I bought this bike early this year.
It's really sweet and is light years ahead in performance of the pos I'd been riding around. When I first got it I was just using it as transportation/grocery getter in the city, and it's pretty great for that, but now I'm using it primarily as an excercise tool, and I really wish I had bought a real road bike instead. So I guess, if you're going to be using the bike for triatholons don't let a sales person talk you into buying a hybrid would be my advice. Just get two purpose driven bikes rather than one do-it all if you can afford it.
If you haven't ridden anything since your bmx when you were a kid, you will likely be very impressed with how well these things ride shift/brake now and you will be busting out 20 mile rides no problem.
I also got disc brakes which I love but Alobar and Victor maybe would suggest otherwise, cuz they're probably a couple oz's heavier [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I also got a 24 speed, which Alobar and Victor will mock me for. Meh, I used the lowest 8 speeds quite a bit when I got the bike but now only use them on big effin hills. If you're in reasonable shape and have some leg strength you can probably live with just a 10 or 12 speed or whatever. It will be lighter and ride/shift better than a triple I'd imagine.
You will get used to the seat after a bit. JUst get the padded bicycle shorts and don't wear gitch under neath them.
ok now I have a q. Would it be retarded/is it possible to put a set of road bike bars instead of the flat bars on my bike or would that just be compounding my mistake of buying a hybrid?