General Cycling Discussion - Duathlon tactics...

Anyone here done any short-distance duathlons? I'm doing a 2mile run/24mile bike/2 mile run du, and i was wondering if such a distance would be better to do with toe clips or with clipless pedals. I think that you can save a significant amount of time in your transitions by doing everything in your running shoes.

for those who have done Du's before... do the top contenders tend to use running shoes or clipless on the bike leg?

While I have only done one duathlon as a team a few years back, it would seem to me the way to go is to change shoes. If you were to wear runing shoes, you may save time in the transition area, but can you really pedal as fast with running shoes as with cycling shoes? I don't think so. You'll make up whatever transition time you lost while changing shoes before the ride, by riding with clipless pedals and cycling shoes. Your power transfer to the pedals will be much more efficient. Good luck, Gino

I've done one (4mi/18mi/4mi) and wore my clipless. I may have lost a little time in transition but I don't think it would have been worth it to wear running shoes. Especially since it was a hilly course and there was a fair bit of standing to climb.

There are some things you can do to quicken the shoe-changing. You can clip your bike shoes into the pedals so that after you pull off your running shoes you hop on your bike and slide your feet in as you roll out of transition. Also, you can use quick pulls on your running shoe laces.

deliriou5: Stated simply - I wouldn't try to run in my cycling cleats nor would I try to cycle in my running shoes :)

Zack

I'd go with running shoes and clipless pedals with shoes. The time delay will be greatly offset by the time you gain on the bike with the clipless pedals and shoes.