If you're buying a brand new bike and spending $$$$ you'll want to future proof yourself and embrace new tech like electronic shifting and disc brakes. I've been using electronic shifting since the first iteration of Di2 back in 2011. All my bikes have SRAM eTap AXS now.

I've had disc brakes on my road bike for a couple of years now and I just bought a new tri bike a couple of months ago that has disc brakes. Yeah, getting new wheels sucks and is expensive but there's no way around it.

eTap and Di2 are easy peasy to maintain and adjust. Far easier than mech. Keeping the batteries charged is no biggie. I prefer eTap over Di2 but both have their pros and cons versus each other.

Disc brakes aren't that difficult to deal with. All in all a bit more complicated and fussy than rim brakes but not that bad. Far superior braking to rim brakes though.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

WOW great point about future proofing myself!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to make your post

Ok for sure if I get a new bike I wi get all the new items

BTW how are you liking your new bike? That is the other bike I am considering

I went from a BMC TM01 to a Cervelo P-Series and I so wish I would have done it sooner. The biggest positive change for me is the brake performance. Going from carbon rim brakes is a game changer. I for sure had to learn new things and there have been some learning moments but I have had less flats, better breaking and the shifting is so nice.

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Member of FishTwitch - Arriving to T1 alone and watching you go by on the run.
My Blog: http://poseidom.wordpress.com

I was thinking about this the other day after reading a thread where there were comments about how older tri bikes are just as fast as the newer ones that cost major $$$$. IMO, if you have plenty of $$$ then spend thousands and buy the new tri bike.

But, if you are on a budget, why not stick with the older "optimized" tri bike and use your hard-earned money elsewhere. Why have a ton of money tied up in a bike that maybe will get 300-500 miles a year of racing and that is if you are racing a lot. When you are TT racing how much are you really on the brakes? How often are you really shifting. And won't a 25mm tire still compete with a 30mm.

I'd used the budgeted bike funds on a smart trainer (if you don't already have one) and then buy a new or barely used road or gravel bike that has the electronic shifting, disc brakes, and the ability to run wider tires.

Get your structured tri training on the trainer and then go out and have fun riding your new road or gravel bike. Tri bikes are fast but are they fun? YMMV

I think the biggest band for the buck is going to electronic shifting. A number of years ago I put Di2 on my BMC and it changed the way I ride especially on hilly courses. I have moved that shifting from a BMC to a P3 and recently built up a TriRig Omni with it.

I don’t see the need for disc brakes on a tri bike, I can run a 25/28 tire combo and best of all I don’t need to throw away my $4k worth of race wheels. As far as tubeless verses clincher…the terms still don’t make sense to me….I flat maybe once every two to three years running clincher tube tires and don’t have to worry about constantly pumping them up or rotating them as you do with tubeless.

the only thing that bothers me is that the industry is moving away from rim brakes….so my solution is not entirely future proof and if I race long enough in the future to need a new bike may end up having to bite the bullet….but for the next five years I am good…My 2 cents….

The industry isn’t moving away from rim brakes. It already moved.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Yes it has….good thing there is still a strong used market and in 5 years (typically when I switch bikes) I will be 73:-(

It’s a really nice bike and beautifully made and designed. There are a couple of minor things that could be better but overall it’s one hell of a triathlon bike.

I’d highly recommend it. It is certainly different from every other bike.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

i've sort of compromised. i have a new road/gravel bike, and opted for mechanical shifting. i'm not super interested in electronic, especially for road/gravel. but i do LOVE hydraulic disc brakes - i live in the mountains and they're superior for sure. also very low maintenance.
i've also not bothered to go tubeless - like you i'm reluctant to re-learn how to change a bloody tyre at my age, and at least for now i really don't feel i'm leaving much on the table by running tubes. i also have multiple bikes and so does my wife, and the idea of keeping out bikes on the same standards is sort of important to me - needing to have 3 different tyre solutions in the same garage starts to feel silly. that said, we have really enjoyed swapping wheelsets since going to disc. i guess we all have to draw the line somewhere!

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

While agreed, locally I don't see many tri/tt bikes already. Then when I do, I've never seen a disc brake model. Now...off road including gravel locally has been there for years. We have a strong cyclocross scene and those folks were 2nd to go disc brake after mtb being 1st. Local cross races you're now in the minority if you do not have disc brakes. Now roadies locally. I feel tri/TT will be the last to go everywhere from the standpoint of "I don't use this bike that often" combined with "I rarely touch the brakes riding the tri/tt bike anyway".

Thank you everyone for the input


So I have decided to get a size 56 P5 SRAM 1x

Figure I’ve been riding 1x for over 20 years why stop now

Anyone have a good source where to try to get one? So far not much luck looking/calling around

Have an idea maybe I buy one from CA

Fly from FL out there and have James from Ero sports do a bike fit and aero testing.

Have it sent to FL AND fly back home

So I guess my question is how has it been for others who went from fairly old school bike to newer?


I made that switch last year - first new Road Bike in over 10 years - first time for eShifting and hydraulic disc brakes.

Overall I love the new bike - an Argon-18 Krypton GF - a true All Rounder!

It's the little things that were the biggest irritant. I had 2 other sets of nice road wheels that suddenly became useless! Had to change mounts up on the roof rack! Ditto for the fork mounted repair stand. Had to remember to always have a proper hex key in the repair kit to get the wheels off!

For the time being I have stuck with Clinchers and latex tubes for the tires!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I wrote a post a couple years ago on this topic, I'll drop it below. Just for fun, I may switch back to my 2002 Cervelo P2K when my kid is done using it.


TLDR: In the real world for the average MOP, a super bike is not noticeably faster than a good entry level bike. Depending on finances you might enjoy the extra bells and whistles of a more expensive bike. The usual slowtwitch caveats, it has to fit properly, etc.


I recently upgraded from a 2002 Cervelo P2K (stock wheels) to a brand new Cervelo P3X with HED 60/90 wheels. My experience is that there is little, real world, difference in speed.

• My position on the old bike was dialed in and I was comfortable. Same position on the new bike and I'm still comfortable.
• I was training hard before and I'm still training hard with the new bike.
• On the old bike I was consistently 2nd - 4th in local sprint races BUT on the new bike I'm ... consistently 2nd - 4th in local sprint races.
• I'm loving the zero maintenance of the new bike. An 18 year old bike takes some TLC.
• It was getting harder to find replacement parts to fit the old bike.
• I like the 11 speed vs 9 speed.
• I love the convenience of the Di2.
• I love the storage on the P3X

I'm in the same position ie older but dialed tri-bike and considering upgrade. Not to a newer TT but to a newer aero road bike.
My IM, 70.3 bike times are 30-32 kph which is competitive in 65+. My question is at that speed would a newer aero roadie with clip ons be just as good as an older TT?
My thoughts are that it may be just as quick as the old TT but more versatile. My concern is that the newer bikes with discs and electronics are heavier than a 2008 P3 nullifying their advantage on a hillier course.
Anyone else in the same boat?

I had a Shiv tri rim brake for years before selling during COVID. Using those brakes on carbon wheels wasn't great.
My road bike has disc brakes and when I buy my next tri bike, it must have disc brakes.
Whilst we might not brake much during a triathlon, I want reliable braking for all those training rides where there are cars on the road and you need to stop at traffic lights. Being able to stop quickly and safely on a training ride is way more important than how you use the brakes on race day.

Good job we're not "the industry" then, and we have free will.
You need electric gears and hydraulic brakes on a bike the same way you need a $500 iPhone 13 to call a taxi

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There was a recent GCN video on such a topic, but can't seem to link videos at the moment. Just a change of front end and probably the old bike would come out ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JcB8xqcE5o

Yeah, free will is great and you’re free to buy whatever you want up to the point that whatever you want is no longer made.

Go buy a new mid to high end road or triathlon bike and tell me about what you find in mechanical shifting and rim brakes.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

What's wrong with all the bikes already in circulation? Most don't get totaled or scrapped, and the number of cyclists in the world isn't growing indefinitely. Just like who the hell actually buys a new car from dealership. Even if you insist on fully-serviced, road-ready refurb with a warranty, there's plenty of mint used ones around. Doubt buying new is ever cheaper than ordering parts and employing the local bike shop.

Um, this topic is about stepping into the modern era with a new bike.

You also just moved the goal post. First you post about not needing electronic shifting and disc brakes and now you’re rambling about new vs used. Two distinct conversations.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

This is a common post on ST ((and my bias is as an owner of a 2009 p4 with no expectations to change soon, and would put that bike up against anything out there). A few responses:

-we are consuming ourselves and our planet to death. Shouldn’t be anything to post after that, but:
-buying a new bike to become future-proof … wont. It just kicks the future down the road a few years. Your disk brakes, or current config of electronic shifting,, or tire belief system will be replaced … someday. And the parts for todays bleeding edge systems will be as hard (I argue harder, due to the increased splintering of lines) to find in a few years as deduct systems are today.
-but I also find that mechanical shifting, or 23 fast tires, or rim brake small parts, are still very very widely available and still mainstream. If there’s a town I’m riding / racing in that I can’t find these, it’s more of a town problem than a gear problem.
-all of this, times five, for the frame. The P3c of your eta was probably the largest seller in the market ever, at the time that the market was the biggest it will ever be, and a lot of its small parts (say, seatpost etc) were used on other popular models in the Cervelo world. And was built on non-integrated, non-super bike systems, so finding replacements is easy. I wager that a few years down the road. this would not be the case for current highly-integrated bike systems sold today)
- there are still additive things that can be done on a p3 that can make it even faster still. A profile aeria front bottle, tririg / viewspeed skewers, etc,, for examples. But as others have shown / found, your bike is very fast as it is and you’re not giving up a lot.
-specific to you: you can still fly to Carson City for a session with ERO. or arrange a session with Desert Dude in AZ with your p3 and probably expect to come away with a % drag savings that would more than justify the flight.
-specific to you again: there is a known easy fix for the dropout screw issue with the p3 (dm if needed). As for misshifts … considering the manual shifting system you run had been universally used for decades at the highest levels of sport, and probably has evolved to being as perfect a system as can be, and that your particular config of 1x has only 3 parts in its whole system, I wonder if there might be some adjustment errors, or misconfiguration? This system should work as perfectly and carefree as anything.

Last note - a common thi g I see in a “should I upgrade” post is that the discussion eventually reveals that it’s ostensibly a technical question being asked, but after a page or two of discussion, it becomes clear that the thing going on is a consumer behaviour debate. As much as we like to present our decisions being driven by a dispassionate, evidence - based analysis, or a rational ROI calculation, it’s much more about wanting something new instead of something old, and scratching an emotional / psychological itch that the market, manufacturers and marketers are far far better at creating than we are in recognizing and challenging it. More often than not, there is no need of our new n+1 bike, or nicer rims on our F-150, or a third pair of suede Ferragamos, or 12 speeds instead of 11. But damn if manufacturers don’t make us feel like there is, and damn if we don’t behave accordingly.

And again, there’s that planet thing.

(Also apologies to GMAN for picking on a few of his points here … I’ve followed his bike purchases with great envy for years)

They are the same thing. New flashy gimmick gets pushed out, industry convinces consumers it's indispensable, consumer forgets they already had perfect performance utility without it. OEMs push it out to their sponsored athletes and rich bike geek fans and it self-fulfils the trend. This stuff doesn't even make you faster.

1. They are very different conversations. Not the same thing at all.

2. I don’t disagree with you that any of the new tech makes you more aero or necessarily faster. I never argued it did so not sure what your point is. My point is that if the industry wants to transition to something it’s going to do it and it has. Whether you like it or not. If one is in the market for a new mid to high end road or tri bike you have no choice but to go with disc brakes and electronic shifting. Why? The industry only makes electronic shifting and disc braked bikes in those price ranges. This is not a hard concept to understand.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

parts, are still very very widely available and still mainstream. If there’s a town I’m riding / racing in that I can’t find these, it’s more of a town problem than a gear problem.

I gave a friend my old 650c Kestrel and told her that parts may be hard to find. Turns out everything is still available, and really not difficult to find. It will definitely be more difficult to find a specialty part on a new bike than it will be to find mechanical shifter, rim brake, or 23c wheels/tires, in the foreseeable future.

Back to the original post, my first tri bike was an aluminum Felt s22. Eventually put a Flo 60 up front and Wheelcover on the back. I made good use of this forum to make that thing fast on a budget and really enjoyed racing it.

Then right before COVID hit I got a P5…ruined me forever. It is such an upgrade - faster, more comfortable, just makes me want to ride it.

The Felt lives on my Kickr and is still useful, but I hope to never need to use it on the road again.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

EDIT

Thank you for all the help


I am getting the Premier rear disc set up for disc wheels

The latest lightbicycle disc looks really good IMO

Thank you

I. Edited my post

I am getting the Premier rear disc set up for disc wheels