Question Should triathletes be allowed on bikes?

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This always cracked me up. A $100 premium to be paid to the WTC for getting an M-Dot tattoo on your calf as opposed to some other location. And $400 for a tattoo that is over four inches.

WTC to waive "Calf" premium on Ironman Tattoos - confirms all local parlours are compliant

Following through on their commitment to protect the integrity of the Ironman brand, the new licensing structure for all Ironman (M-Dot type) tattoos will be in place for the Cornwall race. The Seaway Valley Tattooists Association (SVTA) has confirmed that all member establishments have been authorized through independent quality control audits to apply M-Dot tattoos under the following fee structure: less than 2 inches ($65 royalty), 2 to 4 inch ($160 royalty), over 4 inches ($400 royalty). Royalties are in addition to regular tattoo pricing. The good news however, according the SVTA is that WTC has waived the controversial additional $100 premium for placement of the M-Dot tattoo on the participant's calf.


Anyone ever heard of Campy trying to put the bite on tattoo parlors?
 
ElChingon said:
Chainring's on the inside of the right calf, should have a $100,000 premium ;)
Then tattoo parlours will make a killing from tri geeks having to go in and get it touched up :D

How much does it cost to start up a parlour in a town that hosts an IM? Could be a good little money spinner...
 
Jul 26, 2009
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ElChingon said:
They are two different animals, sure they're (Tri Geeks) strong on the flats and even on climbs but once the road gets technical or even a long descent and well they're out the door so to speak. Yes, there are some that can hang with the roadies but not many. We won't go into the group riding in tight quarters. I give them props for going out alone into the abis and hammer it out.

Yep pray for a descent so you aren't completely routed in all cycling skill sets. Training tip: gain an extra 10 pounds so you can go downhill faster.
 
Jun 16, 2009
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Soloist said:
Yep pray for a descent so you aren't completely routed in all cycling skill sets. Training tip: gain an extra 10 pounds so you can go downhill faster.

Funny this reminded me of my favorite triathlete experience. I had decided to take the plunge in about 1988 at the Nevada State Tri which was a qualifier for Nationals. It started in Lake Mead, elevation roughly 1000 feet, the bike and run finished in Boulder City elevation 2300 feet. Obviously you are never gonna get that elevation back so it is a climbers race. I get to the bike area and i am the only person who seemed to understand. Even the pro's(Paul Huddle was one) had heavy double disk set ups. Long story short,the first climb allowed me to pass most of the field and i eventually got to the run in first place. None of these brilliant minds thought about lugging POUNDS of excess weight in their wheels in a course that featured a couple thousand feet of climbing.:D
 
Jun 4, 2010
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runninboy said:
Long story short,the first climb allowed me to pass most of the field and i eventually got to the run in first place. None of these brilliant minds thought about lugging POUNDS of excess weight in their wheels in a course that featured a couple thousand feet of climbing.:D

and then they all ran past you
 
Jun 16, 2009
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GWAR79 said:
and then they all ran past you
actually no but thanks for playing :D
Finished 11th which i was not proud of being a runner , but considering the idiots at the 1st water station had an inch of gatorade sludge in the cups which when downed quickly came back up even quicker.
Ever try to run in 100+degree heat when you are dehydrated from vomiting? So in retrospect i take great pride in bashing them all on the bike and putting even more time into them in the first mile. I walked Jogged and vomited the run portion and still beat almost the whole field . Does not say much about the others, does it?
 
Jul 17, 2009
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ElChingon said:
Chainring's on the inside of the right calf, should have a $100,000 premium ;)

Dude, its amazing, I just saw a TriTool this weekend with the iM logo tattooed on his left calf. it was red. a few miles later another triboy passed us on the right as we stopped at a signal. full aero tuck, hands away from brakes. I could swear I heard a shift.

fit, ill give him that. but you'd think like Roadies and Mountain bikers, the better rider you become the more etiquette you develop and the more of an example you set by your actions. It just doesn't seem to happen with triTools
 
It might be funny if it was meant as a joke. Sadly this is what triathlon has become, a sport of self-aggrandizing d-bags.

"HERE IT IS…my first public picture of my new Ironman tattoo. I’m an official Ironman and have now been branded as such. Average people- athletes of all shapes and sizes-dream of someday being able to get a company logo forever stamped on their body. The M-Dot tattoo is a public stamp of accomplishment and a public stamp of superiority at the same time. It’s meant as a permanent sign that says 1 of 2 things to its viewer. It either says (1) Yes, I’m part of the club or (2) Yes, I’m more badass than you.

Ever since I got my tattoo, I’ve been approached by people non-stop to ask me questions. I get other triathletes-other Iron men and Iron women -who use it as an introduction to discuss races experiences and training regimens with me. In effect, I might as well have the words “Yes, I’m a crazy person like you. Let’s discuss.” prominently tattooed on my body.

My M-Dot is a sort of invitation granting me entry into the most exclusive club in town. I’m now part of an elite group of people whose club membership requirements are the hardest to fulfill. And, now that I’m an Ironman, apparently only other Ironman are allowed to compare training with me. I used to get a lot of attention and questions from other triathletes (Olympic and Half-Ironman finishers mostly). But, now that I’m in “the club” those questions have almost entirely ceased. So, I wonder, once you’re a part of “the club” do others feel like they can no longer relate to you? Does my being part of this elite, highly selective club, make me unapproachable to all other athletes? To some extent, I think it might.

As I mentioned before, if you’re not part of the club, then you’d probably be in the latter of the two categories and my brand would instead be read as “Yes, I’m more badass than you.” Although, getting the M-Dot logo affixed to your body is actually meant to be interpreted in this way, isn’t it? Otherwise, why would so many athletes feel the desire to get a company logo forever charred into their skin. I mean, the M-Dot IS just a company logo. However, you don’t see a whole bunch of people walking around with apple or coca-cola logo tattoos.

Instead, the M-Dot is a logo in a class of its own. And, it is always put in a place highly visible to everyone else. It’s mean to be shown off. It’s meant to be intimidating.

It’s a powerful feeling…showing off my new tattoo to the world. Non-athletes should be befuddled as though I speak a different language (multisport? what's that?). Marathoners should bow down as their biggest accomplishment is now essentially my warm-down. Half-Ironmen should quake at the thought that their hardest race is merely my trial-run for something greater. With the M-Dot comes a lifelong feeling of triathlon nobility. And, it’s for that reason that we all get branded after our first Ironman race. We’re part of the club, you’re not. And, after months of training and hours of endless racing we deserve it."


http://www.silverjadedeutch.com/2012/08/club-m-dot.html
 
Yesterday I saw what appeared to be a triathlete (he had a time trial style bike on a rear mounted rack with at least 2 bottles and those were mounted under the seat) driving his car to go training.

Ok here's the thing, he was driving while wearing his cycling helmet.

Please tell me this isn't considered normal....for anyone.
 
FitSsikS said:
Yesterday I saw what appeared to be a triathlete (he had a time trial style bike on a rear mounted rack with at least 2 bottles and those were mounted under the seat) driving his car to go training.

Ok here's the thing, he was driving while wearing his cycling helmet.

Please tell me this isn't considered normal....for anyone.

Was it a long alien looking aero helmet?
 
I had a good laugh on the Sunday morning when I went up Mt Nebo to the north of Brisbane. About a third of the way up I passed a good size (20-25) group of triathletes, most with aerobars and deep dish wheels on. The clincher was 3-4 people up there on their TT bikes. One guy was on a Merida Warp with Dura Ace C50's, Aero helmet trying to climb an 8%+ section in the aerobars :confused:.

I was in no mood to hang around these guys and girls as the descent back down into town is fairly technical. The chances of something crazy happening on the descent was quite high.
 
I got a laugh from this. On a bet, an old school triathlete does Ironman Hawaii with $20 worth of gear, including a 61 pound beach cruiser with solid tires that he bought for $15. The race organization then bans mountain bikes and beach cruisers because they make a mockery of the race. :rolleyes:

Near the end of the ride, Foulk had one little perfect moment. “On the old bike course, which finished at the Kona Surf Hotel, there was a steep, evil descent into T2,” he said. “Just before the descent, I saw a guy on an $8,000 Lotus bike in front of me. I knew I could not catch him on the flats. But I also knew without a doubt I’d catch him on the descent because my bike was so heavy, I had a big weight advantage. As soon as I got to the downhill, I knew the Schwinn would eat him, up and I passed the Lotus going into T2. That was really cool – for me.”

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/Cory_Foulk_s_wild_rides__1990.html
 
Mar 10, 2009
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I could see a renegade race forming where you could not spend over $X to race it and see who would win, of course up to the racer to decide where he/she spent the money on ;)
 
Mar 11, 2009
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BroDeal said:

Great column! So the only two types of people on Earth are those with M-Dots and those who wish they could have an M-Dot. I don't have one so I guess I must want one. I'll get to work on that.

I didn't have to do much clicking at her site to find another goody:
http://www.silverjadedeutch.com/2012/09/baffled-by-brakes.html

Baffled by Brakes

I saw the movie Premium Rush a few weeks ago. In the movie they made a pretty big deal about how Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character, a bike messenger, doesn’t have brakes on his bike. All the other characters think he’s crazy. So what’s his reasoning? Because the worst accidents happen when you use your brakes.

On Monday I was out riding outdoors for the first time since Ironman NYC. I already resented my brakes a bit for malfunctioning during my race and causing my brake pads to get stuck on my back wheel (something in the brake disconnected and my brake doesn’t release without a little manual help). Anyways, I was out riding and all of a sudden I hit a rock-covered road adjacent to a construction area. I panicked. I hit my braked and, fortunately, slowed down enough to allow myself to unclip from my pedals and get my feet on the ground before toppling over. For the most part I escaped unscathed. But, the incident got me thinking…nothing good has ever happened to me from braking. So, why the hell do I even have them?

I’ve had a couple other minor accidents before. But, each time I’ve toppled over from skidding on some dirt of rocks, I went over because I braked. It wasn’t really ever the sand beneath my wheel that caused me to fall. It was the fact that I clenched my brake, lost all momentum, and stopped dead in my tracks causing my own body weight to drag me over. I should also probably note that one time when I was little, I flipped over the handle bars of my little kid bike while braking to avoid hitting a rock. Clearly losing consciousness then did not make me reach this anti-brake mentality any sooner.

In a way, you can compare the scenario to driving in the snow. Drivers Ed teachers always tell you that if you hit a patch of ice, the worst thing you could do is to slam on your brakes. Instead, you want to turn your wheel into the skid so that you don’t wind up flipping your car. We really need to apply the same principles while biking. You’re probably better off biking through the skid than stopping cold.

So, maybe Joseph Gordon Levitt wasn’t as crazy as everyone in this movie thought. Now, even if just for the sole purpose of making my mother feel more at ease, I’ll let you know that I’m not about to go rip off my brakes and head out into the world like a crazy person. But, I’m definitely starting to think about using those brakes only as a very last resort. What do you think?

Apparently no one has ever taught her about brake modulation. Amazingly enough, it is possible to stop a bike by squeezing the lever with less than a full-on four-finger fist clench. Got to love her logic, though.