Hi all. I did my first olympic tri last summer and that was supposed to be the only one but as soon as I finished, I was hooked. Looking to invest in a good bike not exceeding $1200. I found this one on marketplace and would love any info on if it’s a good deal. I know NOTHING about bikes so any insight would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!
Info listed in ad: Trek Boone 5, 54cm. Carbon CX/Gravel road bike. Stand over 30 1/2”
Shimano 105 2×10 TRP mechanical disc brakes 38mm Pathfinder Pro tires FSA 36/46 crankset 12-30 cassette. $900
by joyanna22
7 Comments
It looks like a good bike but if you’re looking for a bike specifically for triathlon use, I would look for either an actual tri-bike or a more road race-oriented bike instead of gravel/CX.
“Road” bikes exist on a spectrum. Tri Bikes are the hardcore aerodynamic speed machines, and Gravel/CX Bikes are made for light off-road use and are generally slower. With ‘normal Road’ bikes being somewhere in the middle. (Racing Road, like a Trek Madone, lean more towards the speed end. Endurance Road, like a Trek Domane, leans more towards being fast gravel bikes)
You can usually find someone getting rid of their last season’s tri-bike on marketplace for reasonable.
While this isn’t a bad bike it’s overpriced and you could get something much more suitable for $1200. Narrow you search to look for TT bikes if your only interested in doing triathlons with it
Not the lightest or most aero but for starting out you can change the tires and go straight to the race. This is also a great low maintenance day to day bike. I used a CX bike for my first triathlon. Someone is going to try and sell you on an uncomfortable single purpose aero TT bike, don’t listen and have fun. When you’re ready for more you can upgrade.
It would work fine for a triathlon assuming the frame size is right for you. Size 54 for this bike you should be about 5’9″ to 5’10” for this to size out correctly. Especially if you make the fit more into a time trial position with clip on aero bars. Maybe 5’8″ if your legs are a bit on the long side for your height.
Bikes get….. complicated when trying to dig into details and maximize a specific use. This bike isn’t a good choice if you really want to dig in and get a specific triathlon bike. Aerodynamics is king for TT and triathlon. A proper TT bike will put you into a more aerodynamic riding position and be more aero itself. However, if you aren’t well trained to put out power in that low TT riding position you could end up being slower than if you were in more of a normal road bike riding position like the Boone.
I would fully endorse buying this bike and racing cyclocross! The high bottom bracket and steep head tube angle make for a very twitchy front end, suited to low speed sharp corners found on a CX course rather than long open tri stages.
My honest advice is to get an endurance road bike like a domane, synapse, or roubaix. Something that works for training and competition. You can always get some cheater sticks to get an aero position on the same bike.
I think this is a solid bike. It’s technically a cyclocross bike, which MOSTLY just means the Bottom Bracket (BB) is a bit higher up compared to other “typical” gravel / endurance bikes (slightly easier to initiate a turn, a bit less stable at super high speeds), a bit of a more aggressive and stretched out riding position (more aero, less comfy), and the ability to accommodate knobbier and wider tires. IMO, the differences between a CX bike and a more typical road bike are seldom felt, but it’s something some people nerd out on.
A carbon frame + shimano 105 is solid. I’m personally a big fan of those mechanical TRP brakes as well, but you could probably find another used bike with hydraulic brakes for that price.
As far as it being a good deal or not, it’s kind of hard to tell. Assuming it’s US dollars and the bike being from around 2020, I would say it’s a good price, especially if it’s been well maintained. Just inspect the frame and wheels for damage and make sure that the drive train isn’t all worn out. If the bike has low miles and / or good maintenance, I think it’s good.
I would caution against going for a dedicated tri bike like other redditors have mentioned. While that is the best choice for pro triathletes and they look quite cool, they’re uncomfortable and not versatile – they’re only good at going fast in a straight line with minimal elevation changes.
If you enjoy riding bikes and taking them more places, you’re best off getting a good set of clip on aero bars for a more standard road bike.
Hope this helps !
This would be a good all- rounder bike; fits larger tires which is nice for comfor, can be used for gravel/cyclocross, but could be decent for road use with some slick tires.
It wouldn’t necessarily be the fastest/best on road use, though, so may not be ideal if you want a competitive bike for triathlon use. So, Imo it depends on your use. If you have some interest in gravel and light off-roading, and only have the space and budget for one bike, this could be a pretty capable jack-of-all-trades bike, especially if you get a second set of aero wheels with slicks tires for road use. But if you are ONLY going to stick to road use, you’d be better served with a dedicated road bike. You could also get a more specific tri-bike, but that’s kind of overkill and not ideal for day-to- day use.
I think the price may be a bit high; that generation of 105 was from 2014-2018, so it could be a 10+ year old bike. I’ll admit I’m not terribly knowledgeable about the market for newer bikes, though.