Triathlon questions

[Onno]

How many of you have done triathlons? I did my first a few weeks ago--a very local sprint organized by the College I work at. I really enjoyed it, in part because it turns out I'm pretty good at it, having, unlike most of the students who also entered, been cycling, swimming and running for over 20 years. In hindsight, it's amazing I haven't done one before.

So now I think I might have the bug, and am looking around for other races to enter. I've already missed the sign-up the YMCA triathlon near Syracuse, but I notice that there are others still open near Buffalo and in Kingston, Ont., later in the summer.

My questions have to do, of course, with equipment. How much does all the tri-geek stuff matter? Specifically, should I be thinking about a special tri-bike, or getting aero bars and trick aero wheels, etc. for my Serotta? Is a wet suit important, or more important than the bike stuff? The triathlon I was just in (in which I came in second!) was very short, and the bike route was hilly and turny enough that my regular road bike seemed fine. I'd like to do some Olympic distance events, in which I imagine gear will make more of a difference.

Thanks,

Triathlonno

[csb]

i've done a few bi's, short ones,
5krun-16mibike-5krun a/o there abouts,
won some hardware (age group).
at the time i was a runner, a runner that
biked once in awhile with some bike racer friends
(whom you may know from otsego co.)
my old friction shifter serotta nova sans aero anything
worked just fine (hilly course).
ran in flats, shorts + singlet
rode in cleated shoes, same running shorts (hate running in
cycling shorts) with jersey pulled over singlet (allowing me
to carry GU + emergency repair stuff so i could @ least
ride back if flatted)
my take on the matter_ you do not NEED much if anything
tri-geeky for sprint distance biathlons. if you want to keep it
simple you can + still do just fine.
my running + cycling abilities are about equal.

swimming is a different matter_water temperature often
necessitates a wet suit, but practice getting out of the damn
thing 'cause time lost there negates having to wear it in warm
water_the longer the swim though the more you get out of its
floatation (read speed) advantages.

[Spinner]

Yo Onno!

Congrats on completing your first triathlon. You should be proud of your second place finish. Sensational.

I've competed in 36 triathlons (mostly Olympic distance), however I haven't participated in one for four years. The press of business has sent me in other directions.

Nonetheless regarding equipment, definitely get a set of aero bars. I've found that they generally give you an additional 1+ mile per hour. I'd go for aero bars before spending big bucks on a time trial bike, at least until you decide if tri racing is something that you really want to do. Fyi, I have friends with both bike types who have very similar times in both set-ups.

In terms of saving time, work on reducing transition times. Position everything (shirt, bike cleats, helmet, sunglasses, running shoes, hat) in your pit to minimize down time. Have your bike in the correct gear for the beginning of your ride. I also used to mark my location in the transition area with chalk markings to speed-up the process, which can be especially helpful in large races when your are crazed after exiting the water.

It is also very important to arrive at the event early enough to select the best transition area. And, it is essential that you police your pit area until just before you compete to insure that some late arriving hammerhead doesn't move your bike or equipment (it happened to me only once, but it would have happened countless other times if I hadn't been on duty).

Other than loading on carbos and plenty of water beginning 48 hours in advance, the other component is mental prep. This is especially important for the swim component, where you can expect to get kicked and mauled, at least until the field stretches out. In this regard, it's also helpful to have a pair of goggles (like baracuda) that can't be easily dislodged.

At any rate, I hope the rest of your tri season goes as well as your first race. Will you be at TdFL II so we can swap stories?

the bicyclists formerly known as spinner

[Ken Lehner]

My questions have to do, of course, with equipment. How much does all the tri-geek stuff matter? Specifically, should I be thinking about a special tri-bike, or getting aero bars and trick aero wheels, etc. for my Serotta? Is a wet suit important, or more important than the bike stuff? The triathlon I was just in (in which I came in second!) was very short, and the bike route was hilly and turny enough that my regular road bike seemed fine. I'd like to do some Olympic distance events, in which I imagine gear will make more of a difference.

Welcome to the dark side. I've been doing triathlons for about 15 years now, mostly sprint distances, and one 1/2 IM. Done two duathlons (7th and 16th overall (I'm 46)) so far this year.

The most important piece of equipment to work on is, of course, the engine. Nothing new there. Next is aero bars, correctly positioned. Figure about a 5% increase in speed just with clip-ons; more with integrated bars. A bike with tri-specific geometry (steep seat tube angle) will allow you to run faster off the bike, as well as get your bars lower for better aerodynamics, without sacrificing stability (a road bike with a forward seatpost may put too much weight on the front end) and handling. Next is proper positioning on the bike: low in front, hip angle open (that's why triathletes ride steep seat tube angles!), arms just blocking the air from the legs. Next is aero wheels; a normal disk in back is always, in any conditions you will ever face in a race, faster than a non-disk. In a sprint triathlon, the bike equipment might save you 2-3 minutes.

The better a swimmer you are, the less a wetsuit will help you. If you can do, say 10x100yards on 1:20, and hold 1:10, a wetsuit will save you about :03/100. If you do them on 1:40 and hold 1:25, you might save :05-07/100. So, in a sprint (say 4-500yds), a wetsuit will only save you :15-30 in the water; subtract :10 for taking it off. As a good (triathlon) swimmer, I sometimes skip the wetsuit for very short swims.