Triathlon Bikes and general training advice
Discussion
Chaps
Got a Triathlon in July (at Windsor); it's a nightmare - the entire company have been put into teams and we're all 'going for it'. The boss has only been training for it for a year......
Anyway.
Thinking about buying a bike (seeing as I haven't actually got one) and the only mate with a road bike (rather than a mountain bike) is 6'5 - the bike's too big for me.
If I spent £500 on a bike (such as a Boardman from Halfords for example; I know, I know; please don't shoot me down because I've looked on Halfords website - I'm just trying to gauge things at the moment) is it going to be that much worse against something that costs £1,200 or more?
And secondly. Wetsuits. It's going to be an open-water swim (800 metres) so am busy having a think about wetsuits - need help. What exactly am I looking for?
The run is 7.5k which I should handle ok (if it was just the run that is but we've got to f
king swim there and then cycle 30k to get to the start of the run first.) It's all a bit much to handle at the moment....!!
Got a Triathlon in July (at Windsor); it's a nightmare - the entire company have been put into teams and we're all 'going for it'. The boss has only been training for it for a year......
Anyway.
Thinking about buying a bike (seeing as I haven't actually got one) and the only mate with a road bike (rather than a mountain bike) is 6'5 - the bike's too big for me.
If I spent £500 on a bike (such as a Boardman from Halfords for example; I know, I know; please don't shoot me down because I've looked on Halfords website - I'm just trying to gauge things at the moment) is it going to be that much worse against something that costs £1,200 or more?
And secondly. Wetsuits. It's going to be an open-water swim (800 metres) so am busy having a think about wetsuits - need help. What exactly am I looking for?
The run is 7.5k which I should handle ok (if it was just the run that is but we've got to f
king swim there and then cycle 30k to get to the start of the run first.) It's all a bit much to handle at the moment....!!good advice ewen...
I would get in touch with a local tri club.
I did a coupl eof minis a few years ago - I "raced" against Ali Brownlee. He swam like a dolphin, pedalled like Indurain and ran like Coe - at 15.
its great fun though.
even though yours is a short course tkae note of
1. transition....do a few practice runs at changing to and from your bike.
2. transition rules - you can easily be disquailified for infringments - usually helmet related!
3. tri's are usually won and lost on the run! take plenty of fluid and possibly even a quick release energy bar for the bike section....
4. have fun and enjoy it!
I would get in touch with a local tri club.
I did a coupl eof minis a few years ago - I "raced" against Ali Brownlee. He swam like a dolphin, pedalled like Indurain and ran like Coe - at 15.
its great fun though.
even though yours is a short course tkae note of
1. transition....do a few practice runs at changing to and from your bike.
2. transition rules - you can easily be disquailified for infringments - usually helmet related!
3. tri's are usually won and lost on the run! take plenty of fluid and possibly even a quick release energy bar for the bike section....
4. have fun and enjoy it!
Good luck, beware it becomes very addictive ( and rather expensive... ).
I seem to recall that you could hire wetsuits from one of the dedicated tri-stores, a quick google would confirm this. They also used to advertise in the Triathlon magazines if you cant find it.
With regard to the run you ought to be able to get to that distance without too much trauma if your reasonably fit to begin with?
Purchasing a bike, there's nothing wrong with the Boardman range and plenty of beginners do use them - easily obtainable, fairly light for the cost and most importantly cheap! The bike tends to be the area where you can make the most time gain as well so its worth making the effort to improve this.
Get yourself a decent set of clipless pedals and shoes with velcro straps ( quicker and easier than ratchet mechanism when rushing ) to help in transition, some clip on tri-bars and you'll be away.
Cant recommend enough that if you do get proper pedals that you practice clipping in and out in a hurry beforehand as this transition is were you'll lose the most time on an event of this length.
Also dont be too suprised if you fall over a few times while getting used to the pedals as well, it happens to us all.
If your worried you could always get some old school toe clips and straps and ride in your running shoes, however if you do get chance to try proper pedals you'll notice a massive amount of difference / improvement to your pedaling efficiency.
I seem to recall that you could hire wetsuits from one of the dedicated tri-stores, a quick google would confirm this. They also used to advertise in the Triathlon magazines if you cant find it.
With regard to the run you ought to be able to get to that distance without too much trauma if your reasonably fit to begin with?
Purchasing a bike, there's nothing wrong with the Boardman range and plenty of beginners do use them - easily obtainable, fairly light for the cost and most importantly cheap! The bike tends to be the area where you can make the most time gain as well so its worth making the effort to improve this.
Get yourself a decent set of clipless pedals and shoes with velcro straps ( quicker and easier than ratchet mechanism when rushing ) to help in transition, some clip on tri-bars and you'll be away.
Cant recommend enough that if you do get proper pedals that you practice clipping in and out in a hurry beforehand as this transition is were you'll lose the most time on an event of this length.
Also dont be too suprised if you fall over a few times while getting used to the pedals as well, it happens to us all.
If your worried you could always get some old school toe clips and straps and ride in your running shoes, however if you do get chance to try proper pedals you'll notice a massive amount of difference / improvement to your pedaling efficiency.
I don't wear a wetsuit when competing, but in my open water races I quite often come up against triathletes in their wetsuits.
Look at hiring one. Make sure its a triathlon wetsuit, not a surfing one (obviously). If you can get your hands on a 2XU suit, they seem highly rated. As its only 800m and in a couple of months, the water temp. is not going to be an issue, so go for as thin a suit as you can find.
Make sure it fits properly, take a bath in it.
Practice swimming in one, especially if your swim is strong. They change the position of your body in the water and your arm rotation may have to alter slightly, so swimming in one will feel strange.
Make sure you lube yourself up under the arms and around the neck where the zip is, I've seen some really nasty rubbing injuries.
If it is a big event, be prepared for a fight in the swim. You could well be kicked, punched, pulled or hit. Triathletes with weak swims often seem to think that punching their competitors into submission will get them further than swimming properly...
Good luck!
Look at hiring one. Make sure its a triathlon wetsuit, not a surfing one (obviously). If you can get your hands on a 2XU suit, they seem highly rated. As its only 800m and in a couple of months, the water temp. is not going to be an issue, so go for as thin a suit as you can find.
Make sure it fits properly, take a bath in it.
Practice swimming in one, especially if your swim is strong. They change the position of your body in the water and your arm rotation may have to alter slightly, so swimming in one will feel strange.
Make sure you lube yourself up under the arms and around the neck where the zip is, I've seen some really nasty rubbing injuries.
If it is a big event, be prepared for a fight in the swim. You could well be kicked, punched, pulled or hit. Triathletes with weak swims often seem to think that punching their competitors into submission will get them further than swimming properly...
Good luck!
Edited by Highway Star on Wednesday 23 March 13:34
Edited by Highway Star on Wednesday 23 March 13:36
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