Super Bikes: Worth the Price?
Okay, you're really into this triathlon thing. You're committed to the tough workouts, the time away from family, and the aches and pains of the training. You're looking for every legal edge you can find in the training shoes, heart rate monitor, nutritional supplements, and the bicycle.
In your last triathlon, some biker flew past you on a machine that looked like no set of wheels you have ever seen. You couldn't believe it: the rear wheel was solid! The next day you were down at the bike shop checking out all the fancy bicycles that make your machine look like a Pinto among Cadillacs. If only you could afford one.
Big Bucks
Yep, that's the rub. The super bikes available today can cost $10,000 or more. They come with ultralight carbon fiber frames, $1,400 wheels, state-ofthe-art gear shifters, ceramic bearings, the best pedals…everything an elite athlete might need to get to the finish line first to claim the prize money.
And that, all you men and women in the middle of the pack, is the bottom line. Unless you're good enough to believe you can pocket a big check at the end of the race, you should stick to upgrades that will help you in your races without deflating your wallet.
What to Upgrade
You don't have to be an elite competitor to look into an upgrade. You can make major improvements for a fraction of the cost of a super bike.
As described in Chapter 18, one of the biggest improvements you can make is in the wheels. Adding racing wheels will set you back about $1,000. You can also upgrade to a carbon fiber frame, which weighs about two to three pounds, for around $3,000 that will perform extremely well. For sure, it will blow away your entry-level bicycle.
Believe it or not, you can gain speed in your bicycle ride by changing helmets. New-model helmets that go for $150 to $200 have been known to save up to four minutes in the 112-mile bicycle ride in the Ironman Triathlon.
Even if you have the funds, you would do better to take the money saved by investing in a midrange bicycle, about $1,000 to $3,000 and use it to hire a coach or upgrade your heart rate monitor. If you do invest in the ultimate riding machine, don't expect it to produce results unless you put in the training. Triathlon success is still mainly about hard work and determination.
