Quote Originally Posted by trailrunner
Do you think the Sutra will fit the bill? Eden, I had thought about the price. It's a bit much for a "casual" bike, but I also loved it. I wanted to test ride that thing all the way back to my house 30 miles away! But if I consider it my good ol' reliable, go-anywhere bike that will start my collection, maybe it's a good investment?
If its in your budget it is a sweet bike, and I think it would retain its value well. It would be very versatile - you could ride on pavement or dirt/gravel roads just as easily, though I would guess that it wouldn't really be suitable for mt. bike territory (single track and the like). Its all outfitted to take racks and fenders so it would be a super slick commuter and good for centuries / randoneurring too.

If you really get bitten by the tri bug you may end up wanting a completey different kind of bike anyway, that isn't really good for other things (another bike for the collection ), but many many people do tris on non-tri specific bikes.