Triathlon Racing
John
Cobb
Triathlon participation is growing
at a huge rate, every weekend racers
young and old get together to
challenge the clock and challenge
themselves. One of the things that
has made the sport of Triathlon so
appealing to so many, is the fact
that even though you may have the
occasional sprint against your
buddies, you are mainly racing the
clock and it's still the clock you
are trying to beat.
So
what are some of the things you can
do to help make the race and all the
training miles a more enjoyable
experience?
In
this discussion we are going to talk
about basic equipment: the bike,
your helmet, clothing, shoes and
pedals.
The
Bike:
You
have to have a bike, preferably a
road bike or Triathlon specific
bike. These can be purchased new
from around $800.00 to $8000.00 and
higher. An Aluminum, carbon fiber or
Titainium frame will be part of it
depending on the price range, carbon
fiber and Titainium have very good
shock absorbing ride qualities. The
price for a carbon fiber frame has
really come down in the last few
years and would really be the best
choice for the dollar, around
$1400.00 and up will get you on
carbon. There are several bike
specific things to consider, the
seat being something that you will
notice early on. There are many
styles of seats on the market, there
is no one "magic" seat that is the
best for everybody. Setting the seat
level or being slightly up in the
front, is best if you are having
numbness or soreness then it's often
very helpful to rotate the nose of
the seat to the right or left
slightly to relieve pressure. Nose
down will not solve crotch issues
but will create neck and shoulder
problems; right or left rotation is
the key.
Most
new bikes do not come with pedals as
strange as that seems. There are
many styles of clip in pedals to
choose from and you need to use
them, not the traditional flat
pedals. You will need special shoes
to work with the pedals and shoes
run from $65.00 and up while the
pedals are $55.00 and up. You can
not race without a helmet and you
should never even ride without a
helmet. Wear a helmet, pick out a
cool color, whether it's a $30.00
helmet or a $200.00 helmet, they all
have to pass the same safety test.
Some have more holes than others but
regardless find a helmet you like
and wear it.
Clothing:
-
Firstly, cotton T-Shirts are
bad, do not use these. They hold
sweat, they don't breathe and
they flap in the wind.
-
Secondly, get some of those
tight lycra cycling shorts that
have a pad in the bottom for
your crotch. You do not wear
underwear with these, strictly
commando, it prevents chaffing
and blistering. Making a little
investment in good clothing can
pay big dividends in your racing
and training.
As
with all sports, there are those
that make everything look easy.
Having the right equipment will go a
long way to helping you enjoy the
sport. We'll be going into more
detail on areas of positioning, aero
equipment and how to set up for a
transition. We will give you some
tips or at least food for thought on
training and race tactics, all of
these things will help you have fun
and have a more successful event.
