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What did you have to sacrifice to afford your tri bike? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 weeks ago by 1800doctorb@lemmy.world to c/triathlon@lemmy.world
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I know there’s a wide range of what’s possible when it comes to tri bikes. I’ve heard stories of people using mountain bikes on sprints. But almost everyone who posts online about triathlon (including Reddit) seems to have a $5,000 time trial bike.

Did the purchase of your race bike have to come with some sacrifices? Did you save up for a while? Take out a loan (like a car)?

I’m using a $600 bikedirect road bike now and I’m curious how everyone ended up with the wheels they use now. Tell me your story!

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[-] 1800doctorb@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

I should probably add my own context here if I'm expecting others to contribute their stories.

I bought a Motobecane Mirage S from BikesDirect a few years ago, and its been fine as I start to ramp up my training. It's a road bike with aluminum frame and steel components. No carbon fiber to be seen. I think I got it for about $600 when it was new.

I figure its enough for me to complete a sprint, an oly, and maybe a 70.3, but if I wanted to keep doing 70.3 distances, I'd probably reach the point where investing made more sense. $4k and above for a proper time trial bike seems obscene to me at this moment, but so many others barely bat an eye when showing theirs off online.

So however you got the bike you race with, which of these routes was the closest?

  • Saved for months to buy it outright
  • Financed it (credit or loan of some kind)
  • Found used for significantly less than the thousands I've seen
  • Bought on impulse and now regret it (or not regretting it)
  • Something else entirely

I don't care as much about the specific cost of the bike; I'm more interested in the route that it took to acquire it.

this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2026
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Triathlon

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A community for triathlon: training, racing, and following the sport.

This community is primarily focused on training: swim, bike, and run. Also building a base of fitness and the practical problems of fitting three sports into a single week. Questions at any level are welcome, including basic ones. If you're working out how or where to start, you're in the right place.

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