Starting to flirt with the idea of doing a half-ironman sometime in the next year.

I have the running down...many 13.1s and soon to be two full marathons (doing Chevron in Jan). I haven't swam much recently...as in 20+ years. But I distance swam very competitively as a youth and in high school and I have little doubt I could jump in a pool tomorrow and slow swim several miles. Obviously, will do some training there as it's potentially my advantage leg.

Problem is the bike. They say you never forget, but I'll be testing that theory since I've literally not been on a bike since I was probably 14 years old. My son just learned how to ride, so I was now wanting to get a bike to ride with him and figured it may be a good opportunity to also get into something new health-wise.

1) What is a good starter bike that is decent enough for a half-ironman (or even a full ironman way down the line)? I am not looking to spend a lot of money, as I don't think this will ever be a strength or something I want to do over running. What's the bare minimum I should consider spending on a new bike?

2) Does a tri-bike vs road bike really matter all that much to a novice?

3) Any recommendations of where to look/buy in the Houston area? Preferably near Sugar Land but wherever? Is the secondhand market a good idea...and some place I can do that other than craigslist?

4) Given a person who is decently in shape, how long do you think it would take to train for the bike on a half-ironman? I assume I'll be sacrificing running miles as I probably don't have the time or energy to do biking and run 60-70 miles a week. Thinking I just want to not embarrass (or kill) myself on that bike leg and maybe the other two legs will keep me in the the thick of things of being average for my age. Wondering if I start soon (probably after Chevron) if I can do one in the Spring or if next Fall/Winter is a best case.

5) How much training can you get away with on a trainer? Is it the equivalent or worse than road running vs a treadmill? Have to say I am not real excited about riding on the street with traffic.

Thanks!

Just been through some of this. Road bike is the more versatile choice, and the entry level of good brands (what you'll find in bike shops) is $750 or so. You can always add aerobars later if you want. Get a professional bike fit and don't forget to add the cost of other necessary equipment and clothing/accessories to your budget.

Curious as to why you'd jump straight to ironman Tris. Seems a sprint or Olympic in the spring would be quite doable and maybe go HIM or longer in the fall.

You' ll have no problem getting back on a bike. And sure, you use different muscle groups and you use them differently, but a good runner should have an easy transition.
More qualified posters than me are sure to chime in.

Thanks for the info. Yeah all those supplies as well - oof.

Think I just find a half IM more interesting. Sort of got into running the same way, skipped over the 5k and 10k and just went couch to 13.1 and it worked out pretty well. Maybe I don't think I'd feel the same sense of accomplishment on a sprint tri where a finish may not be feel in doubt.

SJEAg said:

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Thanks for the info. Yeah all those supplies as well - oof.

Think I just find a half IM more interesting. Sort of got into running the same way, skipped over the 5k and 10k and just went couch to 13.1 and it worked out pretty well. Maybe I don't think I'd feel the same sense of accomplishment on a sprint tri where a finish may not be feel in doubt.

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i feel very accomplished after a sprint. Finishing isn't the issue. It is figuring out ways to cut your time.

Two different challenges. With a HIM or IM you are competing to finish at a sprint you are competing to finish as fast as you can.

Ragoo said:

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SJEAg said:

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Thanks for the info. Yeah all those supplies as well - oof.

Think I just find a half IM more interesting. Sort of got into running the same way, skipped over the 5k and 10k and just went couch to 13.1 and it worked out pretty well. Maybe I don't think I'd feel the same sense of accomplishment on a sprint tri where a finish may not be feel in doubt.

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i feel very accomplished after a sprint. Finishing isn't the issue. It is figuring out ways to cut your time.

Two different challenges. With a HIM or IM you are competing to finish at a sprint you are competing to finish as fast as you can.

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Yeah I understand. Guess I just think I won't be fast no matter what on a sprint as a noob or won't really have any reference of comparison...so the "just finish" of a HIM feels like the more appealing goal. Same with a 5k for me, had no desire early on to do one. But when I finally did (after my first 26.2) I did feel proud of my time. And damn, I think it hurt more than the marathon did.

Good or bad, there will be many noobs in a sprint. And you might surprise yourself, a strong swimmer and runner has a huge head start. The bike is the easiest to get faster at IMO. Not trying to talk you out of anything, just find it interesting what motivates people.

For the last 15+ years I have had a life goal of completing an Ironman. Now that my kids are now all out of diapers, my wife told me that she's on board with the training demands. So, in July I started the process. Here's my plan:

I found a spring tri that I completed in October. I bought a road bike last July and would swim 2x a week, ride 2x a week, and run 2x a week.

I'm not a strong swimmer at all. I have never done organized swim meets or anything of the sort. Swimming in open water was quite a shock and had darn near a full-on panic attack in the water. I thought for a minute that this might be it! Not being able to see in the water is not fun and couldn't relax enough to catch my breath. It was half way through the bike before I felt right.

Now, I'm training for the IM 70.3 in Galveston for April with a goal of doing the full distance in 2020.

I live in Sugar Land and bought a bike from Handlebar Cyclery in Richmond. I have a friend who used to work there and suggested I go for a fit. So, I did and bought a Norco bike. It was about 1250 but after pedals and shoes was closer to 1700. It's an aluminum frame. The components are Shimano 105. I used to mountain bike while at A&M and was a little familiar with componentry. The Shimano 105 groupset is a good option that shifts smooth and isn't clunky. I only wanted to buy a bike once. I went to Society Bikeworks and told them my budget but they wanted to sell me a carbon frame way higher than i wanted to pay.

Road biking is A LOT different than mountain biking. At first, it's like riding a twig. Now, I'm comfortable and biking is my favorite of the 3.

Do it. If you need someone to ride with, I'll ride with you.

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1) What is a good starter bike that is decent enough for a half-ironman (or even a full ironman way down the line)? I am not looking to spend a lot of money, as I don't think this will ever be a strength or something I want to do over running. What's the bare minimum I should consider spending on a new bike?

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You'll find much better values shopping used. Nixter will probably chime in and recommend buying new, and he's probably right for a lot of reasons. But great values can be found when others are upgrading.

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2) Does a tri-bike vs road bike really matter all that much to a novice?

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Just my $0.02, but when looking at a +6 hour event I take every advantage I can get.

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3) Any recommendations of where to look/buy in the Houston area? Preferably near Sugar Land but wherever? Is the secondhand market a good idea...and some place I can do that other than craigslist?

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If looking used check out slowtwitch.com classifieds. There are usually FB groups in the cities, I know there is an Austin Tri Marketplace. Probably one for Houston as well.

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4) Given a person who is decently in shape, how long do you think it would take to train for the bike on a half-ironman? I assume I'll be sacrificing running miles as I probably don't have the time or energy to do biking and run 60-70 miles a week. Thinking I just want to not embarrass (or kill) myself on that bike leg and maybe the other two legs will keep me in the the thick of things of being average for my age. Wondering if I start soon (probably after Chevron) if I can do one in the Spring or if next Fall/Winter is a best case.

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At bare minimum find a training plan. You can get one on TrainingPeaks for like $100. Worth every penny. I have friends that did a full Ironman as their first triathlon. With the right six month training plan they both finished.

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5) How much training can you get away with on a trainer? Is it the equivalent or worse than road running vs a treadmill? Have to say I am not real excited about riding on the street with traffic.

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Totally depends on the course. Long / straight course? You'll be fine on a trainer. Crazy zig zag course like Waco? You probably need some back roads handling practice. The trainer will have your legs ready either way. Poor handling skills on a windy course will cost you some time.

Good luck! Lots of knowledge floating around here. Keep the questions coming.

For a bike, look on Craigslist after Christmas. I would go with a road bike. I would look at the big brands trek, cervello, cannondale,Fuji,etc. and only a few years old. Should be able to get a better bike for the money, depends on your budget. I do second the opinion on HandleBar Cyclery. Those guys are great. I heard that TruTriSports in Cypress is closing, you may want to check with them on bikes too.

For training, do a few sprints / Olympic leading up to half. At least one if not two or more. I have done Galveston 70.3 a few times(really windy) and oilman in Conroe. Depends on what time of year you want to do it.

If you email me I can send you a spreadsheet of a training plan I try to follow. Email is dmhafling at yahoo