Subject: RE: new tri bike vs new wheels There is a big differance in both cost and value-for-money (i.e. time gained per dollar) on these two items. A decent tribike can be had for $1400 (i.e. Cervelo P1), and for $2500 you will get a bike that typically is more than good-enough for 99% of AGE GROUP atheletes out there (i.e. Cervelo P2, Cannondale Slice, Scott Plasma 10). A good set of race wheels is tougher to define - a carbon clincher set with 30-40mm front and 60-80mm back with a brand name hub will run $750 to $2000 depending on manufacturer & new vs. used. In terms of value the Tri-bike is a much better bang-for-the-buck than the wheels. If I only had $1500 I'd buy a Cervelo P1 and use the stock wheels. If I had $2500 I'd get the P2 or Slice and keep the stock wheels. If I had $3000+ to spend I'd get the P2 and maybe a set of wheels... maybe... I would not buy race wheels for my roadbike to race an IM - you won't get that much of a time boost. A better investement would be high performance racing (low Crr) tires (i.e. Vittoria Open CX 320tpi), latex tubes and TT aerohelmet. Edited by mgalanter 2011-05-25 2:22 PM
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