Tri-Athletes and cycling-Velonews article..

[oldpotatoe]

Hmmm..I guess but triathletes are to cycling as biathlon is to shooting...

I helped set up a tri specific shop(ProPeloton..in 1996) and yaked with more than few 'pros(Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Siri Lindley, Mike Pigg, others) ..and for most, Tri people viewed the 'bike' as a big, expensive 'pair of shoes'..And 'most' viewed the 'bike' section as a necessary 'evil, 1/3 that connected the swim to the run. Most good ones I knew were either runners or swimmers..VERY few came from a cycling background. If a tri person had some free time(not many did, unless pros w/o a 'day job')..either went running or swimming...

[charliedid]

Troll

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Troll

Forgot the link..from Velonews..

https://www.velonews.com/2020/02/tra...iathlon_505368

[unterhausen]

early days they were won by cyclists.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Most good ones I knew were either runners or swimmers..VERY few came from a cycling background.

That's probably because, contrary the many opinions expressed here, running and swimming require complex motions with many degrees of freedom that require a long time to develop, whereas pedaling a bike, which has fewer degrees of freedom, only requires a simple motion that is quick and easy for most people to learn.

[Drmojo]

As a Davis resident ( former home of Dave Scott)
and cyclist and multisport athlete for many years- altho last raced in 2005- after 17 years of racing—running, bi/duathlon, team paddling/ swim/ bike run,
mt bike races, off road bi and triathlons
etc etc etc
Most tri geeks were VERY focused on their bikes- how aero, latest gear, wind tunnel data, drinking systems- you name it
The late Steve Larsen-another Davis resident- came from exclusively a cycling background—alas he could not reach the podium in Kona.... Long sad story
Davis is and will always be a bike town.
And Dave Scott is a Davis hall of fame guy.
Most athletes I know grew up with bikes
Me I taught myself to swim at age 21
So it is not clearcut-at all.
mojo

[old_fat_and_slow]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

early days they were won by cyclists.

Maybe in the very inception of the sport, but Dave Scott and Mark Allen who both dominated the sport very early on were ex-collegiate swimmers. Don't remember Mike Pigg's background. The swimmers got out to a big early lead and no one could catch them.

The guys with cycling backgrounds usually made up a lot of ground on the bike leg, but died late in the run.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

early days they were won by cyclists.

Don't know. I remember many being won by really good(marathon level) runners..since that is undoubtedly the most difficult segment, IronmMan lengths, a marathon...

Scott and Allen were swimmers, I think Mike Pigg too. Scott Molina was a swimmer also..water polo also...

BT, selling bikes to tri-people was always interesting. They were VERY gear oriented. Also interesting, the only 'sport' that always ended in a competition..

Yes, I guess some people do all three 'for fun', but a dedicated tri-person?..always with an eye toward the next race...

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

That's probably because, contrary the many opinions expressed here, running and swimming require complex motions with many degrees of freedom that require a long time to develop, whereas pedaling a bike, which has fewer degrees of freedom, only requires a simple motion that is quick and easy for most people to learn.

I believe you have just inadvertently challenged TiDesigns to a "pistols at dawn" style duel.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

I believe you have just inadvertently challenged TiDesigns to a "pistols at dawn" style duel.

Biomechanical efficiency is a tangible factor to how fast someone could run (as in, contribution of not just a few percent, but more like 10-20%, IIRC). The effect can be measured by a running powermeter, where people may put out the same w/kg as world class athletes, but a lot slower due to (much) lower biomechanical efficiency.

On the contrary, this is not the case in cycling (where w/kg can explain over 95% of how fast someone climbs an extended steep hill, assuming proper gearing). Other than for those who have imbalance issues, there has not been any study showing that biomechanical efficiency has the same magnitude of effect on cycling, regardless of how often proponents wish to interject themselves via tangents.

[Gummee]

The triathletes I know are primarily runners that *have* to swim and bike. In fact, all but 1 ride a smart trainer much more often than they go outside. ...even in the summer!

Cycling is also the one place you can buy speed in a triathlon. The other 2 legs take training more than $$

M

[rnhood]

Same here, most triathletes I know were runners to start with. They do pay attention to their bikes and equipment because, as mentioned above one can buy some speed with the bike. Generally speaking for rank and file triathletes, events are won on the bike and the run. You're not going to win in the water, but you can easily lose in the water. If you overdo the bike or run, you cand an always slow down a bit. Overdo it in the water signs of distress will show, they will yank you out in a heartbeat and you get a DNF.

[bigbill]

There were a bunch of tri guys in Charleston when I was stationed there. They'd hang on the back of our training ride pacelines then ride home and get on the trainer for another hour. A group of us got together with a local guy a few weeks before the Kona Ironman to ride a century with one bottle stop at the halfway. He set the pace for us with 4-5 mile pulls and we rolled in at 4:08 total time.

IME, most really good triathletes are great athletes that will excel at any endurance sport. My son swam and ran track/cross country in high school. Now he's fast on a bike after just a few months. There is obviously a mental aspect as well.

[Hindmost]

In the US during those early days cycling was a marginal sport (some may argue it still is) while running and swimming were well established at the high school and collegiate levels. Someone with elite, endurance sport tendencies would naturally be guided to the run and swim.

[el cheapo]

1981 Hawaii Ironman Winner...John Howard...Olympic Cyclist...and holder of the World Bicycle Land Speed Record of 152.2 mph from 1985-1995.