To Clipless or not for Short Distance Duathlon

scoobychau

I have a question for you fellow members here. I am going to have a Run/bike/run event 600m/5km/1200m .

The 5KM bike involved a 5 laps close circuit with a single up/down Slope. The bike circuit involve down hill right out of transition and up hill before transition. I am able to do flying mount and dismount on flat. This mean that for the half of the first lap as well as half of my final lap... i would be riding on top of my bike shoes ( not in them).

In other word, the benefit of bike shoes is only a little over 4km (4 out of the 5 laps).

Would it be more efficient to just skip the bike shoes and transition and use Running shoes thru out the whole race?

Thank you for taking your time reading my question.

gethinceri

So, you're able to do a flying mount, but then it takes you 500m (half your first lap) to get into your shoes.

You then spend final 500m with your feet not in your shoes.

I don't mean to be rude, but I would suggest that you need to practice more. You should be into your shoes within 100 metres and only need the last 50 metres to get out of them before dismounting.

Based on your numbers, don't go clipless. Based on 150 metres I would go clipless.

scoobychau

thanks Gethinceri. I agree with you, taking way too long to slip in the clipless seem pointless

The reason i mentioned about 500m for Mounting and dismounting is because of the Circuit

Right out of transition, it is a steep hill going down with a few right 90 degree turns. I can try to SLIP on my shoes in slow pace... but i think i did rather GO down hill faster ON top of my clipless and really put on my shoes on the straight and flat area after.

Also during the last lap, before entering the transition, is a twisty turn going up hill and before that is a longer less steep hill heading up. So...it is unlikely I will remove my shoes NEAR transition when it involve turn and up hill. May be during the less steep heading up or.... the flat before heading up....

That is the only i think... i will spend 500m on shoes (not in shoes) both at the start and at the end.

I hope my added information make sense...

wallace_and_gromit

Can you do a comparison race simulation to see which is fastest? Over such a short distance, the time saved by not changing removing / replacing running shoes, regardless of how long it takes to get your feet in shoes if not just wearing running shoes, could easily offset greater speed on the bike if wearing proper cycling shoes.

Another factor is how long will you need to run barefoot in transition and what is the surface like? I once overtook a load of people on the run to the bikes from the pool in a triathlon simply because there was a long, gravelly run involved, which I could do much faster in my shoes that I'd stashed near the pool exit, even allowing for the time to put them on, and then didn't have to wipe so much stubborn / embedded gravel off my feet before mounting the bike.

It might be fastest all round, including transition, if you have running shoes on whilst running to / with your bike where possible. Obviously, this is much more of a consideration on shorter events where transition is a relatively large proportion of the total race time.

scoobychau

Thanks Wallace. The Transition run is only like 40m on running track surface. So it is perfectly fine for barefoot.

However giving the short distance, I had decide to got Running shoes all the way. Wish us luck. will get back to you guys with result after the weekend.

wallace_and_gromit

Good luck!

scoobychau

Thanks everyone,

Won the race without clipless last Sunday.

The same race setup will appear twice this year.

May be will try to practice more clipless and give it a go in the next race.

gethinceri

Awesome, nice job.

wallace_and_gromit

Nice one!