This is my 5th year in the sport. Historically I have raced sprints and olympics, but am planning on completing a 140.6 in 2013. I started out with a very entry level Cannondale Synapse that I still love. I dreamed of buying a tri bike for a while, read reviews, did test rides of various bikes, and in 2010 bought a Felt B12... and never enjoyed riding it (did get fit on the bike, made tweaks afterward, but was never able to get comfortable in an aero position). I would find excuses (e.g., the course map looks hilly!) to race and train on my road bike instead. So, while the Felt looked beautiful hanging on the wall in our guest bedroom, I wasn't using it, and I sold it this weekend.
This happened somewhat quickly, so I am still trying to figure out where to go from here. My current thought is that while I hated riding the tri bike, I love my road bike. However, my road bike is heavy and has been abused a bit over the last five years, so my tentative plan is to buy a nice(r) road bike.
I have a few ideas - Specialized Ruby, try a nicer level Cannondale Synapse, etc. (I realize these two examples are women-specific bikes, but that is not all I am looking at), but would love input.
The Trifuel forums seem to be full of 'tri bike x or tri bike y' discussions, but I am curious if anyone has any road bike recommendations... Or even just advice on good websites to read reviews and find more information.
Thanks!
Good for you for recognizing
Good for you for recognizing that you need to be riding something that you enjoy and where you can get comfortable.
Of course, the same thing applies to road bikes as tri bikes... brand doesn't really matter unless it fits you well. That said, let's be real.... most of us can be fit well on a wide range of frames.
You love your Cannondale. Nice bike, I have one myself. Why not stick with that brand and trade up?
My only advice would be to define your budget, just start grabbing data on the bikes that are in your price range, then sort them out based on the quality of the components. You'll probably end up with a smaller handful from which you can start checking fit characteristics.
For example, I might be able to spend in the $2-$3K range and would find a ton of bikes, but fewer in that range are equipped with an Ultegra group, and probably none would have Dura-Ace or SRAM Red. So I'd start by looking at the frames with Ultegra.
Anyway, that's how I'd start the search... have fun!
+1 to dk. You love your
+1 to dk. You love your entry level Cannondale so the odds are you will feel even stronger about new Synapse with superior components. The Super Six is also a sweet bike, but not as comfortable.