by Samuel Hauck

Created on: January 13, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

We triathletes have a peculiar attachment with our bikes. We spend hours waxing the tubes and shining up the aerobars before races. Many of us place more intrinsic value on our bike than our car (if we even have one, after all who has the money for a car after spending our months salary on a set of race wheels). Indeed, the obsession with embellishing our bike with such extravagances as carbon bottle holders and custom paint schemes can create stress and jealousy from those "others" in our lives who just do not understand the motivation for such excess. I feel this adornment of our bikes stems from the thrill that many racers feel after suiting up in full racing gear. In fact, for many this personal transformation from cubicle chris to uberathlete may even transcend the actual excitement of racing. Image plays a large role in the sport, as the vast majority participate in the sport for personal health and celebration of fitness, rather than competition. A knights most prized possesion was his horse, and you can clearly see where this analogy is going. At most local triathlons there are two winners, the first obviously being the guy or girl who crosses the finish line first. Yet, then there is that one person who everyone spends more time looking at because he or she just stands out. This could be due to their...noticeable physical endowments, or it could be because of their perfectly coordinated bike setup and outfit. When choosing a bike, its appearance will play a large role in your decision, even if you would rather not admit it! Actually for most, appearance may be the best bike feature to get advice about on the internet. Why? Triathlon bikes are designed with aerodynamics and high speeds in mind. This means that the vast majority of triathlon bikes have been specifically designed to cut wind at high speeds, usually those maintained by the elite of the sport. Thus, for the average joe, there will arguably be no performance improvements will be found by switching from a 2000 dollar bike to a 5000 dollar bike. The other main criteria, the feel and smoothness of ride is a very personal decision. It is virtually impossible to rate which ride "feels" best without going out and actually riding it (which believe it or not many people forget to do). I have thus simply picked out the three bikes of the new year that will have people turning heads this summer, no matter how fast you are.

3. 07 Felt Racing DA
this one runs expensive, in fact I won't even tell you the

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