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  • pigletpiglet Posts: 86
    I would agree with Benny- a super duper latest machine with the lightest/best gear available is crucial for the elite athletesand probably not going to make a major difference to us majority. But I do also think a crappy, heavy bike with brakes that stick, gears that jump etc is OK for a whizz around the park with the kids, but will only lead to frustration for someone trying to enter a race or even just do decent miles every week. I would recommend going for something a bit better than Halfords low end or a badly maintained second hander off Ebay. If you don't "love" your bike you won't want to train- and as said by many others on this forum- it's the training that counts![:)]
  • mangelmangel Posts: 20
    Following on from SuperCaz update, I collected my bike at the weekend. Due to the ususal great british weather not had much of a chance to get out though. However, the little bit I did do has only increased my appetite !!!



    Anyone that lives in the Hampshire area and can recommend any particular cycling routes would be much appreciated.



    Cheers.
  • Sorry no time to read other posts so may have been already suggested but can't recommend tri-uk's packages highly enough. Get bike, wetsuit, pedals, shoes and helmet for £500, which works out to basically getting most of these free. In terms of races find local club races as these tend to be dirt cheap, if you re going expensive on races would suggest London as although it costs a bomb it is the proper big tri experience.
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    A few of us have mentioned the Concept Sport Sprint Tri series in this thread, so I thought I'd let you all know that they've posted entry forms for next year here:



    http://www.conceptsport.co.uk/entryforms.php



    Events are all around the South Coast....



    (I'm not in a any way connected to Concept Sports, I just like doing 'em!)



    So come on! You lot all seem to have new bikes to try out! Who's up for a few events? You may have new bikes, but I've got a new pair of GOGGLES, so watch out ;-)



    I'm thinking of Winchester, Salisbury, Dorchester and Southampton (although that is only a few weeks after London). Also thinking of Swanage Olympic or maybe Bournemouth Olympic.



    Probably Blenheim too, but Ouch! at the cost of it.



    Oh, and I've got my place in the 35-39 Olympic race in London.



    Don't forget the Bournemouth Pier-to-Pier swim too. 1.4 miles sea swim for the BHF. Great fun.



    I get so excited when I start filling up the calendar for the next year..... can you tell?
  • No stopping you now with your new goggles then.



    I'm doing a lot of running events and it is quite hard to fit in the tris too. But I will have a look at the Concept ones and see if I can at least do one of them in addition to my first 'taster' tri in May.
  • pacmanpacman Posts: 109
    Great thread guys!

    I tend to agree with comments that emphasise effort over expensive gear, although there's nothing like a bit of bling kit to make you feel like pushing that little bit harder! I started off with a trek 1000 for three great seasons and got aero with an equinox 9 at the beginning of this year. I don't think the bike made much difference but I been bursting a gut to justify it - so time has come down anyway - happy days!
  • Yeah, I will secretly admit (please don't tell anyone) that getting a nice, shiny new bit of kit and being keen to try it out is an excellent motivator to get out there, even on a cold, wet and/or windy day. The trick, of course, is to keep on being keen and somehow be motivated after the shiny new kit not so shiny and new any more.



    Well, for me, I keep my Felt S32 as clean and shiny as possible, hang it on the wall outside my the window next to my computer, and let it entice me into another ride as much as possible. Speaking of which, maybe I have time for a 60-90 minute spin before getting started on dinner...
  • Hi ya all,I am up next year for my first season of Tri and will be using my pioneer road bike before i go out and buy new bikes so the expense dosn't have to be too much.As to wet suits i will hire from Tri uk in Yeovil for 25 quid for the season9thats not bad at all).

    I also have my place in London Olympic 35-39 so hope to bump into some of you.South coast wise, as Bopomofo says there are plenty around and i will be doing the Weymouth sprint on june 8th(also holding a middle distance same day here) its in open water in the bay so good training for london.

    Hope to see you in Weymouth....

    Good lick through the cold!

    [:D]
  • Sorry spelling not great. ment good LUCK in the cold[&:][&:][8|][&:]
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    Hey Firsttimer,

    don't worry, we all like good lick too.

    OOPS, sorry, alike you, I also meant luck[;)][:D].
  • pigletpiglet Posts: 86
    Going back to bopomofo post re hints for transition. How easy is it to have shoes clipped on already, cycle away and then lean down to put on shoes? I practised on my turbo trainer and couldn't do it- let alone on the bike. Do you guys have special tri shoes? I have standard road shoes which are fairly tight at the top and don't have big loops at the heel. I cansee myself falling off before I have begun.

    My T1 time was crap in my first sprint- had a great swim- must have been good as they didn't time the swim til exit from T1 and I KNOW I had the longest T1 in the event. Didn't help that I had to pull my knee support on over my cycle shoe as I had forgotten it. What a bunny!

    Anyway woudl be interested to see what you guys say about putting on shoes while pedalling[&:]
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Hello Piglet!



    The thing with keeping your shoes attached to the pedals is worth practising, as you are doing. Quite correct not to try it for the first time in a race... <crash>



    Anyway, I don't have 'proper' tri shoes, but I did chose a pair of cycling shoes that I can either lace-up or velcro up. There are two big velcro tabs, which I just bend right back and lift the tongue of the shoe up. Obviously I don't use laces in an event. In fact, I can rarely be bothered to put the laces in these days even for training.



    You can buy tri specific shoes. I think these have a more water resistant interior, for those 'fresh from the water' feet. Also just a single velcro tab for speed, which also fastens from the outside to the inside - so it doesn't get caught in your chainwheel while flopping around undone.



    Try this: feet on top of your shoes. Choose a reasonably big gear. Make sure you are moving at least at half-speed, then stop pedalling with one foot at top-dead-centre and slide however much of your foot you can manage into the shoe. Do another couple of revs like this to make sure you are still moving, feel pleased with yourself that you did all that one-leg training over the winter. Stop again, and pull up your velcro and get your foot in. More pedalling. Stop again, do your shoe up. Repeat for the other side, then smile smugly, drop into your aero bars and go nuts.



    It takes a while, but at least you're moving, rather than sitting in the gravel in transition watching everybody else bugger off into the distance.



    Taking them off is the reverse: don''t try it all at once, do it in stages separated by a few revs of the pedals.



    Warning: not a good idea if the bike course starts with a big uphill stretch, natch. In this case, get 'em on in transition and skip along on your cleats. You can still take them off while moving for a lightning fast T2.



    Anybody that can offer any additional advice or improvements? Be assured I'm no expert, just saying what works for me, and I'm always looking for tips myself.



    My turn for a question: on those occasions when you DO have to run in your cycling shoes, do you skip along on your toes or actually strike your heel down? Always feels like I'm over-extending my hammys when I do the latter, but I've actually slid over when running on my cleats.
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    I put the heels down and run like you have an egg in your pants. Its rather tricky to run with them on. There are special shoes on the market with the cleats in sole, and you can actually run with them too. Don't know which brands do them though?

    Another remark/question: I saw people in transition that lost their cycling shoe that was already attached to the pedal, but came loose because the cranck turned and clipped out the shoe by hitting the ground. There is some elastic rubber band trick or technique that people use, but I'm not sure how this works. Anyone can explain this thoroughly???
  • mangelmangel Posts: 20
    Have done it !!!! entered my first triathlon, all be it a "super sprint" event. Have opted for the Winchester event organised through Concept Sports.



    I'm already nervous and have only completed the application form !!



    Sensible or not but training will commence in the new year along with my training for the London Marathon which is the week before !!



  • pigletpiglet Posts: 86
    Hey thanks bopomofo for your hints. i have read about the rubber band trick too but wasn't sure where it was put- I know the theory is to keep the shoes in the horizontal position so you can your feet into them. I tried it on my turbo trainer and the shoes just spun around and hung upside down. It took me about 5 mins to get them on. I figured at that speed I was faster in T1 to put shoes on then run best as I could and hop on bike - still shorter.



    Re the shoes with cleats embedded- I have a pair of specialised shoes like this- I can walk quite comfortably in these but they are for my mountain bike and or touring bike. I have the trad road shoes for my roadie. But maybe these come in a variation for tri or road- worth checking if you need new shoes anyway.
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    It's worth perservering, Piglet, but on race day go with what's quickest and most comfortable, of course.



    I'd love to know what to do with the rubber band myself... my shoes hang upside down too.



    I've experimented with a few ways to use a band to keep them level. Best so far is to put a band around the back of each shoe, set the pedals level, and let the band rest across the seat tube (actually passing behind my drink bottle) to stop them dropping, but it all goes wrong as soon as I start moving off, and I'm still worried about getting bits of rubber band dragged into the chain and wrapped around the derailleur. I'll do some more fiddling about and if I work it out I'll post a piccie.



    I'll probably stick with my existing launch technique: hook my right shoe upright with my toe when getting on the bike, scoot for a bit, then get on the seat and flip the other shoe upright with my toe. Then do everything as described earlier.



    Must spend more time next year watching what other guys do. I'll be on the lookout for rubber bands.
  • I may be able to help you on that one Bopomofo!

    I'm hoping to do my first tri next year and have just started training. While searching the net for info I came across the ITU web site www.triathlon.org., its great! If you go into videos ( you can see all the highlights of the world championships )

    then into training tips, you'll find a tip from pro Brad Kahlefeldt on how to tie your shoes to the frame.

    I also managed to find a HRM Sigma Onyx Pro, as recomended by 220 for only £49!!! from www.fitness-equipment-clearance.co.uk.

    and a Felt f75 2007 for only £749 from Winstanley cycles.

    All I need to do now is get off my a*se and do some training. lol [:D][8D]
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