Over the past year, I’ve gotten really into long distance running and I’m currently training for a marathon. Exercise has been amazing for me and I really want to begin training for triathlons and am considering entering for an Ironman 70.3 for the end of 2027. I want to begin cycling to train for this but to also take some of the load off of my joints.
I have always loved cycling but have never done it very consistently. I bought a dual suspension MTB a few years ago and sold it after crashing it on the second ride and breaking my elbow…
I went and test road this bike (description attached) and have paid a deposit to pick it up later this week for $2,400 AUD. It was the nicest bike I’ve ever ridden. Super light and gear changes were smooth. Brakes felt good. Although I only spend less than 5 mins on it.
I now worry that this bike is maybe too good for me? Will I find this hard to ride and progress? Can this bike take me from beginner road cyclist all the way to a strong intermediate+ rider? Is this a ridiculous purchase? Will I be able to sell it in a year for a similar price assuming I take care of it? I make decent money but this is still a chunky investment.
I understand a lot of this is likely subjective… Please go easy on the tough love. Open to any and all advice.
– From a boy with a sore heart and some big dreams
by jaspercohen_
11 Comments
Location St. Kilda? Is that a joke? I thought the lst person left there in the 50s or something
edit: forget it, I didnt know about the quarter in Melbourne
There’s no such thing as a bike which is too good, so don’t worry about that.
You won’t be able to sell it used for nearly the same price even if you look after it – they lose value just fot being second hand. That’s why I always buy used. For 2.4k you can get an amazing used bike in great condition, much better than the one you’re planning to buy.
It’s a big purchase, so I’d spend a lot of time doing research and browsing secondhand marketplaces.
If I were spending that money, I’d want something with an aero frame and deep section wheels. But that’s just me.
This seems like a pretty good deal to me all things considered, though I am not that familiar with australian market. One thing to factor in is that this bike is basically a “climber” bike that is just as light as it can be and mostly ignores aerodynamics. Especially in ironman, the aerodynamics are likely far more important than weight.
Plus, than handlebar looks like one piece carbon? You won’t be able to put clip on aero bars on that for IM
The bike should work fine, but if you’re optimizing for speed, especially solo speed, I would probably get a different bike
Idk how the market is in the States I am living in Europe but there for the Price you could get Electronic shifting also so I think there could be better ones
I am not sure about the market in Aussie but in terms of worries about „will this be alright for me from beginner to good cyclist“ there is nothing to worry about. If you feel compfortable and safe on the bike you will enjoy every ride and progress as a cyclist. There is no issues with this bike in terms of performance 👍🏻
Build this bike on Canyon to see if it comes close to $6k. I highly doubt that since they spec these with Di2 cheaper.
$2500 for an old Canyon? No thanks.
Its a nice bike, seems a decent price but not sure what the market’s like in Oz. Better to spend a bit more on a bike now that you can grow into rather than a budget one you’ll grow out of.
Key thing though is to make sure it fits, even tweaking that will be expensive given it has a one piece integrated bar/stem. 5 minutes isn’t really long enough to understand the fit, especially if you don’t have something already to compare it against.
I think that people reading this aren’t familiar with the AUD exchange rate. It’s a great bike and while I don’t know the current market prices it seems fair. The 6k in 2023 is about right.
That said, if you want a bike mainly for triathlons pick something else with standard metal handlebars, you can’t fit tri bars to these CF bars easily which you’ll probably end up wanting to do.
If you do go for it, check out the size chart and research how a bike should fit .. it’s common to go too large for your first road bike.
Like others have said it’s a fine bike.
Can’t comment on the price as I don’t know the AUS market but I highly doubt this was a 6k bike brand new.
Regardless the price doesn’t seem bad.
My only concern for you is the intended use. If your main goal is Ironman I’d look for a more aero focused bike. After you get serious training I can guarantee you’ll want something more aero to bring your watts further.
Either a tri bike or a roadbike with aero bars. Can’t really do that on that bike due to the integrated handle bars.
You’re a triathlete, having an absurdly expensive high end bike that you only ride a few days a year is par for the course.
In fact that bike is pretty low end by triathlete standards!