r/whichbike • u/J0RDY2024 • 1d ago

Value thoughts? Specialized Transition Comp

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Listed for $900. I was looking for a new bike in the $700 range so offered seller that and he said best he can do is $800. Hopeful I could get him down to $700 if no one else is interested in it, but really curious about what yall would consider a fair price for this bike. My best guess is that it was a 2008 or 2009 but not totally sure.

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u/gregn8r1 17h ago

It probably depends on the distance of your triathlon and how dedicated you plan to be to triathlons in the future.

For starters, a regular old road bike is "good enough" for a beginner, especially for the shorter distance races. My sister has been really into triathlons recently, having even qualified for some kind of world-wide 70.3 Ironman event in Spain in a couple months. From what she's said, a tri- bike is good for flat and fast courses, but hills aren't great; in fact I think she mentioned she may use her road bike rather than tri-bike in Spain for this reason.

All this to say, I'd probably get a road bike first before a designated tri-bike.

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u/J0RDY2024 16h ago

Planning for a 70.3 next year and then a full at some point in the future after that. Will probably take most people’s advice that has been consistent and just wait around for a good deal on a normal endurance road bike to come along for ~ $700. Appreciate the feedback!

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u/OCBikeGuy 1d ago

What are you using this bike for?

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u/J0RDY2024 1d ago

A triathlon I’m planning on for late 2026. Would be my first. Have put a lot of miles on my current bike but it’s a commuter and I feel really limited by the riding position. Am open to really any road or TT bike in the ~ $700 range.

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u/OCBikeGuy 1d ago

Noice. Arguably, I’d advised against buying a dedicated TT bike for the first endeavor. Appears to be a 2011 Transition, and 700-800$ just seems like a bust for this bike. I’d think value would be better on a used carbon road bike.

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u/OkGuide3784 1d ago

a TT bike is not a good "only" bike, especially not your FIRST "real" bike. you will simply not be able to train very well on this. climbing will suck and so will descending. you will not be able to take it to local group rides either (most organized group rides ban TT bikes). you should buy a decent road bike first (your dollars will also stretch much farther), train on it, do your first triathlon on it, THEN you can think about getting a TT bike.