Be Patient With the Bike
Peter Reid’s advice to Faris Al-Sultan in What it Takes
I’ve had my bike a little over 2 years, and have put 5176 miles on it. That equals about 50 miles per week. When I was looking into to buying a road bike, I asked for advice in a cycling forum. One of the comments I got was that it takes 3 years of consistent training to get strong on the bike. This has proven true for me, so far. I feel so strong on my rides now. Hills that used to make me feel wiped out just six months ago, are no longer difficult. Today I tackled Boreland Hill 2 hours into my ride; and, while I wouldn’t call it easy, it wasn’t overly hard. My average speed on this hilly ride was 16mph. It’s a really good feeling to be rewarded for my efforts in training.
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Absolutely you can use any bike during triathlons, as long as it is human powered. There are lots of folks at races who ride mountain bikes, cross bikes, even bikes with a banana seat! I spent my first season on a mountain bike, because I also did not want to invest the money in an expensive bike. You can see a picture of me on that bike in this old race report.
PS: I still don't have a real expensive racing bike, just a "performance"
road bike, and it's more than sufficient. Biking is 95% skills, and 5%
equipment, IMO!
I'm pretty new to the Tri world, and I'm pretty torn. I'm in it for the challenge (aim to finish) and I'm not sure I'll fall in love with it, so I can't invest in all the equipment that comes with the bike portion. I have a 21 speed Townie cruiser, that I've done some sprint races in (boy - did staff mock me for that!!), and I also borrow my husband's mountain hybrid bike. I love swimming and running, so it seems natural to lean towards Triathlons. Do you ever see folks with regular bikes (not racing bikes) or are the even allowed in competitions?