New bike time Tri or road.

I ride alone and if i ride with people it is no more than 10 poeple. I am not planing on racing but i have thought about it. I was on the swim team in high school and i also ran cross country for 4 years.

I just had a nasty fall a couple of hours ago on my old bike. My chain busted witched caused my right foot to drop to the 6 o'clock postion and then it hit the curb causing to fall HARD. Most of the hit was on my camelback and not my skin.

I have a budget of $1600. I have done some reading saying the a TRI bike is better to ride alone or in small packs sence aero is king. I like to ride fast for hours on end.

any ideas.

It is true that a TRI bike is faster than a road bike if you are riding alone, but I do not know that it is necessarily better, unless you are in a competition. Tri bikes tend to be less maneuverable than a road bike, but tri bikes are more aerodynamic. What is better for you depends on how you ride and what compromises you are willing to make. I prefer the stabililty and maneuverability of the road bike, even when riding alone, but that does not mean that your preference will be the same. Try them both and get what feels best to you.