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Will this bike get my laughed at?

Hi, just joined the forum, looks like a good bunch here so wanted to share what may seem like a pretty stupid situation and get some thoughts.



Sometime last year I decided to give myself a year to get into a good enough shape to compete in an Olympic distance triathlon this coming summer (London Tri in August with some friends). At the time I was pretty overweight, hadn't ever really swum, run or cycled before and wasn't sure I'd keep up with the training or whether it was a fad. I was also (still am a bit) really nervous about the idea of cycling on London roads. As a result rather than put my money where my mouth was and buy a half-way decent road bike I bought myself a cheap but cheerful Specialized hybrid. The logic was that as I'd ridden a mountain bike as a kid the straight rather than the drop handle-bars would be a lot easier to get used to.



Now I'm about 8ish months down the road and thoroughly hooked. Am even periodizing using Joe Friel's book, up to 11 hours this week (bless the flexible life of a PhD student). I've dropped more pounds than the International Currency Exchange, am putting in pretty reasonable performances in distance running events, 5kms, 10kms, etc. No Haile GebreSelassie but I do ok, certainly well enough that I'm really pleased with myself. I LOVE the swimming. Who'd have known? I have become distinctly aquatic and am really looking forward to jumping in the Thames with the rats.



But the cycling ... Now, I've just about cracked it, I've got reasonably used to using clipless pedals, I can make it up hills pretty well even if coming down them feels a bit like I'm on a rollercoaster at Thorpe Park, and taxi drivers/white van drivers only occasionally scare the hell out of me, but it's still the discipline I feel least comfortable in. Plus, what seemed like a fairly sensible decision in buying my bike eight months ago suddenly looks a bit dodgy. Am I going to have to get a proper road bike or will this thing get me where I need to go? So two questions:



1) Any good tips for developing road confidence on a bike. It's really the mental aspect that's slowing up my training here and I'm trying to figure out how to crack it. Have built up a quite solid base I think with lots of spin classes and sensible strength work, but technique is letting me down pretty much due to a lack of confidence. Any thoughts?



2) Is this bike going to get me laughed at if I rock up with it. I'm not looking to win the damn race just get round it in a vaguely respectable time. Is it going to do the trick or am I going to have to make another trip to my friendly neighborhood bike shop?



N

Comments

  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    1) Are you doing group rides? Join a bunch and you learn lots about technique and you'll learn to drop that fear. Riding in proximity of others might be daunting at first, but practise makes perfect ,right?



    2)The bike is fine for a first tri I guess, but of course a real road bike will defo give you a few extra miles per hour!

    BTW; who cares if you get laughed at? With 11 hours per week, I think you'll be the one laughing at those bling guys who can't run off the bike![:)](small rant there).
  • julesojuleso Posts: 279
    It's so much better, surely, to turn up on a bike that's not really bling and then beat loads of people on it; better than having the best bike and performing badly.



    If it helps, when I went to Blenheim last year there were loads of random bikes; the best (or worst) was the one that still had the shopping basket on the front of it!
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    I did two tris and a duathlon last year on a hybrid. No one laughed and I was by no means the only person riding a flat handlebar bike. I suspect in a big event like London there will be quite a few of you.



    Have a look at the thread on here about buying a £300 bike vs a £1000 bike. You may decide you want to stick to the hybrid for this year and save for a properly decent bike next year / in the auntumn sales.
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Hybrid? It'll be fine. Sure, a 'proper' road bike is probably worth several minutes to you, but I can assure you that nobody will be laughing. The only people who get laughed at are the 'all the gear, no idea' types who turn up untrained on a rocket-ship then get in everybody's way..... and even then it is all good natured.



    Just for the record, I was very poorly prepared for this year's London, as I was still on the injured list and had been so for about 4 months. Damn, it hurt. I spent the first part of the return leg duking it out with a guy on a hybrid. I got him in the tunnel, where my aero position and gearing had a good 5mph on him, but he got me back on the exit. We swapped places for bit before I blew up. [:(]



    I've attached a pic showing transition at London: my bike (9222) is buried in kit. On the left is a 'Raleigh Shitter', circa 1970, complete with back-rack, mudguards and toe-clips. This was a first timer who managed about 3:05 and was fairly hopping up and down with excitement.



    You won't be embarrassed because of your bike. People will probably be intimidated! [:D]



    [image]local://1140/CA67F792670C4A5C82061D7A437163FF.jpg[/image]
  • GHarvGHarv Posts: 456
    Saw a boardman hybrid the other day and it looked better and felt lighter than my racing bike!



    You may well have 26c tyres on - could drop to a decent 23c tyre? Should ave weight and rolling resistence.



    Remove all relectors, bells, lights, bottle cages (you won't use in a race depending on race distance)etc.



    Most people will say this should help pick up a bit of pace.



    G
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    GHarv wrote:


    Saw a boardman hybrid the other day and it looked better and felt lighter than my racing bike!



    You may well have 26c tyres on - could drop to a decent 23c tyre? Should ave weight and rolling resistence.



    Remove all relectors, bells, lights, bottle cages (you won't use in a race depending on race distance)etc.



    Most people will say this should help pick up a bit of pace.



    G



    Yes I should say I ditched the chunky tyres I had for thinner road bike style tyres - nothing fancy as I had my eye on a proper road bike eventually. Cost about forty quid, definately helped a bit. Make sure you check the wheel size as some hybrids have mountain bike size wheels some have road bike size.
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