Bike advice

"Andrew Adams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this a really dumb idea? I can't afford a road bike but
I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I

want

Quoted message said:

to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a
little more

suitable

Quoted message said:

for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires
and changing handlebars to make my mountain bike a little
more "road worthy" or is this

a

Quoted message said:

complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got
to make a difference but is a mountain bike frame totally
unsuitable for this? Is

it

Quoted message said:

worth changing pedals?

I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to
but that will

take

Quoted message said:

time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell
cheap? In the meantime I'd like to get out there and
have some fun.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Andy

Heaven's sake, NO! Don't do it! : O

First, some tri's have mountain bike divisions. Even if your
race doesn't, you'll see others out there.

Next, the brake bridges on your frame will be at the wrong
height for road rimes; road rims are a different diameter
than mountain bike rims. Somebody check me on this...

Last, you will be stuck with a [censored] bike. It won't be
right for trail or time trial. I'm sure the mountain bike is
fun to ride "as is".

Consider putting on (road) slick tires and leave the
rest alone.

You didn't say, but I am assuming you are not considering a
longish distance race(?).

My Heavy-Handed Two Cents,

rsquared

Andrew Adams said:

Is this a really dumb idea? I can't afford a road bike but
I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I want to try a
triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a little more
suitable for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims
and tires and changing handlebars to make my mountain bike
a little more "road worthy" or is this a complete waste of
time and money? Different tires have got to make a
difference but is a mountain bike frame totally unsuitable
for this? Is it worth changing pedals?

I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to
but that will take time - anyone got a good bike they'd
like to sell cheap? In the meantime I'd like to get out
there and have some fun.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Andy

I did my first season on a 10 year old steel frame mountain
bike that weighed about 20kg, and in Sprint Tris I wasn't on
my own with the MTB. So if you're short of cash by all means
use the MTB. The other thing you could do is buy a cheap
second hand road bike (I found one for $90), put a decent
set of tyres and some tri bars on it, and you would have
something to keep you going till you can afford a decent
road bike (which was what I did for my second season).

DaveB (still saving)

"Andrew Adams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this a really dumb idea? I can't afford a road bike but
I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I

want

Quoted message said:

to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a
little more

suitable

Quoted message said:

for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires
and changing handlebars to make my mountain bike a little
more "road worthy" or is this

a

Quoted message said:

complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got
to make a difference but is a mountain bike frame totally
unsuitable for this? Is

it

Quoted message said:

worth changing pedals?

Putting on slick tires will give you less rolling
resistance, and clip-in pedals (and I would just stick with
the mountain-bike kind) if you don't already have them will
spare your quads a little for the run portion of the race.
But I can't think of anything else you could do to a
mountain bike would make a big difference in your time.

Quoted message said:

I know...... save up for a decent road bike.

Not at all......just have fun doing a few races on your
mountain bike until you decide whether you like the sport.

Quoted message said:

I'd love to but that will take time - anyone got a good
bike they'd like to sell cheap? In the meantime I'd like
to get out there and have some fun.

That's exactly what you should do.......on your mountain
bike! If you're really hung up on this maybe you could
borrow a road bike......but trust me, you'll see other
people racing on mountain bikes, particularly if it's a
sprint race.....lots of beginners show up on bikes of every
type and condition......just don't pass me on my expensive
Litespeed tri-bike or I will become extremely cross.

Susan in LA

The advice here looks good.

The first tri I did was a sprint tri, which included a 15
mi. bike leg. I used my (Diamondback) hybrid/touring bike.
The only mod I did was replace the pedals with some clip
type pedals. I highly recommend that so that you don't
completely kill your quads on the bike before the run. I
even left the grippy tires on - just inflated them ~10%
higher than their max. rated pressure the morning of the
race. And there were several other participants riding
similar bikes, so I certainly didn't feel out of place -
just felt like the newbie that I was (and proud of it :-)

Go for it!

-Mike

"Andrew Adams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:d4edneHyBNRDx3LdRVn-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this a really dumb idea? I can't afford a road bike but
I've got a pretty good mountain bike. I

want

Quoted message said:

to try a triathlon and want to make my mountain bike a
little more

suitable

Quoted message said:

for the challenge. Is it worth buying road rims and tires
and changing handlebars to make my mountain bike a little
more "road worthy" or is this

a

Quoted message said:

complete waste of time and money? Different tires have got
to make a difference but is a mountain bike frame totally
unsuitable for this? Is

it

Quoted message said:

worth changing pedals?

I know...... save up for a decent road bike. I'd love to
but that will

take

Quoted message said:

time - anyone got a good bike they'd like to sell
cheap? In the meantime I'd like to get out there and
have some fun.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Andy