Should I upgrade to a Tri bike or just use Aero bars as a stepping stone?

[Tyler]

I've been training and racing in triathlons for the past year and am considering upgrading to a better bike. Right now I'm riding a 2008 Trek 1.2 that is a little small for me (60cm frame, I'm 6'3"). Since I'm about to graduate from college, I'm unsure if I'll be able to keep training and racing as often as I have been, but I also want to improve in the next year. Would it be better for me to upgrade to a tri bike (if so, which is the best bang for the buck) or just get a set of aero bars for my road bike?

[rons]

IIMO, if your road bike is the only bike you have, then you could probably look into getting a dedicated Tri bike and use your road bike for long distance training and riding around town. I assume you have already dedicated to triathlon, so making the investment further motivates you to keep at it.

Another idea is you can probably get a shop to test install an aerobar, and see how it rides compared to a proper fitting tri bike.