Question Should triathletes be allowed on bikes?

[King Boonen]

There is something really funny about this...

That's kind of the point

 

[Brullnux]

I feel some people have taken this thread slightly too seriously, it's supposed to be a joke about how triathletes are poor bike handlers and annoy cyclists, not an actual debate on the merits of triathletes

 

[Oldermanish]

I feel some people have taken this thread slightly too seriously, it's supposed to be a joke about how triathletes are poor bike handlers and annoy cyclists, not an actual debate on the merits of triathletes

My wife coaches tri-athletes....they are a serious lot. That said she and her associates have one recommendation for their clients: do your hard intervals on a trainer, not the road. Apparently they get fixated on wattage numbers and tend to hit objects while actually riding in the World. She has to laugh at that as well.
Her second recommendation is for them to train on a standard road bike most of the time, rather than riding 16 mph in their aero bars. Makes them better bike "handlers". Data still incoming on that training protocol.

 

[gitrdone]

My wife coaches tri-athletes....they are a serious lot. That said she and her associates have one recommendation for their clients: do your hard intervals on a trainer, not the road. Apparently they get fixated on wattage numbers and tend to hit objects while actually riding in the World. She has to laugh at that as well.
Her second recommendation is for them to train on a standard road bike most of the time, rather than riding 16 mph in their aero bars. Makes them better bike "handlers". Data still incoming on that training protocol.

. Train on a standard road bike is that because of the lack of aerodynamics of that riding position....16 mph nobody rides 16 mph in aero bars....good advice though

 

[Oldermanish]

. Train on a standard road bike is that because of the lack of aerodynamics of that riding position....16 mph nobody rides 16 mph in aero bars....good advice though

The recommendation for training on a road bike is for their skill improvement. That wouldn't mean not riding their tri bike. The transitional skills for grade changes is one of the bigger cycling weaknesses they've noticed. That and the pointless, grinding cadence even into headwinds.
By the way, most beginning tri folks don't exceed 20 mph that often. They need to learn how to do that.

 

[gitrdone]

The recommendation for training on a road bike is for their skill improvement. That wouldn't mean not riding their tri bike. The transitional skills for grade changes is one of the bigger cycling weaknesses they've noticed. That and the pointless, grinding cadence even into headwinds.
By the way, most beginning tri folks don't exceed 20 mph that often. They need to learn how to do that.

Are u talking 20 mph in training or during a race..... great advice ur a wise man

 

[Oldermanish]

Are u talking 20 mph in training or during a race..... great advice ur a wise man

Both. If they can't learn to ride 20 mph on a standard bike and handle terrain changes that challenge gets more pronounced on a tri position. Once they get confident on the road bike the TT position seems much, much faster. It usually is.

 

[gitrdone]

Both. If they can't learn to ride 20 mph on a standard bike and handle terrain changes that challenge gets more pronounced on a tri position. Once they get confident on the road bike the TT position seems much, much faster. It usually is.

I guess I’m the opposite I can’t hardly go fast on a standard road bike. It’s so un aerodynamic ..... so much air drag.... it took me 10 minutes to master the aero bars.... I ride 95 percent of the time on them..... sooo much more comfortable

 

[42x16ss]

why go procycling thats a down grade of their skills....grand tours a boat load of guys 6 inches apart everyone of them hiding from the wind behind the guy in front of them.....the first 10 miles and the last 10 miles are actually racing the rest is just mindless pedaling .....time trials are an honest assessment of a riders physical ability....one mans results come from one mans effort...not the result of hiding from the wind saving their legs for the last 5 miles of riding

Aleksandr Vinokourov and Laurent Jalabert both won their respective age group titles at 70.3 World Champs in Nice.

By big margins too I might add, and neither are particularly strong swimmers.

 

[Oldermanish]

Aleksandr Vinokourov and Laurent Jalabert both won their respective age group titles at 70.3 World Champs in Nice.

By big margins too I might add, and neither are particularly strong swimmers.

Yes.....you do know their history? Not that they weren't very talented guys but they pooed on public trust some time ago. Maybe not the best example of an athlete that moves to tri and does well.

 

[42x16ss]

Yes.....you do know their history? Not that they weren't very talented guys but they pooed on public trust some time ago. Maybe not the best example of an athlete that moves to tri and does well.

I know exactly who they are.

I quoted them because apparently "single sport athletes would struggle to even finish" according to Mr "I swear I'm not a triathlete but I'll defend their honour tooth and nail".

Funnily enough, the winner of the pro race at Nice - Gustav Iden - rode a Venge with clip on aerobars to the fastest bike split, to the derision of the race commentators and Slowtwitch peanut gallery. They couldn't understand that a less aero, but lighter, better handling bike would be a better option on that course.

 

[Oldermanish]

I know exactly who they are.

I quoted them because apparently "single sport athletes would struggle to even finish" according to Mr "I swear I'm not a triathlete but I'll defend their honour tooth and nail".

Funnily enough, the winner of the pro race at Nice - Gustav Iden - rode a Venge with clip on aerobars to the fastest bike split, to the derision of the race commentators and Slowtwitch peanut gallery. They couldn't understand that a less aero, but lighter, better handling bike would be a better option on that course.

I'd agree on the "single sport" response, for sure. Tri is also not the sanctuary of purity any more than other sports so that point might not need to be made.
The part about the bike is perfect. Pure aero works in a pure aero environment and ridden accordingly. Most new road bikes are pretty aero and probably suited his position the way it should. Cost him a few bill$$$ less, too.

 

[gitrdone]

I know exactly who they are.

I quoted them because apparently "single sport athletes would struggle to even finish" according to Mr "I swear I'm not a triathlete but I'll defend their honour tooth and nail".

Funnily enough, the winner of the pro race at Nice - Gustav Iden - rode a Venge with clip on aerobars to the fastest bike split, to the derision of the race commentators and Slowtwitch peanut gallery. They couldn't understand that a less aero, but lighter, better handling bike would be a better option on that course.

again I am not a triathlete....I am a runner/time trial bike rider...I have done the duathalon thing and I have nothing but respect for the triathlete/iron man most of all....they are super human

 

[Oldermanish]

again I am not a triathlete....I am a runner/time trial bike rider...I have done the duathalon thing and I have nothing but respect for the triathlete/iron man most of all....they are super human

My wife had to drop tri for a period after a running injury. She went to the swim/ride version and did well. Because she could ride a bike.
Her take after winning at Tri and the Duo is that the best Tri studs are really disciplined and train super hard. That is their advantage. They are usually good at one phase of the sport and above average at the other two. She did admit that being good on the bike is a huge advantage.

 

[42x16ss]

Dude has only ridden indoors for over 12 months and wonders why his thread doesn't go well....

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/...y_Riding_Indoors_P7047042/?page=unread#unread

 

[Oldermanish]

The Slowtwitch author will find it's less dangerous than he had imagined - once he's off the back... the FTP is impressive but the repeatability of many short 600 - 700W efforts is what matters. Anaerobic capacity is the big part that he's overlooking. That and tactics / handling. Him witnessing multiple crashes in the P1-2 seems unusual, but ought to answer his own question of whether crit is dangerous. The worst / most frequent crashes are in the 4's because that's where the lowest skill-to-power ratio is. There is a huge difference in power and skill between the P1-2 and lower categories, but crashing at 24 MPH is not a lot better than crashing at 27 MPH

Crits are what everyone thinks they are: risky as sh*t until you get to Cat2 and above. Tri guys should do a stage race or two and get used to being dropped. If they can produce the wattage to stay in contact; they'll get stronger. If they get stronger they'll begin to enjoy it. Amateur crits are just crapshoots and you can get hit from any angle even when you're in a break.

 

[42x16ss]

Worth reading the entire thread!

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/...rum_F1/I_just_shit_my_pants_mid_run_P5580857/

 

[King Boonen]

What the hell are they eating?!

 

[King Boonen]

One of them did it twice on a 3 mile run?!?!?!

 

[42x16ss]

What the hell are they eating?!

Knowing some of these geniuses it could be anything. There was one bright spark who was having protein pancakes and a protein shake for breakfast before 100km road races and was wondering why he was dnf'ing with stomach problems lol

 

[red_flanders]

Apparently Crits are a death sport now???

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/For_a_triathlete_to_an_aspiring_crit_racer:_how_dangerous_is_it?_P7000121/

I love this part. Says everything about why road rider/racers shun triathletes as best they can.

I think I would be pretty solid in the lower categories; I have a good engine (320 FTP; 4.2 w/kg), but my handling skills are that of a normal triathlete. I'm hesitant at the thought of going down and knocking my head. I couldn't care less about road rash and even broken bones, but my fear is solely due to the possibility of another concussion and it really messing me up long term.

No concern at all for knocking others down, likely because he/she have never ridden in a group or pack, and are totally absorbed with their own little bubble. You go down in a crit and chances are you’re taking a bunch of folks to the ground, hard. That’s the problem.

 

[Archibald]

Worth reading the entire thread!

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/...rum_F1/I_just_shit_my_pants_mid_run_P5580857/

made it to about page 4...
couldn't believe one nitwit even linked his strava of each run where he shat himself!!

 

[Oldermanish]

I love this part. Says everything about why road rider/racers shun triathletes as best they can.



No concern at all for knocking others down, likely because he/she have never ridden in a group or pack, and are totally absorbed with their own little bubble. You go down in a crit and chances are you’re taking a bunch of folks to the ground, hard. That’s the problem.

That problem is hardly reserved for Trifolks. Most serious Masters racers can get to Cat 3 or 2 with good coaching. There is no shortage of overpaid, type A+++ Masters racers willing to die for a podium spot. You can survive if you know who they are and avoid them but their appetite for risk seems proportionate to their ego. Until they crash, hard.

 

[red_flanders]

That problem is hardly reserved for Trifolks. Most serious Masters racers can get to Cat 3 or 2 with good coaching. There is no shortage of overpaid, type A+++ Masters racers willing to die for a podium spot. You can survive if you know who they are and avoid them but their appetite for risk seems proportionate to their ego. Until they crash, hard.

Yes, crits are dangerous and there are a-holes everywhere. Especially in crits. Certainly the overall vibe in Triathlons is generally very supportive and congenial. It's a stark difference from the testo-fueled local crit scene in my experience, and really quite a nice thing.

Doesn’t change the fact that triathletes are horrible bike handlers. I could sadly list a dozen examples just from my own limited experience. Almost got taken out in Escape from Alcatraz last year by some fool on a full carbon, disc wheel TT bike. Drifted 5 feet over, right into me while reaching for his bottle. I yelled and yelled, but no matter, crashed right into me. Luckily a forearm shiver made sure he was the one who went down.

$10,000 worth of carbon scraping across the asphalt for 10 meters followed. Felt bad for the guy for about 5 seconds but the race was on and oh well.

 

[Oldermanish]

Yes, crits are dangerous and there are a-holes everywhere. Especially in crits. Certainly the overall vibe in Triathlons is generally very supportive and congenial. It's a stark difference from the testo-fueled local crit scene in my experience, and really quite a nice thing.

Doesn’t change the fact that triathletes are horrible bike handlers. I could sadly list a dozen examples just from my own limited experience. Almost got taken out in Escape from Alcatraz last year by some fool on a full carbon, disc wheel TT bike. Drifted 5 feet over, right into me while reaching for his bottle. I yelled and yelled, but no matter, crashed right into me. Luckily a forearm shiver made sure he was the one who went down.

$10,000 worth of carbon scraping across the asphalt for 10 meters followed. Felt bad for the guy for about 5 seconds but the race was on and oh well.

I competed in 2 biathlons on the team side. We were the last wave released which was insane as two athletes would definitely be faster than the rest of the field. My runner buddy (who talked me into this "it'll be fun...there are prizes") had no issues. Mine began almost at the first pass. Approaching a rider that sounds like the twin to your fool at 10mph faster I called "left". The jerk promptly swerved left and had enough energy to yell "you can't pass until you do it legally..." What he said faded behind me as I went over the center line with a Marshall moto behind me. They must have agreed with me. The really really entertaining point was at the bike turnaround that occurred at the top of a long 4% grade. I could see a string of riders approaching the turn. The first rider attempted to make the turn in his aero position. Failed. Rider #2 panicked, clicked out of his pedals while still going uphill and hands nowhere near brakes. Failed. Riders #3-6 rode into the mess in slow motion. The all made a neat pile close to the turn and leaving a wide apex for me to ride around with none of them in the way for the 4% downhill which could have been less amusing. I was still smiling halfway to the finish.

By the way...we beat the solo pro for fastest time and got the #1 amateurs' prize: a $15 Timex plastic watch. The entry fee was $200.