My First Triathlon

Question:
I just finished my first triathlon (Janesville, WI) and I'm now hooked. It's funny -- I got to the end of the bike and I was telling myself Never again but I got two miles into the run and I was trying to figure out when the next one was :-) I'm going to do my first international distance triathlon in three week in Lake Zurich, IL!

During my first race I noticed that I ped a bunch of people during the swim, got ped (a lot) on the bike and then ped about 30 people during the run. Right now I'm riding on an old Trek 400. I was thinking about investing a small amount of money on some areo bars and a better pedal/shoe system (road in my running shoes this time). Now I'm thinking about investing in a little better bike.

Will a new bike make any difference right now or would I just be wasting my money? Anyone have any experiences buying used road/triathlon bikes in the Chicagoland area? Can I even pick up something that would be worthwhile for about 500 bucks?

Answer:
I believe your two ideas about bike upgrades are great ones. Aerobars are simply the single thing you can add to your bike to make you go faster than any other one thing. They're inexpensive and can be taken off if you don't like them. However, you will likely need saddle adjustments to make yourself comfortable and strong on the aerobars - usually up and forward - don't simply rely on the new bend in your body or you could wind up slower than you were before the addition.

Riding with traditional pedals is highly inefficient and obtaining a pedaling system that allows you to maintain contact with the pedal throughout the entire crank revolution will allow a more efficient, stronger cycling effort after a period of adjustment. DON'T CHANGE TO THIS THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE! (same w/ the aerobars). Once again, you'll need (probably) a saddle height adjustment with your new pedals/cleats. Take time to experiment or find a bike shop with a guy you trust to give you advice. I have found Speedplay pedals to be the best solution for me, but there are many pedaling systems available.

I would suggest you do some more triathlons with your current bike and the proposed additions rather than buy a new bike with minimal funds. After you've been to a bunch of races and have done a few yourself your knowledge of what you really need will change dramatically from what you think you might need right now. I'm still learning after 50 or so races. Today's bike in no way resembles my first attempt at a tri-bike, in fact, its different even from the way I rode it at Ironman last year.