Hey all,

I'm looking to get into olympic triathlons (bike portion = 25 miles). I've never had a road bike but I really want to take up cycling :) I don't see myself taking it out on rides any longer than 50 miles. As such I figure I will want a fairly light bike for the price range.

As a newb, I was hoping you could help me out with bike selections. I'm not looking to spend thousands, I just want a good entry-level bike to stick with.

The parameters:
I will be purchasing from a LBS (as a newb I'm going to need all the support I can get), I'd like to go aluminum, I'd like to avoid Sora (Tiagra as a minimum, stock 105 would be awesome if I could get them on my budget). My budget is $1200 for the bike and the accessories.

After some basic research, I really like the following bikes:

-Felt F70 (availability might be an issue as it's a 2005 bike)
-Felt F80 (availability might be an issue as it's a 2006 bike)
-Giant OCR2
-Schwinn Fastback 27 or Fastback Comp (both 2006 models)

Please feel free to comment on these bikes, their availability, and feel free to list other bikes that would meet my needs.

Thanks a ton, am looking forward to your responses!

"Accessories" is a very broad term. It would help if we broke it down. So let's say $800 for the bike and $400 for the accessories? Or were you thinking of some other division? It depends on how rich a set of accessories you need.

For somewhere around $800, you should be able to get a decent bike with a combination of Tiagra and 105 (probably more Tiagra than 105, but you should be able to get a 105 rear derailleur). Almost any of them will do you just fine, and there really won't be that much difference between them.

Perhaps look into an '06 Trek 1500 as well. I saw one recently with a 105/Ultegra mix for under $900. Cannondales are my fave, maybe you can find a deal on a closeout CAAD8 model (probably slightly pushing the budget though).

Hey guys,

My apologies for being vague with the specifications.

By accessories I mean the basic stuff besides the bike that I would need to start riding (helmet, clothes, shoes, pump, spare tires, etc.)

Regarding the bike, I'm looking to get as much performance-for-value for around $800. I don't care if the bike is a past year's model.

Thanks for your help guys!