Biking in Triathlons
I will give you a fair warning. This is where the most money will be spent but for good reason. The bike is the longest portion of EVERY triathlon no matter what distance you are doing. You will spend the most time on your bike so going with the right gear will help you immensely. Now, I can't give you every detail since bike technology is vastly changing and there is so much information out there but I would recommend going to a serious bike retailer to help during this process. Don't go to a mom and pop shop unless you're buying a 1984 Titanium Schwinn (my first road bike...long story short...it didn't workout very well), go with a bike retailer.
Quick Tangent
I live in central New Jersey and there is a plethora of options for me to choose from but I decide to go with Knapp's Cyclery down in Trenton, NJ. It is about a 50 minute drive for me (there is a good bike retailer 10 minutes away from me I must add) but the customer service, expertise, and prices make all the difference. They are specifically a Specialized bike retailer and I couldn't ask for more.
Specialized construct the best bikes on the planet. Their bikes win the Tour de France, Ironman World Championships, Xterra World Championships and multiple cycling races. The company has perfected the balance of comfort and speed with almost miraculous precision. I will never go with another bike retailer. They are that good.
The people at Knapp's make you feel comfortable throughout the entire sale process. They never push you to make a decision. They listen to your concerns, budget, and work with you the best way they can. I have literally saved thousands of dollars by going with them and I will continue to stay with them until I quit the sport.
End Tangent
Back to picking the best bike for you, which is kind of a dumb statement since if you take triathlon seriously, you will need two bikes: road and TT (Time Trial) to get yourself to the next level. The road bike is like your car that you drive to work everyday to take care of the day-to-day issues where the TT bike (also known as a Triathlon bike) is used to take your clients out to make the big sale.
In other words, the road bike is what you train with, whether it is on the trainer (See below for more) or riding it on the road, this bike is used to pour sweat and Amino Vital all over in preparation for the big dance. The TT bike is for race day.
When you ride your road bike, you rely on your muscles to support you, which over time, drains precious energy and WILL affect your run. Also, it puts every rider into a terrible aero position costing precious seconds and even minutes on your rides. Now, companies have created wonderfully advanced aero road bikes but it's still not as good as a TT bike and you have to pay big bucks for it.
A strength the road bike has over the TT bike is it's better in the hills. Some triathletes use their road bikes in hillier courses but in my opinion, it's still faster using the TT bike on race day. I have used the TT bike in France and Wales and it handled very well in the mountains.
The TT bike is almost too good to be true. The bike is designed for you to get into the best aero position while your body rests on your skeleton instead of your muscles during the duration of the ride (unless you are climbing, at that point, you are using your arms to support you). Since you are resting on your skeletal structure, you only have to use your legs to propel you forward compared to your arms, abs, back, AND legs while using a road bike. So, if you haven't picked up on it yet, the TT bike will help you go faster and SAVE energy during a ride. It's an incredible piece of engineered art.
I would also recommend taking the TT bike out on a training ride once every two weeks so you are comfortable with it on race day.
After reading this, you may not have the money to get two bikes, but I would stronly recommend it for any serious triathlete.
ACCESSORIES
Bike Trainer:
The perfect tool for the winter! If you want to stay in shape during the cold and dark days of winter, purchase a trainer. It is also great for quick interval workouts and catching up on your favorite shows while putting in a serious workout. I have a Fluid trainer ($300), which is a mechanical trainer. It's great, no maintenance, and very quick set up.
My friend Jason has a compu trainer which measures your wattage, cadence, and miles performed during a workout. This is great if you want to see how you're improving and what you need to work on. It is a far and superior system if you want to get to the next level but it will cost you ($400-$1300).
However, the machine can do incredible things. For example, if you have a GPS watch, you can load up a route you did on the road and input it in to the computrainer program and ride it. The program will increase the resitatnce when you come up to hills so it really feels like you are going up a hill. The program also has games, virtual races, and can even improve your form. The technology is simply incredible but this stuff is mostly for professionals so buy at your own risk.
Other items that can increase performance:
- Aerodynamic Wheels (Zipp or ENVE)
- Aerodynamic helmets
- Water bottle holders (Carbon or plastic) (Aerodynamic or storage)
- Ventilated shoes
- Quick release pedals
- Slip in shoes
- Gear bag
I took care of apparel in my previous post.
Next in line, swimming gear....
Drink Amino Vital #TeamAV
Thanks for reading! Now, get out there and Don't Get Lazy! #dgl
No comments:
Post a Comment