Ironman on a budget.

Taking on an Ironman is physically and mentally demanding, however it also demands a lot of your wallet too. The reason we left ourselves two years to prepare is not just to have enough to train, but to be able to spread the costs involved. Is it possible to keep the costs down without comprising on quality? Hopefully over the course of the next year and a half, we can answer this question and aid others in their quest for Ironman status.

So far I think I haven't done to bad a job with keeping costs low and I'm sure Rhys is doing well too.

The Bike

This is the one area where it is difficult to get the quality you need without spending a fair bit. However, it's still possible to keep the costs low(er). I spent a long time looking for a bike, and sought the advice of many a bike shop owner. Each gave different answers; some saying buy this bike, others saying no don't buy that, save a bit more and by this. I was getting no where very quickly.

I had a look on ebay and to be fair there were some good bargains on there. This might be a good way to go if your are looking for a bike to train on or even have a spare.

This being my first ever road bike, I was quite keen on buying a brand new one. A friend of mine told me to wait until the end of year when the next year's models would be coming in, thus resulting in the previous year's models being reduced. A good tip. I'd recommend doing this if you are looking for a decent bike at a reasonable cost. I found my bike, the Specialized Allez 2014 model at Evans Cycles with a substantial price cut. I also fully recommend Evans Cycles. Their service and advice was first class. With the money saved on the bike I was then able to buy myself some new cleat pedals and shoes. These were also reduced due to the end of season sale. As a beginner I am not concerned about having the latest model. I asked if I would be able to compete in an Ironman with this bike and the staff members I spoke to (all experienced cyclists, which was reassuring) said yes.

So there you go, the first tip to keep the cost down. Keep your kit a season behind. It may seem an obvious one but when it's saving you a lot of money, who cares!