So I have an '86 Miyata 12 speed that I plan on using in 2012 for a few triathlons/duathlons. Since I will be new to these races, I'm hoping to get some feedback from others who race on older bikes. Will not having a real small crankset (smallest is 42) be an issue? Is there anyone who has had issues using DT/friction shifters in a race? Any other pieces of adivce for a newbie? Thanks!

I've heard of people showing up at tri's with steel touring bikes, old school cruisers etc... most of those people seem to switch over to modern tri bikes very fast, mind you these are just the nutjobs I personally know. I say try it, it's a much better choice to start with then what I just mentioned, what's the worst that could happen it gives you an exscuse if your just too damn slow!

My girlfriend rocked a steel framed winsor for a season, no real problems. Just make sure the bike is mechanically sound and you should not have any problems. She would average 19 mph on a sprint course. So get out there and train! And once you do get onto a nice bike, you fly!

I raced an '86 Vitus 12-speed (which I still have) in triathlons and duathlons until 1999.

42T small ring is only an issue if you can't get up the hills with it. And even if you can get up the hills, your cadence my drop lower than is optimal, but that's only an issue if you are going for the win If the terrain is not hilly, it won't be an issue. If the terrain is flat, you might ride the whole thing in the big ring and never even use the 42T during the race.

An '86 bike with friction shifters? Are they Suntour? I think Shimano had indexing on most road groups by '86. Anyway, as long as you can hold your line while you shift and get it into gear w/o grinding, there should be no problems.

Advice: Enjoy!

Thanks. While I'm not going for the win, I would rather not have to get off and walk. I plan on being a bit choosey regarding my races to ensure I'm not climbing any huge hills, but you never know!

Yep, an '86 with friction shifters - Shimano not Suntour. The SIS was released prior, but for some reason or another didn't make it onto the '86 110's.

In smaller local races (especially sprints), you'll find a lot of hybrids and MTBs along side the road bikes and tri bikes (though it can depend a bit on the specific race). You will be fine to do races on almost any bike though. As was mentioned, too hard a gear can kill your bike and/or run, so if you can try to pre-ride the course to know for sure.

If you're unsure about the "competitiveness" (i.e. mix of super serious athletes and recreational ones) or the terrain, give the RD a quick email/call and I'm sure they'd be happy to answer.

I raced last year on my Ironman and whooped some ass. Got about 50th overall on the bike and it was a big tri, 5th in my age group overall. This year I'm building a Ironman one size smaller in full TT trim, look for it in C&V in a month or two...