Originally Posted by chrisesposito
I've read of people doing this a few times but I'm not exactly sure how this works. Are the shoes `clicked in' to the pedals? What do the rubber bands do for you?
How exactly does this procedure save you time, which I presume is the motivation for doing it?
1. Clicked in? YES - The rubberbands then hold the shoe in position along the axis of the crank arm - otherwise they would just flip all over the place as you push your bike out of T1, maybe even loosing a shoe from the pedal.
2. It saves you time because you can run in your socks (not your shoes) exiting T1 quicker, you can mount and slip your feet into your shoes very easy because the shoes are in a perfect position and the tongue is wide open allowing your foot to slip in with ease.
The technique allows you to get up to speed on the bike maybe 20mph or so and work your way onto the bike course. You can then get yourself settled than reach down to cinch your shoes while in motion.
I also have a special bottle that I drink as I run with my bike while exiting T1 - toss and mount. You have your fluids in you and you are set to put the hammer down.
Practice this technique and you can save anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 min. this can amount to several positions come the finish.