You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to be able to perform your best in a triathlon competition. You might be riding the best equipments and gears in the world but without enough strength, training and willingness to outdo everybody else, your investments may be mere nothing.

Aside from the entry ticket, you are sure to finish the race with a great sense of achievement at a minimal cost and lots of hardwork.

For starters, verging into a triathlon competition is really a task. After all, the same is true for the triathlon warriors. So anything worth starting with will do. You need not punch holes in your pockets for a new bike, it is best to test the waters first. You might spend grand on the latest gears only to find out later that triathlon is not your stuff. Make do with what you have first and later decide if triathlon lifestyle is truly yours to live.

The bike stage takes most of the course in a triathlon race. This is the make it or break it ground. The edge you have earned earlier with the swim stage would mean nothing if you tarry on the second leg of the race. The easiest option you can choose is to play with the crowd and stick with them if you can't get over them.

With this idea in mind, you can rest assured that the best training you may have is group training. There are regular weekend bikers that will help you get better. You may practice on your own but crowded biking is different from solo biking.

What's good with these folks is that they understand the techniques of training and so if you are a beginner, you'll be given the advantage of benefiting from those that will give allowances for trainees like themselves. But beware, training in this manner will cause you to react in two ways- to find your comfort zone or to bring out the best from you by encouraging you to be like the best of them. Nevertheless, they may still pass on some tips that will better your game. Like with swimming, you may get the kicks of the person swimming in front of you but that way, you will be trained.

One of the most common question, a triathlon beginner would ask is: "What is the difference between a triathlon bike and a road bike?" This is a very important question to ask since the two might appear the same. But deeper evaluation would reveal that there is something special about triathlon bike that could not be seen on a regular road bike. But before enumerating these, you must remember that using triathlon bike is not limited to triathlon events. Even on solo ride, triathlon bike works best.

Triathlon bike provides an easy transition from swim to bike and from bike to run. And this is perhaps the most special thing about triathlon bike. Remember that transition from discipline to another is still part of the race and therefore must be done smoothly. Since bike comes after the swim and before the run, the bike used should be designed in a way that the triathlete can easily mount and dismount.

Among all 3 events, the longest part of the race is bike and therefore, the bike to be used must be designed in a way that it can provide comfort to the rider. Triathlon bike is designed in this way. Also, the triathlon bike design is very efficient in giving the aerodynamics that provides speed. The elbow rest are designed to be low so that the rider maximizes his or her every kick. The Garside Study in 2001 disclosed that triathletes who use triathlon bike run faster that those who use the regular road bike on the same covered distance.

From bike to run, the triathete should have enough energy to finish the race. Since triathlon bike is designed to be efficient and comfortable, the rider saves a lot of energy that is important to finish the race. To be particular, riding a triathlon bike provides less cramp on the lower back muscle due to its geometrical construction. It is important to note that a road bike can cause your muscle to tighten that might effect your transition especially on the first two kilometers of the run. This would give you enough difficulty to keep you from effectively maximizing the time.

To simply put it, the triathlon bike would give you the speed you need not only on the bike but also on the run. These advantages provide you with the much needed energy and comfort during the race.