sell their "old" ones which are usually not that old and good entry level or better. As far as e-bay is concerned, unless you know what you are doing, stay far away from it. The 2003 KHS 500 is just as good as the 2004; the Ultegra derailler may be smoother and lighter than the Tiagra but the Tiagra is good nonetheless. If your local bike shop has a few of last year's models for sale, make sure that you are buying the right size bike and not just any bike because "it is a good deal!" I have said it before and I will repeat again: "the most expensive bike in the world is no good if it is not the right size!" And lastly, deal with a shop that has a good reputation for sales and service and which has a knowledgeable fitter on staff. Rembember, the three most important things when buying a bike are FIT, FIT, and FIT.

Edited by Machiavelo 2004-02-19 11:44 AM

How to know if a bike fits you other than your own gut feel of feeling good on it?Any info what to look for?I,m 1.85m tall
I mean for a shoe, they have a measuring device that takes the measurement of your feet length and width to get the proper fit.

Steven, I sent GamblerZ an answer to this and he posted it on his thread but her it is again:

A proper bike fit is best done by a professional at a reputable
bicycle shop. (I am lucky in that I have about 30 or 40 good shops to choose
from in my area.) A typical bike fit will take into consideration your
inside seam length, your arm length, your torso length, and your shoulders.


A custom fitting will use a fitting bike which is adjustable in
every way. The fitter simply sits you on the machine and adjusts pedals,
seat tube, handle bars, etc so that they all fit you comfortably. Then the
fitter takes all these measurement and gives them to the custom bike
builder. Or, if you do not want a customized frame, then you can get an off
the rack and adjust the seatpost and stem to fit you, even change the pedal
size and handlebars if need be. I for instance am 6 feet tall but have
short legs relative to my body size which means I have a lengthy torso. So,
I ride a 58cm frame with a 130mm stem to allow me to stretch out in the
cockpit of the bike. Otherwise, a standard 100mm stem would cause me to
arch my back ... not a good thing, take my word for it.

You can take a look at wrenchscience.com to learn a bit more
about which measurements to take into consideration. Be forewarned that the
Wrench Science fit did not work for me; it recommeded I buy a 56cm frame
which I know is not right for me.

Offhand, I woulld say that at 1.85 meters (6feet), you would need a 58 and if your measurements are fairly standard, a 100mm stem. As for the rest, the saddle, handlebars, pedal adjustements that is best left to the fitter also.

The bike is very stiff but still responsive. I weigh 204 lbs and the stifness of the frame really benifits me. Plus for the price the componets are satifactory. I bought my bike off of E-bay for $350.