Triathlon
jonmitchell26
Posts: 9
Hi, I was wondering if anyone here is involved in Tri at all? I am just starting out and am in the process of purchasing bike. If anyone has any tips on where i might get good affordable introduction bike that would be great. Also i realise this is probably a stupid question but on the bike stage do i need to where my running shoes to make the transition quick or would people generally wear cycling shoes and change for the running leg??
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Most triathletes will use proper bike shoes and then change into runners. The advantages offered by clipping in far outweigh the time in transition even in a sprint triathlon.
The bike really depends on your budget. If you are on a tight budget, getting a basic road bike and adding good wheels, SPD pedals and a cheap aero bar would be fine. The more you spend, the smaller the gains in performance generally, BUT you notice every performance benefit so you will want to spend as much as you can
http://picasaweb.google.com/thefirstsimbil/Bikes
http://picasaweb.google.com/thefirstsimbil/Bikes
Thanks for the swift response. I will look into shoes now. I have shortlisted the following 2 bikes (I think).
Specialized Allez 16 - 2007
Trek 1000 - 2006
What would you reckon? Do you think as a complete novice i would be able to tell the difference between the 2? The Trek is œ100 cheaper so i am leaning that way but dont want to be tight if it means i miss out on something that will benefit me.
Thanks again!
http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx? ... 5360026040
Otherwise the Trek would be alright to get you started. Not sure about the Allez 16 though.
You'll also need to budget for pedals (Shimano 105 SPD are fine and cheap), shoes (ebay has some real bargains here if you don't mind second hand) and maybe some tri-bar clip-ons in the future when your bike handling skills are good. Plus shorts and top of course
http://picasaweb.google.com/thefirstsimbil/Bikes
http://picasaweb.google.com/thefirstsimbil/Bikes
Practice your transitions as you could lose more time here than you have gained through all the training you have ever done.
Forget spending a small fortune on equipment and look at your technique in all three (four if you include the transitions) disciplines. The gains that can be got for free are also the ones that will pay the biggest dividends.
Top tips:
-Get a few swimming lessons with a Tri specific coach
-Research running technique on the internet
-Research Cycling Aerodynamics on the internet
-Buy some elastic laces for your trainers
-Have a way of finding your station in the transition area, e.g. a unique towel
-Know the courses, swim the swim course, cycle the cycle course, run the run course (if possible, otherwise have a good look to familiarise yourself). In short, DON'T GET LOST.
-Set up your transition area at home again and again so that you know where everything is on the day and use it in a dry run. I.e. out on your wetsuit, take it off and get into your bike shoes and kit, take it off and get into your run stuff.
Now if only I could learn to follow my own advice!!
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Porridge not Petrol
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Marijuana Card
Porridge not Petrol
Thames Turbo seem pretty good, as do the London Serpentine.
Worth going along before spending money on kit! Depends on what level you wish to compete at.
Tri&Run will hire you a bike - you can at least see if you like it.
We have one of their bikes - Nice and good value, though the finishing kit is not as nice as my more expensive Condor.
You will really be needing a time trial bike for a good time, however these are not cheap.... plus money for shoes, pedals, Tri-bars, and an aero helmet though few people seem to wear them.
Plus for training runs, you'll need a lightweight waterproof, poss. lighting, seatpack and puncture kit/spare tube, bottle cages, bottles.
Trek do some "cheap" TT bikes.
Personally, I like Condor bikes, as they're nicely set up, but you will need to stomp up at least 750 notes!
Something like the Trek 1000 would make a good all round bike / winter trainer - the 1000 has mudguard eyes. Not sure about the Spez.
Have you tried doing a duathlon/aquathlon? Useful for transition work.
Google tri-quays, though this is poss. a bit too far away for you.
Sigma Sport in Kingston are another great shop - though their bikes are, again not cheap! Check out the tri packages on their website.
Might be worth talking to GB Cycles in Croydon too - Not sure what price Planet-X bikes, who are sold by them, start at.
The important thing is to get yourself to a good bike shop who will size you up correctly, and preferably offer you a test ride on your chosen bike.
Baby Elephants - free from artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives
1. Aim to enjoy it. It's very easy to get censored about it all, but at the end of the day it's about enjoyment and accomplishment. You don't have to spend loads to compete to a reasonable standard.
2. Any road bike at your price point will perform fine - both the Trek and the Spesh are good bikes that you can add to as you progress (eg tri-bars for longer events, lighter wheels etc) If you intend to use in winter/commuting, the Trek can take mudguards iirc. As advised, make sure the bike fits you.
Eventually you may think you are good enough for a better bike or a TT/Tri-specific machine, but frankly you'd have to be pretty damn good or committed to justify a dedicated expensive bike. (Unless you can comfortably afford it, in which case another bike becomes a necessity!) And it really isn't a case of "the most expensive bike wins", believe me!
3. Practice your transitions (but remember point 1). A tri-suit isn't necessary but is a very functional garment; saves messing about in transitions, helps prevent chafing/nipple rub on the run, and makes you look like a god if you have the physique and the lunchbox (even if you don't, there is someone else competing that looks worse than you, believe me).
4. Joining a club isn't necessary but would be great for getting experience and is potentially a cheap way of getting swim coaching if you need it. If the events you intend to do are open water, any experience you can get in a wetsuit and in murky water would really help; swimming in a wetsuit can feel a bit strange, not being able to see the "lines on the bottom" of the lake (or even your hands), and not being able to put your feet down or hang on to the side can sometimes be scary.
5. Pick your events - if you look around, you will find some events that have proportionately short swim legs, that may help you if your swimming is weak. It is multisport though, so you can be a poor swimmer and make it up if you are strong on the other two events - in fact, you would probably lose less time overall being a weak swimmer than a weak runner.
6. Remember to enjoy it - I'm in the 40+ age group, and there is a great sense of camaraderie (sp?) whether people are there to win, or just to improve on their last time....
http://www.witts-end.demon.co.uk/Eelmoor/
(Tri-Quays duathlon)
If you look carefully, you'll see that any type of bike will do - There are a couple of MTBs in the shots.
Always a friendly informal bunch.
The Thames Turbo tri. is good - friendly, nice pool (the Hampton Lido) etc.
Your Tri-suit will probably be very comfy for all 3 events.
Don't take your bike out of the rack before you put your helmet on or take your helmet off before you rack your bike! Most marshalls aren't really bothered but I've met one who was. I was very nearly disqualified for removing my helmet three foot away from racking the bike.
A number belt is a good cheap way of saving time in transition too. (œ5)
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<font size="1"><i> I'm just going outside . . . I may be some time.</i></font id="size1">
I joined a club mainly for the swimming coaching and it has helped enormously - very friendly too, much wider age range, and about 20% female. More friendly than cycling clubs
A standard road bike is fine - perhaps stick aero bars on. Do get elastic laces for shoes (I have them in both cycling and runnign shoes)
Log onto to www.tritalk.co.uk for lots of tips
my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
Tri-Talk is great. Very good forum, very helpful and full of good advice with a range of posters from utter newbs to people seriously competing at Ironman distance. Recommended.
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<b>No longer looking for a pennyfarthing as I've got some powerbocks instead. Casualty here I come!</b>
It is by will alone I set my ride in motion.</font id="size1">
Advice for kilted riders: top-tubes are cold.
my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
As an interim measure you may want to look at tri shorts. I didn't fancy a tri suit as I'm a bit self conscious of everything wobbling, but tri shorts to swim in (pool swims!) and a running vest/cycling top for the other two disciplines. Tri shorts were also cheaper, so if I hate doing the tri I won't have wasted too much money!
If you are looking at Trek bikes don't consider the Pilot 1.0 for the tri. I have one and love it. But it has brake levers on the cross bar, making it difficult to get tri bars on. I didn't buy my bike with tri's in mind, but with hindsight I'd probably have gone with the 1000.
I have a question for the experienced tri people out there. Over a sprint (400m swim, 10 mile bike, 5k run) will I lose more time changing between bike shoes (SPD) to runners at the transition than wearing my running shoes (with flat pedals) for the bike and then being able to set straight off on the run???
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<font size="1"><i> I'm just going outside . . . I may be some time.</i></font id="size1">
my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica
I didn't fancy a tri suit as I'm a bit self conscious of everything wobbling, but tri shorts to swim in (pool swims!) and a running vest/cycling top for the other two disciplines.
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Magic corset, mate. I swear mine is made from super-hero suit material! Cheap and cheerful but good tri suits are from Planet X.
<font size="1">
<b>No longer looking for a pennyfarthing as I've got some powerbocks instead. Casualty here I come!</b>
It is by will alone I set my ride in motion.</font id="size1">
Advice for kilted riders: top-tubes are cold.
Hi, I was wondering if anyone here is involved in Tri at all?
Also i realise this is probably a stupid question but on the bike stage do i need to wear my running shoes to make the transition quick or would people generally wear cycling shoes and change for the running leg??
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I don't do triathlons but duathlons, and as many others have pointed out, I recommend you practice transitions. You can save up to 3 mins at each transition, which with two transitions per race is 6 mins total, and represents in cycling distance maybe 3 Km, so not to be laughed at.
For a short duathlon, say 5-25-5, unless you are really quick in the transition, I wouldn't bother changing shoes unless you are are a much better cyclist than a runner.
Elastic laces on your running shoes are an absolute necessity. I've done 5 triathlons now, and in all of them except one the weather has been terrible. Trying to do up shoelaces with freezing cold hands is next to impossible, and elastic laces are a godsend in these conditions.
Most importantly - enjoy yourself, and good luck!
My first triathlon (Erewash Novice sprint tri) was testerday, my swim (400m) was a little ragged to say the least, but I knew it would be. My transition though was a lot smoother than I imagined it would be, but it was helped by the fact I could leave a towel and my cycle shoes by the pool for the run in to transition area. I did the swim and t1 in 13m 50.
I struggled in the first 3 miles of the cycle but started flying after that, I found 10 miles too short though for this leg as I'd only just got itno the swing of it. I'd prepared my bike pretty well, but didn't think to tighten up the nut/bolt on my cycle computer which decided to work itself loose after 1 mile! I held onto it until the bolt totally fell out and just shoved it down my shorts (I had no pockets, luckily the comp was wireless!). Did the cycle and T2 in 31m 36
Running was my strong point anyway and my legs weren't too bad getting off the bike which was a pleasant surprise. I managed the run in 23m 34. After being in the bottom third of the field after the swim I managed to finish in the top third overall, so quite happy.
Enjoyed it thoroughly, and I reckon I may do a few more sprints before the end of the season. If I can sort my swimming out I may even try something a bit further.
Advice for kilted riders: top-tubes are cold.
I have used my Specialized Taho shoes for the cycle leg for a few years now. These are generally for my daily/commute ride. The full-on professionals run barefoot in the transitions, but then they generally have nice carpet etc too. I dunno how your tris are set up, but we have gravel, sticks, sand, turf - anything. So, I agree with others - I'm not competing in the olympics, so the extra power I'd get from using my road shoes isn't worth the bother.
In fact, at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games a NZ guy (used to be big... Hamilton I think?) did the cycle leg in his running shoes - must've had ye olde pedal clip/cages on his bike, I didn't see. Consequently, his transition from bike to ride was LIGHTNING fast. This is what I used to do before I got the Tahos.
I just have a lower/mid entry road bike, and later I've put an aero bar on it (sourced on eBay).
Other tip - pre-roll your socks (if you wear them with your shoes). It means you can roll them onto your wet feet really easily.
It's a hell of a lot of fun! So much so that I entered my second for a couple of weeks time, unfortuantely the race is full but I'm ont he reserve list if there are drop outs.
With regard to the transitions, that Baudman mentioned. We had to go across a mixture of surfaces from the pool to T area. So they let us leave shoes and a towel at the end of the pool. A quick dry and the socks went straight on (I'd tipped half a ton of baby powder in them!), my cycle shoes are MTB's so I could move pretty quick into T1.
For T2 my cycle shoes were straight off and I had my runners on in a matter of seconds (thanks for the lock lace tip earlier on!).
Now I just have to contemplate taking the handlebar brakes off my bike (Trek Pilot 1.0) so I can get aero bars on it!! Apparently it's a bit tricky so I might just book it in to have that done!
Advice for kilted riders: top-tubes are cold.