Get road bike now or wait?

[squirrell]

I am looking for advice on timing to buy a road bike.

I currently have a 5 year old Raleigh Hybrid I ride. It's ok but I can only get top maintained speed of maybe 13.5-14mph on it.

I want a road bike, as I'm riding longer distances and it just takes forever on the Hybrid at those speeds. My LBS told me I could probably expect 18-20 mph on a road bike! So I plan on buying a road bike, obviously.

I know that I only have maybe 4 more months of good weather left to ride outdoors here before it's too cold, so I originally was going to wait until next Spring to get the bike.

BUT--I am riding the 15 mile bike leg in a Triathlon for a team I've put together on Sept. 23. My first Tri--and probably the only one! We have no intentions of winning and are doing it for fun.

I know I can do that ride no problem on my Hybrid but it will take a while. If I get a road bike now, I can do that ride much faster and not be blown completely away by the other riders.

My concerns--

---I can't get the bike until Sept. 1: that will leave me 3 weeks to get used to the bike before the Tri. Is that enough time?

--I would be buying the bike now instead of waiting for next Spring primarily just to use in the Triathlon. I'm doing some Charity rides in the fall but I can do those on my Hybrid--the road bike, again, would be much faster but Charity rides don't have time limits

It would be better financially to wait on the bike until spring, and I might be able to find a used one by then, too and save some money.

Should I get the bike now or wait until Spring?

Let me add--I am a new rider, just started in April. I am also losing weight--have lost 55 pounds but have another 80 or so to lose.