I have been given the green light by the household treasurer (aka my wife) to purchase a TT bike prior to a 70.3 race here in Australia in Feb 2020. I am currently on a medium Giant Propel Advanced 1 (2017). Budget is AUD $4,500.
Have noticed a number of Giant dealers here locally listing the 2019 Trinity Advanced Pro 1 & 2 for good prices (AUD $2,900 for the Pro 2 & AUD $4,500 for the Pro 1). The Pro 1 comes with DI2 and the Giant PowerPro (seen mixed reviews).
Also in the mix is a 2017 Cervelo P2 with Ultegra DI2 for around AUD $3,200 delivered - no power meter but would consider getting some Favero’s to switch between bikes.
The Canyon Speedmax 7.0 (with 105 AUD $3,600 delivered) or the Speedmax 8.0 (with ultegra AUD $4,548 delivered) have also caught my eye.
I have the 50mm carbon wheels on the Propel currently so getting a bike with race wheels isn’t a priority.
Would love to get some feedback from the community on the pro’s and con’s of any of the bikes above - especially the Canyon Speedmax. Attracted to the “bike in a box” concept and have read some good things. Any other suggestions would be also appreciated.
What are you trying to accomplish or what is the motivation of getting a new bike your current one is not doing? Just asking how long you have been doing tris and what your future outlook is like.
Have heard the trinity is a solid bike and cervelo is obviously good. I would make sure you get one that fits or get a fit prior so you can buy once, cry once.
Good question. I raced a 70.3 a couple of years back on the Propel with tri bars and it worked well for that race (Chattanooga worlds in 2017). Looking to get into triathlons proper and want to be able to do my longer bike rides on the weekend on the tri bike to get used to the position.
Looking to get a bike fit or at least get my measurements to enable a good selection.
Get the fit first…that may dictate your choice. Not certain how the Giants compare to the Canyon in terms of Stack & Reach.
Also, the SL version of the Sleedmax has different geometry than the SLX. There is no way I could for on a SL, but the SLX would be a great choice for me fit-wise.
I have heard very good things about the Giants overall, but there were some problems with their integrated drink system on the front. I believe they have been resolved, but definitely be aware of that.
In terms of bike build and value for money I would go with the Canyon (most specced for your budget, but make sure you include a power meter for training and racing). I am all for supporting your local bike shop so if you are happy to spend a couple dollars more, knowing that you’ll have good after market service then get a bike fit (first might I add, BEFORE BUYING THE BIKE) and then buy the best deal you can find locally. For Triathlons these days, you really can’t go wrong with any major bike brand and purchasing through a local shop will give you that piece of mind if you need to get anything fixed under warranty.
If you don’t have an issue buying a second hand bike then have a look online (Triathlon Marketplace on FB) and you can find some amazing bikes in that piece range of yours.
+1 on getting a fit first. Getting the right size tri bike is even more important than getting the right road bike. Partly because there tends to be less adjustability at the front end, particularly if it’s an integrated bike where you can’t just swap out a stem. And partly because you’re basically riding the whole race in one position, vs a road bike where you can move around quite a bit between tops, hoods, different places on the drops, etc, so it’s critical that you can get that position absolutely right. And if you’re new to the TT position then you also want to get a bike where you’re somewhat in the middle of the range of adjustability so that you have the latitude to alter it as your adapt to the position and want to make changes. I would recommend getting advice from your local tri club or community as to who the best local fitters are. If you’re interested in the Canyon then maybe best to work with an independent fitter rather than one who works for a shop that only stocks certain brands.
Assuming you’ve had the fit and have a number of options that will work for you then I think all the bikes you’ve listed can be made to work well. If you already have race wheels then may be worth looking at either building up a frameset or a bike that comes with training wheels. That could save you a chunk of money (which you could put towards a nice rear disc ). Canyon are the best bang for your buck out there IMO, but having a good relationship with an LBS is also useful, particularly if that’s where the best fitters work and you want to be able to take the bike back in for a few follow up fitting tweaks.
Get your stack and reach for a bike fit, then select the frames that give you the most adjustability for your stack and reach.
Then pick the one you like the look of most.
I’ve spent years trying to figure out objective cost/benefit, and boiled it down to these two things; the one that fits and looks good. Because you’ll enjoy riding it more.
). Canyon are the best bang for your buck out there IMO, but having a good relationship with an LBS is also useful, particularly if that’s where the best fitters work and you want to be able to take the bike back in for a few follow up fitting tweaks.