decide first if you want a road bike or a dedicated tri bike designed for riding in the aero bars mostly, then report back, plus a price you have in mind is helpful

Some good reading for you here:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/prodreview/tribikes/bikepicker.html[/URL" target="_blank">

a tri bike is designed to be ridden mostly in the aero bars, while a road bike supports different riding positions, it really depends on your intended usage

I don't think anyone will flame you for getting a road bike before a tri bike. I think that makes sense for most people. You have much more flexibility with a road bike - especially if you're not sure how much racing you're going to do. I just did my first IM on my Trek road bike. I might get a tri bike down the road, but for now this bike is just perfect for me.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by spinandrun:
Sorry to hijack but my question is along the lines of this thread. I currently have aerobars on my road bike (WSD Trek 5.0 Madone). I bought the bike last year, before I became interested in tris, and it was a big investment for me so I'm hesitant to buy a tri bike. Can my road bike be fitted in such a way that it's almost as aerodynamic as a tri bike? Is it true that tri bikes leave your legs less fatigued for the run than road bikes do? I'm also tiny, 5'0, and think I'd have a really tough time finding a tri bike that would fit. The only women's specific one that I see is a low end Trek.
Thanks for any help,
Cheryl
*edited to fix run-on sentence

http://This message has been edited by spinandrun (edited Sep-29-2007).<HR>

First off, the whole "women specific" think is kind of a bunch of nonsense. It's a frame for small people and it may even have small wheels to reduce toe overlap, but that's all it is. They paint it pink and give it a cute name, but it's still a small frame.

In any event, the main reason people buy a tri type bike is to get the seat more forward relative to the pedals and get the handlebars lower to compensate for the additional height of the elbow pads on the aero bars. You can get a decent position on a road bike with aero bars, you may wish to grab the aero extensions only half way out so you sit up a little bit higher if you feel uncomfortable. You can also buy a seatpost with no setback and run a shorter stem plus remove a few spacers under the stem, but this will compromise your position riding in the regular bars, which youmay decide you can live with, it all comes down to how much you wish to use the aero bars during an event.

You can make these adjustments yourself, it's just sliding the seat forward to start. You don't need a "professional fit" every time you adjust your bike position a little, you'll go broke.

Well, a couple cheap things you might want to do. First, paint it pink. Just kidding. First, you may wish to try a stem that is a bit shorter and has negative rise so you can drop the bars while bringing them closer to you. The top cap on your headset may be swap-able for one with less height. Your seatpost may have setback, you can buy a cheap seatpost with no setback, I bought a mountain bike one for $25 and shortened it some with a hacksaw.

You may be able to get lower by getting a different aero bar setup with pads that sit right on top of the bars.

My back hurts from the aero bars too, also my neck. You need to make sure you are rotating your pelvis porperly, rather that allowing your lumbar spine to bow out--try sliding all the way back on the seat while sitting up and then rolling your crotch forward onto the saddle--it's the crotch roll, not bending with the lower spine that you want to get--flat back, look in the mirror or a store window. Reach your hand back and feel your spine to check.

http://This message has been edited by jroden (edited Sep-29-2007).