First off, thanks so much to everyone for your comments and kudos. Seriously, while i was in the pool, trying to find my breath and fighting for some kind of rhythm, all that kept going on in my head was not "I'm going to drown," or "I can't do this," but instead, "when I get through this, I will be one of Them, a real tri-blogger." Y'all all kept me going. I never doubted that I would finish, because all y'all have been cheering me on the whole way through. And you made it OK to come in at the end, because Dead Last is so much better than Did Not Start, and you have been applauding me since I made my goals be known. The Internets is a wonderful thing!
Now, the fun part! I get a new bike. Exactly when depends on my quarterly bonus, but as soon as that comes in, I want to be ready to roll into the bike shop and put my pennies on the counter. So, below are links to my four choices -- all entry-level women-specific road bikes between $500 and $750. I've ridden last year's Giant model, and will test-ride a Trek this weekend after the race. I tried including photos,but Blogger was being uncooperative, so you'll have to click the links.
Specialized Dolce
Trek 1000
Giant OCR
Jamis Ventura Sport
Discuss.
** Note -- since pretty much anything is an upgrade from the PPE, I have only two requirements: 1) budget is pretty much under $800, but under $650 would be better, and 2) the bike has to be blue or yellow. Now, reason #2 is silly, superficial, and borderline unreasonable, but I want a yellow or blue bicycle. You'll find out why later. :)
5 comments:
woo hoo! congrats on a solid finish!
I suggest you find a local bike shop that you are comfortable with, who has a good reputation in your area - ask other triathletes who they like, and a name may come up repeatedly (it's a sign). Find one who does professional bike fits.
Go there, and find out what fits your body the best. In my experience, fit is the most important part of bike purchase.
the rest will fall into place after that.
You ARE definitely a real tri-blogger!!!!
You may also consider asking around on local lists to see if anyone has an older bike your size that they have recently upgraded! You might find a real bargain that way. Looks like you're doing great research on your bike purchase!
Love the new blog title! :)
Pretty bikes, but I agree with what the others have mentioned. I love my bike, but it's a little big for me. $1000 so I keep riding it, but I wish it was a little smaller!
Regarding DFL vs DNS, absolutely agree with you! I am planning my return to Duathlon on Labour Day and checked last year's results. I am guaranteed DFL! LOL I've been waiting for this since I began running over a decade ago, and this is it! And I'm going to have everyone cheering, I promise!
Go for the Specialized :-)
I have the Giant OCR. I love it, but it was my first road bike, so I don't have any comparisons. I don't know if it comes in blue or yellow though. Mine is purple.
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