Triathlon - making some improvements

my first triathlon i did on my mountain bike in normal spandex. today, I bought a pair of cycling shorts with the butt padding in them. do you all transition from the bike to the run with the cycling shorts on? does the padding annoy you during the run?

i am getting my bike fitted tomorrow. how much of a differercne do u think i will see now having it fitted to my specifics?

also i am getting some pedals/clips and shoes? what can i expect as far as being clipped as oppose to the reebox classics in the goofy pedals with the straps? i think i am getting shimano entry level pedals, dont remember the acual name. havent seen the shoes yet. will see em tomorrow and will have to make a choice when i go to get the bike fitted. any suggestions?

basically ive got my first olympic race this weekend and want to make sure i do everything right and be as efficient as possible, as oppose, to my first sprint tri just going out there and gutting it out on the mtb.

Good luck to you in your triathlon!


As for your cycling shorts question, I wear a tri suit, which is basically a swimsuit with minimal extra material for a litle bit of cushioning. It's plenty of padding for a race, and it doesn't hinder my run at all. One of your biggest time savers in a race can be your transition. It is easier to shave a couple of minutes off your transition than a couple of minutes off your swim, bike or run time. Hence, I do not change clothes other than to put on a singlet with my race number after the swim.

If you are getting new pedals, be sure to test them out a lot before your race. It is not a good idea to go into a race with new equipment. (This is coming from someone who has done 1/2 Ironman on a brand new bike that I only test rode once before the race, Ironman on new wheels that I didn't really test other than in the parking lot, new pedals, new goggles, new shoes, etc.)

When I raced using new pedals (going from regular pedals to Speedplay pedals), my calves were so sore when I began the run that I didn't think I would be able to make it. They loosened up after a couple of miles, and all was well, but lesson learned: don't try something new on race day! Test everything out first, and you will know what to expect.

Being professionally fitted for your bike is great, but if the position is very much different from the position you are used to, you could suffer in the race.

So, again, test everything out, make sure you are comfortable with it, then go have fun in the race! Don't be afraid to switch back to your familiar position or pedals or shoes for this race if you are not comfortable with your new stuff. You can gear up for your next race. I've gotten away with using new stuff in a race, but wisdom says it is not a good idea. You can be more confident and prepared using familiar equipment and familiar muscles that you have trained with than to try new things that you haven't trained with - especially if it means using your muscles differently.

So, test them out, use wisdom, then swim, bike, run, HAVE FUN!

well first the shorts. If you got a pair with thick padding do even tri to wear them, the pad will stay wet and things will be on fire down below after a short time. They make tri shorts with thinner non absorbent padding.
A bike fit is always a good idea but as iron girl said ride with it first. Also did you get a new bike or are you getting fit on your mountain bike? If your still on the mountain bike save you money. I don't think it will help your time that much.
Going clipless is a big help no matter what you ride. However, if you are just getting them and have never ridden with them don't even thing of using them for the race you will kill somebody. Just about everyone who has ever gone to clippless has to learn the clip out trick. The way you learn this is by stopping trying to clip out and falling on you a$$. Would not be a good idea to learn that in a race
What ever you end up doing good luck and most of all have fun.

. Also did you get a new bike or are you getting fit on your mountain bike? .

i got a road bike 3 months ago. i will be getting fitted for that. i was given body butter to prevent chaffing during the run in the cycling sohrts. has anyone here used it before?

Sounds very exciting!!

>> cycling shorts with the butt padding <<
This is dependent on what you are comfortable with. My first choice would be a Speedo, then jammers, followed by the bike shorts with padding. Either way you should be fine.

>> Bike Fit <<
This will make a huge difference. You will probably have allot more power :D

>> pedals/clips and shoes <<
Make sure you practice getting in/out while leaning against something (not moving). My friends wife just got some 2 days ago, fell on the ground several times and yelled at him to take them off :eek:. Shimano is a fine brand.

>> Oly race <<
Pace yourself and have fun :p

Slowjim,

Great avatar.

When I raced using new pedals (going from regular pedals to Speedplay pedals), my calves were so sore when I began the run that I didn't think I would be able to make it. They loosened up after a couple of miles, and all was well, but lesson learned: don't try something new on race day! Test everything out first, and you will know what to expect.

Arghh... I switched pedals thinking it wouldn't change anything, but my hip flexors were dead on my 1/2 iron run... any change is a big change!!!!

as to the shorts issue, wear the padding if it is a long race, you don't need it for 25 miles on a bike... and if you get used to underwear... you can drop the shorts and throw on running shorts for long races... running in a diaper for a half ironman isn't fun... it is worth the few seconds on the transition for me...

Tri-shorts are definately the way to go. You can swim in them and then throw on a singlet (like Ironwoman said) and transition quicker. Any padding, in my opinion, is beneficial; however, I would only swim in something tri specific.

You're getting fitted for the bike(& pedals) pretty close to the race day...please give us a race summary and let us know how it goes!! They'll put you on a bike trainer(i hope) when fitting you for the bike. Probably a good idea to have the pedals and practice clipping in/out. I'm a slow learner and have taken several "diggers" courtesy of clipless pedals!!!!

Lastly, it sounds like this is your second tri and you're doing an olympic distance!?? If that's the case, I'm impressed with your motivation. I'm proud of anyone who has the guts to do a tri and the longer the distance, the more i am encouraged. Good luck and don't quit!

just got back from the bike shop and im pumped. i got a new specialized seat, shimano pedals, specialed velcro shoes, got my bike fitted and got a free jersey and water bottle out of the deal. clipping in and out of the shimano pedal wasnt hard at all. i got accustom to it quickly. the very first clip in i had no clue what i was doing bu once i wqas shown, i sat there on my bike while proped on the trainer clipping in and out repeditively. as for my bike being measured, they adjusted the handle bars for me, they were angled down aggressively way more then necessary. my seat position was fine. my hip wasnt over rotating to when at fulll extenion both ways. the new specialized seat is heaven compared to my old one. im pumped and ready to go.

It only gets better. Just remember it may take some time to dial in the "optimal" seat height and position. As time goes on play around with it, a few millimeters at a time.

Good luck at the race. They say we may have some snow this weekend :eek: