My riding buddy is training for a triathlon. We have several tri's going on locally through the summer and he trains most of the winter. My question is this, do any triathlons you are aware of allow cyclists to ride competing only in the cycling segment? I've tried searching and cant find an answer.

Any triathlon event that has a "relay team entry" allows for individual segment participation.

I'll use that for a search term. Thanx!

You might also explore Senior Olympics time trailing, 5k and/or 10k at the local and state level. A finish of 4th or better in a state event will qualify you for nationals.
Tsapp

I'm not into drowning. If you're not a fast swimmer then you'd better not be first in the water according to some guys I knew when they did their first without preparing much for the swimming. You'll get run over in the water.

They were first in the water and last out, throwing up water, and still came in 4th and 5th in their first triathlon. That's pretty darned good for a first effort.

All I want to do is just ride. Trouble is, that's what my buddy wants to do. Soooo I guess we will have to reconsider some things.

Yep. It's also doubly bad for many. Besides getting run over, kicked and punched, and pushed around, you might take in water. The sensation of not being able to breathe adds to panic.

I competed in triathlons in the 1980s until the early 1990s on a regular bases, probably 10 or more tris a year. I did compete in a relay once. So I recruited the fastest swimmer on our swim team, in fact she was one of the fastest female open water mile swimmers in the state. Then I got the fastest 40 and over 10 k runner in our town to do the run. That left me to do the bike, i think I was 25 at the time.
It was a mass start so everyone started at the same time. Our relay swimmer came out of the water in 3rd place. I got the relay band and quickly took the overall lead on the bike. I was biking beyond my capabilities and within 2 miles they took over. About 5 or so I don't remember, maybe more. That was the hardest bike ride I've ever done and most painful. I did everything I could to try to keep more cyclist from passing me. It seemed like the harder I went the slower I got. When I finally gave the band to our runner I thought I was gonna collapse. Fortunately our runner passed all but 2 of the competitors on the run and we came in 3rd overall and first in the relay division.
The lesson I learned was don't join a team where the members are more talented than you. It was so much pressure, at least we came in third overall ,the same place we started after the swim. Well thanks to my friend the runner, whom I bought a beer.
As painful as it was, it was very memorable, possibly because of the pain.
The next day I competed in a race in Houston (which is why I did the relay I was saving myself for Houston hah). BTW I had the best ride of my life in Houston go figure. Not the fastest but I felt like I was floating no matter how hard I pushed it.
In closing, I say Go For It. If only for the experience.

A single RED FLAG greeted us for 2013 IMFL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwYwUPVPLnM When the last swimmer exited the water, the SECOND RED FLAG was raised to close the waters for enjoyment.

In need of a right shoulder joint replacement, I was one of the last into the Gulf and my time for the 2.4 mile swim was 1 hour 45 minutes. A LONG time in the water for sure and thus providing plenty of time to get kicked, punched and swam over.

I enjoyed reading your story. One benefit is knowing the course and having ridden some of them. The one in a neighboring town is short but incredibly hilly, the very steep kind. That one my buddy wants to ride (if he trains for it). In the meantime I train hard and will be ready to ride.

I've done a number of team tri's all mostly fun.

The hardest on one level was when I thought I'd get smart and do 2 legs, swim and bike and have a female runner, so we'd be a mixed team. I had done this tri the year prior (Seacrest/TOBAY on Long Island) as a team and did the bike leg, having a terrific bike time with team placing 1st in age, all male. The swim to bike transition was tough for me on year 2 and my bike time was easily 2 minutes slower over a 14 mile distance. Learned my lesson about needing to practice the swim to bike transition (had no blood in my legs after the swim) And as it turned out the women running was a very slow runner. Also did the Cochiti Tri in New Mexico once. Had a male runner billed as the "100/200" yard state running champ. All well and good except he'd never gone longer then 5K and this was 10. Oops, took him nearly an hr. We didn't place.

Then I did bike leg on a Jones Beach Tri one year. The surf was so bad they moved the swim to the bay and made the swimmers run in their wet suits about a mile to the transition. They were pissed !. The we bikers got to ride half the 7 mile loop into a 45 mph headwind. THAT was no fun, seriously and I realized I wasn't enjoying myself so stopped competing, even though our team placed.

I used to manage the finish line for a big tri in the St Louis area. Every year one particular fellow would casually sit on the beach at the start. He'd check his watch and, exactly 1 minute after everybody else would wade into the lake and start his race. I guess that he figured that since he wasn't likely to win anything there was nothing to gain by getting beat up in the water.