We Did A Triathlon On A Budget & This Is What Happened!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ย. 2021
- We all know triathlon is expensive. Of course, it is! It's three sports, each requiring some equipment, on top of entry fees and various other costs. But how cheaply could you do your first triathlon? We set Mark and James the challenge to race a triathlon on a budget of just £300!
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We all know triathlon is expensive. Of course, it is. It is three sports, each requiring some equipment, on top of entry fees and various other costs. You can of course buy a £10k bike for your first triathlon.
But assuming you don’t have that kind of money lying around and want to get into triathlon, how cheaply could you do your first triathlon? We set Mark and James the challenge to race a triathlon on a budget of just £300!
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I just checked the race results - turns out Mark and James came in 2nd and 5th (out of 90). Looks like legs, lungs and head can still beat a lot of equipment.
that's the best upgrade you can make, without spending a single penny :)
Agreed. I keep looking at new bits of kits, but the biggest impact I can get is from training better (more and smarter)
What distance did they do?
which race
But the marketing says I need to buy new equipment all the time
ah, the GCN eurobike. the gift that keeps on giving
ad revenue covered that bike twice over
Did my first triathlon race (sprint) with the equipment I already owned: a swimsuit and goggles, an older cross bike, helmet, shorts, T-shirt and worn out casual shoes. No wetsuit, no trisuit, no bike shoes, no race belt (used pins instead), no watch, no sunglasses, no water bottle or gels (took anything at aid stations). And still enjoyed it!
My first bike was top of the line, in 1993. Worked just fine.
fun should always be number one when racing
@@marksmits1911 Agreed :)
I did my first with a 20yr old Klein that had been through an Ironman. Bought some tri-shorts and refreshed my shoes and beat my goal time by 5 min
Same, i Had a roadbike (cheap one) because i enjoyed cycling
Every triathlon i do is on a budget
Right?
Same!!!
i feel you man, i do the same
Absolutely loved this. Can we have more Top Gear style challenges like this please. Really demonstrates the fun in the sport and makes it seem so much less intimidating 😊
A rental wetsuit is a great option. Also, as a beginner I think you could use flat pedals and cycle in running shoes, lots of people do. Good vid though.
Surprised you opted for both running and bike shoes...for a cheap, first triathlon, flat pedals and one pair of shoes would have been a good saving.
I have cages on my bike and use only running trainers that cost less than £15 at their 10event favourite store !
I was thinking the same thing. My buddy flexes his flats on his TT bike during our sprint triathlons. I'm probably going to do the same in october.
Or just get bike shoes and run barefoot!
Barefoot running and flats on the bike. Probably still be faster than me😆
Depending on the length of the event - you can do your first tri in a swimsuit, then pull on some shorts/Tshirt. Also depending on your experience with cycling and clips you don’t need cycling shoes - I did 4yrs of tri biking with my running shoes as clipping in was too intimidating. As much as this was a fun video it did feel like it was more like pro on a budget vs newbie on a budget 😂
Thank you! I needed to see this... I was watching the video waiting for them to explain why you need a wetsuit as someone whose never been into the sport. Just was give it a shot once, without getting a $100 piece of special equipment.
I also think I'd be more fun and more efficient if you use simple but good equipment instead of cheap professional equipment. The shoes they used might be fine for one race but imagine wearing them for your training as well. They definitely could have done better with this video.
@@tokyobikeradio some races do require a wetsuit if the water temp is at a certain degree, so double check, but ive done several tri's and never even looked at a wetsuit.
I did not know there is anyone else on the planet that does bike leg in running shoes. Well done mate.
@@tokyobikeradio You can also check with your event or local sport store some will rent the wetsuits out. It’s great for cold water and added bonus it offers more buoyancy
I really hope, that this is the Eurobike from the GCN office and not another one 😅
Also I laughed out loud, as I realized that my shoes (personally primarily a runner) cost 3/4 of James total budget 😂
But awesome video none the less
My thoughts exactly. I sincerely hope that the GCN video and this one serve as a warning serious enough against the Eurobike for no one to buy it! 😬 It's a horrendous piece of junk, not really worth a penny. Virtually any used bike is a better choice, and often cheaper too!
I can’t believe GTN would be so irresponsible as to buy another Eurobike when GCN already has one! My only hope is that they continue to slag it off mercilessly until it gets melted down and turned back into a shipping container or a skip or whatever it was in a past life.
It was, and we want it back!
@@gcn new challenges upcoming on GCN then.
@@gcn you seriously..... ?? You want it back .... ha ha ....
The first thing I thought when watching this video was the cheap skates Stole that bike from GCN so it didn't cost them anything ....
Love the guy coming in to t2 with a disk at the same time as the eurobike
that was golden
Funnily enough I did my first triathlon last week end (ironman 70.3 distance). Didn't want to splash on a new bike so I went with my dad's old road bike (a nearly 30 years old aluminium frame). I did get some weird looks getting it in place in transition. 🤣 Yet it went round! 👍
Going straight for a 70.3 is a hell of a start, respect
That's cute man
Nice work! Good on you! :)
I did 3 sprint triathlons this summer with running shoes during my bike and a single speed (Big Shot) that I paid 50$ a few years ago. 😄
its so funny when they arrived at transition and a guy with a disc wheel comes after them, hilarious
I did my first 1/8th triathlon on my old (modified) dutch granny bike (single speed, coaster brake, floppy frame and foam on the handlebars to lie on). I averaged 38.8 km/h and climbed in the ranks during cycling, meaning I surpassed more tri and race bikes than they overtook me. With a flat course, the right gear ratio and sort of ok aero position you are 90% there. Had a lot of fun (of course partly thanks to my duct-taped luggage rack and untrue rear wheel, rubbing it in the face of the carbon bikes I passed) and my next triathlon will most likely be on a compareable bike, even though I own a more capable TTish bike now.
Reminds me of how triathlon used to be in the 00’s pre aero era 😁 so much fun
I also started with the cheapest equipments. It really shows you how to appreciate those upgrades. kudos guys!
This is one for the ages. What a great video. You CAN do a triathlon on a budget, you DON'T need to wear a weird one piece or a speedo from 1977 and you can still be fast and place granted you've got the lungs the arms and the legs.
Absolutely LOVING the content lately! This is gold.
My £200 second hand btwin bike served me well for 2 years!! the rider is the motor after all…
Having done the sport on and off for over 30 years, in my view there is a real sweet spot in terms of ‘bang for buck’ spending on the most expensive bit of kit - the bike. I’m writing this BEFORE I watch the video deliberately, and will ad additional comments afterwards. Based on my experience, spending a modest amount on a well fitted road bike is the best option for a beginner: just ad clip ons for another $US50-150 and the sweet spot should be at around $US500 these days (I actually spent $2,000 Australian dollars back in 1988 for a custom built steel framed bike. A tad expensive, but options were significantly more limited back then. The good news is that bike is still alive and in use, but the same principle applies to the multitude of good ‘off the rack’ purchases that can be made today).
If it turns out you are really into triathlon, buying a specialised TT bike is the next option. Forget about $10,000+ bikes: most manufacturers produce ‘cheap and cheerful’ variants for less than $3,000, which when coupled with good race wheels (a whole extra expense) produce bikes that are 99.5% as good as what you see the professionals ride.
I mentioned race wheels? If you are really really into triathlon, and have some actual talent, save up for the big spend: obtaining the best races wheels your budget can afford. That purchase is probably 2-3 years down the track from the time you start (unless you are super talented, in which case a sponsor may even lend or give you some).
Continue to love the gtn content! Mark, you always have a smile which is awesome and james you are getting more and more comfy in front of the camera. Great work guys!
Great video, thanks! I am planning to do my triathlon and this video helped to understand that it is not so much about money but about enjoying the process!
Thank you for showing a great job on the transitions! I learned so much from watching the transitions on this video! Seeing it in action is so helpful!
Great idea for a video. Triathlon can appear to have a high barrier to entry, and watching the pros with all of their expensive gear can make it seem very intimidating, so it's important to show how new folks can get into the sport without going bankrupt. Pretty great result too considering they are training exclusively for a marathon right now, no?
That was thoroughly enjoyable - remind me of everything that I fell in love with in Triathlon back in the day.
So cool! This is what GTN should be about! Doing triathlon and having fun!
I started doing tris in April of this 2021 - for my first one I used a bike I already had (a cruiser - you know, the ones you see people ride on the boardwalk at the beach), the same shoes for bike and run, although they were decent running shoes (~$120 USD) and purchased a tri-suit from Amazon (~$40 USD) - since then I have upgraded the bike (bought a used one from a friend - it has more than 7 gears and it's quite a bit lighter so much better on hills) - the upgraded bike we got for $250 USD and my wetsuit (previously purchased for a late season swim race) was $134 USD, I also recently upgraded my helmet for $50 USD - overall total for my current equipment is $594 USD - however for my first tri - the cost was $160 USD as all I purchased for that one was a tri-suit and shoes.
I'm still doing tris with just the one pair of shoes (I can't clip in yet, so no need to have bike shoes).
The main expense I run into nowadays is entry fees - one way I found to make this cheaper is to volunteer. I volunteered for a swim race a few months back and next weekend am swimming for $15 USD vs. $115 USD, another race I'm doing, I'm volunteering in the morning and running for free in the evening (saved $80-$95 USD).
Really enjoyed the video - y'all did great - as I'm new to all of this I really have only two goals - 1. Don't die and 2. Don't be last - so far - I have managed #1 and mostly managed #2 - but at least I finish. 😁
Considering I started swimming with my face in the water last September, hadn't run until last fall, and only occasionally biked upwards of 3-5 miles I'm happy with not dead, not last.
My next tri sprint is on Sunday (9/12/21) it's a 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run - my first was a 300 m pool swim, 10 mile bike and 5k.
Hey we share the same goals! Just signed up for my first at 35Y.O. With a 70’s model 10 speed Peugeot friction shifter and all! Oh and the tri is only 7 days out so no real training time. Just looking to set a time. Wish me luck!
This is such a great video! I am preparing for my first triathlon and was feeling very self conscious about how budget all my gear is. Now I know it is plenty to have fun and enjoy! This gives me confidence going into the Tri-adventure! Thank you very much!
I did a full ironman on an £80 ebay bike. It wasn't too bad. Given the running shoes I had cost more than the bike and they absolutely destroyed my feet. Comfortable shoes are what I would say people should find. If they are a tenner and work for you or £140 quid. Have Comfortable feet for this sport.
stuck seat post, drench it in lemon juice. I did a season climbing the ladder from super sprint(GoTri), sprint, olympic for just £789 including training cost, entries, a £330 bike and tribars. Then I did a half season of another sprint, an Olympic and to Half Iron distance including entries, training and upgrade for under £1000. I think GTN might need a 'lower tier' competitor to show how a beginner would get on with cheap/beginner kit - I volunteer as Sacifice
beautiful video... a couple of years ago at the weymouth 70.3, a guy at my hotel was doing his first ever triathlon (he had trained) on a carrera he bought for £120 second hand, in trainers. when he'd finished i just told him he was a hero, and that he now has a duty to spread the word of cheap triathlon'ing
I’m impressed he picked such a beast of a distance as the first. That’s committment!
70.3 triathlon is about to be me on a cheap budget in a few months...🥲
I hope my wife never sees this, the amount of money I have spent on wetsuit, trisuit, running shoes, swim training aids, even an indoor smart trainer, structured plan, and virtual training service, training peaks... and I am sure there is more is staggering! But isn't that part of the fun of the sport, the cool bits and kits?
I did my first triathlon on a borrowed road bike and crummy wetsuit from my local pool and my running shoes that I had used all of track season… and I got hooked on it!!!
You's guys are cool man! i watched the entire thing, glad i did. Looking forward to doing my first in the next few months!
Great video. Entering competitions can also help with costs. Some years ago I won entry to the London Triathlon along with hotel accommodation.
Loved watching you guys race cheap, like us regular peeps. Some good lessons in there tho'
I updated my steel bike for a non-aero aluminum one (cheapest) for my first triathlon and I was able to keep up with some TT bikes. It was so much fun!
Did my first triathlon with a trekking bike weighting 15.8kg fitted with aerobars, still had a lot of fun and decided to move on with triathlon.
The course was a rolling course with 381m positive for 40.5km. Did not have any wetsuit, did it all in a a trisuit with sleeves.
All I had to by was the trisuit, bike shoes and running shoes, as I already had the bike with aerobars and helmet, as I was already commuting to work with it. So my budget was about 60€ for a good trisuit, 70€ for very decent bike shoes suited for triathlon (I still have them ans use them), could have done with cheaper ones and around 120€ for the running shoes, there I was not ready to make any compromise as using cheap ones on longer runs (it was 10.5k) can lead to serious issues.
Exactly, at our local beginner (sprint) tri quite a few people have no tri-specific gear at all. Just any bike and running shoes that you think will work for the distance, plus regular swim wear, shorts and a t-shirt. Okay, helmet and swimming goggles too, for sure. Still had plenty of fun. After that, the upgrades begin ;)
Really enjoyed this video. Thanks guys!
That is amazing and inspiring. Thank you.
Such a great feature! Brilliant one guys 👍👍👍
You can rent the bike and wetsuit, I did this for my first few triathlons so I had a reasonably good equipment without investing that much.
The Eurobike, it’s painful too see this thing I hope at least it was borrowed from GCN 🤣 .
Now it would be fun to see version 2: upgrades to current equipment within budget and see how they do on another race!
More content like this. So inspiring and nice that you use kits us mere mortals can afford
This brings back good memories of my first ever triathlon. I bought everything on a budget and had such a blast.
Brilliant vid, good point on the new dry suit that was getting water in... I have to check that when I get mine
Great video, had a great laugh! But just shows you, the “engine” is still the most important!
Thanks for making me laugh today. I don't like thinking about the money. I have stopped adding up the cost and just put it in the category of there is "worse stuff I could spend my money on". I do however know that the cost could prevent a lot of people from taking up the sport which is sad. Thanks for showing that it can be done cheap. Triathlon has changed my lifestyle.
This was an excellent episode. Thanks
Good video! This year I managed to do my first triathlon race sprint in Mallorca ( I live here) with a budget of 220 € (£189) not including the bike that I borrowed. I really enjoyed it!
Planning my first tri on a budget ( luckily not quite as tight ) and as an existing cyclist it's good to see how much of the it is on the bit of kit I already have. Really looking forward to it now and might even be tempted to do another afterwards.
Awesome video! I did my first triathlon on a budget too! I live a pretty active life so most of my kit was just stuff I had laying around, but if it was priced out, then
Swim: my swimsuit and goggles I used 2-3 times a week
Bike: my MTB and helmet I'd been riding daily. Although I did upgrade my pedals for some with pins for better grip ($45).
Run: Ran in my trailrunners
My racebelt was exactly like what Mark had, an old piece of elastic!
The race entry was $110, so in total to buy new stuff and also registration, I spent $155 total. (although if you count the cost of everything I'd accumulated over the years, it equals to $1115).
After that first triathlon, I upgraded my bike (used Cannondale Synapse, $800), added on some pedals ($80), shoes ($90), and bought a proper trisuit (used, $15) and race belt ($20). I've since raced collegiate and recreationally with that setup! It doesn't have to be expensive and it's mostly about the fun!
Hi guys! My first triathlon without biking shoes, simply with my running shoes. And it was great ;) I would add the elastic laces for couple of quids to the running shoes :)
I agree, using toeclips would free up quite a few quid for a better wetsuit without affecting the cycle so much.
I did mine also without biking shoes and with gravel bike one size smaller for me and I still enjoyed it.
Rent the bike from a local bike rental saved my a lot, as I don't want to buy and keep the bike,
Also Did the Cylcing using the running shoes, extra saving.
No need for Trisuit, Quick swimming short change with the cycling short (which I had already)
Impressive results. You guys rock.
Takes me back to the early 90s shorts t-shirts pumps and a good laugh
Great video. Keep em coming.
This is probably the first time someone has done a flying mount on a eurobike. Probably also the last.
Love that you had the blinking light on! :)
This was very helpful, thank you for all the details!
Glad it was helpful!
I have that Aptonia wetsuit, one of my best purchases and has served me very well
I started triathlon on the same Scott bike. Served me well for the first 2 years
Love this. Doing my first triathlon in October and had major fear with the snobs on the FB group I'm signed up to. That was before this vid. Although I reckon my gear is worse than yours 😜
Dude this is literally me 3 years ago LOL! Brought back so many good memories - aluminum road bike and a mountain bike helmet : )) Great vid
Did my first tri a couple of years back. Skipton sprint tri. Didn't buy anything extra - used my Voodoo Hardtail mtb, a pair of cheap Karimor running shoes and some swim shorts I owned. Had an absolute blast! Admittedly the bike was the weak link overall and did swap this out for my second tri. Felt like I had brought a tractor to a supercar race meet 😁
14:16 oh that's a funny idea, a kickstand on a TT bike 🙂. You might start a new fashion trend 😀.
Fantastic video guys!
I liked this video. I would have liked to see the cost taking the better choice for each option. Good to see that for the big ticket items cheaper worked better!
At my first triathlon I had 👀
-> A borrowed 17 kg trekking bike (with proper mudguards and luggage carriers)
-> no wetsuit nor trisuit (just a pool jammer and a short)
-> a heavy white cotton t-shirt
-> indoor running shoes (for like handball or tennis)
And it still felt fantastic 🔥😍
My first season was done on a budget - rented wetsuit, normal trainers (as in the ones I already had), cheap trisuit and my flat bar commuter bike. Second season saw me add clip on tri bars, new trainers (as the old ones were dead) and Orca’s cheapest wetsuit (£100). I only upgraded my bike to a ‘proper’ road bike (Scott Speedster 30) at the end of that season because I needed the extra hand positions of drop bars to keep training comfortable. I did miss the granny ring though ☹️
There’s a couple of other things that definitely help save money. My helmet came from Lidl. I did my bike leg in my running shoes that I already owned but changed out the laces for elastic ones. No wetsuit as my sprint distance was in august and the water was warm enough. The big win was I entered the race through a local triclub as a ‘package deal’ - a 8 weeks Start2tri program including race fee, brilliant!
I bought that Aptonia wetsuit to compete in an olympic distance. It has since carried me through a 1/2 and full distance Ironman.
That was a great video, actually more like these, please. I still bike in my running shoes :D.
awesome video, made me laugh out loud many a time.
Love these!:)
Just seen This lads. Loved it
"My saddle's so low! And my trouser legs are so high!" hahahaha
Though i would recommend proper running shoes. Especially if you are a beginner to prevent injuries during training/ race.
If u're a begginer probably already has shoes
No Excuses!! Thanks for this guys.
I’ve won races on an alloy bike with poor rolling stock tires and clip on aero bars with non aero clothes, also lost them because of that gear. I’ve also won races now with top notch equipment by a small enough margin that was it. Honestly though the skinsuit to my calculations is saving 30 seconds over 20km vs. tight fitting clothes that are not bike specific. That’s what you should buy first if you decide you want to dive in. A roughly $300 tri suit is the most bang for your buck you’ll ever get.
I said this before and I’ll say it again, it’s always nice to see you function outside your comfort zone and suffer a little! Makes you seem more human. 😜
For Cycling I train on a MTB on a regular basis. Do lots of of uphills so I become fit quicker. Rent a road bike two times before the race so I get used to the dynamics and on race day I rent it for the full day, so I spend CAD$150 and I always have a nice tuned, lubed bike. I won't plan to win the race though, but just to do a decent time. Here you can save couple of thousands dollars but I only do one or two triathlons per year. Then you can decide if you'll spend all that money on one bike instead of participating in more races.... this works for me.
Swimsuit, this one you definitely need to buy new, I won't put my skin under something that might give me some rash later.
Running , not much savings here.
I guess the most savings you can do is renting a bike and make sure your make a reservation well in advance to avoid disappointments.
Did my first tri with a friend's old bike that I borrowed a week before the race, that was stuck in its gear and couldn't shift, on a MONSTROUSLY hilly bike course. No tri suit, no bike shorts or chamois, I fully changed out of a swimsuit into leggings and a top and my knee length metallic fashion raincoat for the bike and run (massive storm that weekend as well). The whole thing was a comedy of errors, but I still got hooked and have been racing ever since!
Looking back at my first races at age 13ish with cobbled together gear paid for mowing lawns and djing bday parties, and riding a Bianchi pista fixie for a while in races, if you want to race you can find a way!
Cycling may not be the hardest part in triathlon, but definitely the most expensive part...
I actually use the same wetsuit as james, its good the one i used before was a surfing one so maybe thats one of the reasons, it fits me good so that is maybe the reason james didnt like it. I also use a tri suit from decathlon the only problem with them is that the arms and legs are a bit to big for me but as a normal height bit slim person thats normal
amazing video guys :)
On the elastic for your run number, my brother forgot his run belt once and bodged one with the waistband of his calvin boxers… still uses it to this day due to number of comments he gets.
Awesome Video!
That was interesting... I can't believe you're going to keep that Scott bike, it's almost as if you like it. hahaha
I just bought those cycling shoes, black ones though, they’re surprisingly good for the price!
Fun to watch 😃
My goal on day is to try it but with social media it feels like there is a need to spend ridiculous amount of money, I am glad to see this video because it shows that you can participate to a tri event without trying to burn your credit card.
Nice! Don't need so spend so much to enjoy a sport.
Likewise, just got myself one of the cheapest foldie, and while slow, is still good enough to hang with some of the faster guys on way more expensive wheels.
My first triathlon was at the same venue a few years ago and I used my running shoes on the bike which was a second hand roadie.
Love this!
Did my first in June: trek from 2007 (450$), shorty sleeveless wetsuit from REI (100), used bike shoes (specialized) Facebook marketplace (10), speedo goggles local megastore (15), had running shoes already. Went really cheap on the clothes, running shorts and sleeveless tee. Had a helmet. 65$ entry fee for TRIGreenville sprint tri. 640$ and worth every penny!
Did my first triathlon in my speedos and with a 2nd (or 3rd) hand road bike, running shoes, running shorts and t-shirt. Only cheapest helmet and race belt from decathlon were purchased new. You dont need any gear!
Hang on a minute. At 3:26 you (presumably) unbox the helmet with the start nr already on it? In fact, we see you stick it on at 9:25. Oh the wonders of editing.
My first bike was literally that Scott speedster! Still have it too.
Live this!!