putting shoes on whilst on the bike?
sam_thebatman
Posts: 112
in General Chat
When exiting T1, how do you get clipped in shoes to stay straight on the bike before you mount, instead of flapping around?
I am thinking of doing T1 with the shoes already clipped in, is this that much quicker?
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Im going to add a sub question
If you choose to put bike shoes on and then clip in, can you damage cleats running out of T1
If you check this stream out it will tell you everything you need. I found it very helpful:
http://forum.220magazine.com/tm.asp?m=29548&mpage=1&key=shoes珊
Cool [8|]
I don't know whether you can damage your cleats on the way out of transition, but I do know that it's a lot easier, and faster, to run in bare feet and you're probably less likely to fall on your @rse in an amusing manner. Or, if transition is muddy and or grassy, you might pick up crud on the bottom of your cleats.
Leaping onto your bike in a sprightly manner with your shoes already on the bike means you lose little momentum, and slipping your feet in is easier if you have a bit of speed up (think how much more stable your bike is once it's moving a bit). For me, it's shoes on the bike every time.
Also easier at dismount, as you need to be pretty much stationary to get off with your shoes still on, whereas if you take your feet out of your shoes first, you can dismount on the move.
I would recommend practicing on your local football pitch / cricket pitch / crown bowling green, where it's flat and soft if you fall off... [:D]
One of my favourite "Pain" quotes.
Yeah grass makes for a better fall, could also practice in my sumo suit :-)
Not generally, no. The transition area is where you change your clothing for each discipline. Taking this to an extreme, what would happen if everybody did this? Why not leave your shoes in the mount/dismount box beforehand.... and your helmet etc etc. It's unfair to obstruct other people.
You might get away with, but I have seen people being told to clear the area by irate marshals when fannying about with their kit right in the way of other competitors.
Yes, you can, but it takes ages to wear them down to an unworkable level. As nivagh said, you should be more worried about picking up mud & gravel than about wear & tear. A quick survey of the transition area beforehand will answer any concerns. If it is on a tennis court, in eXcel on a concrete floor, in a car-park etc then you'll likely be fine. If transition is on mud or grass, there's more of a chance (although still unlikely) that you'll pick up some rubbish.
I have fallen over running on cleats on tarmac.
Picking up on one of nivagh's other points about getting up to speed before sorting your shoes out.... if the bike start is a steep uphill I'll take a chance on running in cleats. I can't go up hills with my feet on top of my shoes.
Watch the free Nokia Windsor Tri DVD stuck to the front of this month's magazine for a T1 & T2 masterclass from Richard Stannard - he pretty much won the race right there in T2 - yeah, OK, there was the small matter of then sticking in a 32min 10k but just watch it and be impressed. Also there's some interesting T1 stuff in the ladies' race, where the lead changes twice in T1!
Even the pro's make mistakes, it seems.
Then followed by I bet that hurt!
I cried.