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Tired of all the gear.
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Indigodog
Apr 14, 12 17:54
Post #1 of 44
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Tired of all the gear.
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Anyone else tired of all the crap you're supposed to have to race? For up to an Oly I can fit my entire transition area in my helmet. Running shoes on my feet, everything nutrition and race belt in my shoes then shoes in my helmet. I hang my helmet on my bars and walk my bike to transition. I sold all my wetsuits a few years ago. People think I'm a newb when they see me on a road bike(I'm tired of aero) and not carrying a truckload of equipment. This will be my 26th year in the sport. Makes me laugh at how stuff oriented our sport has become.
JT_Dennen
Apr 14, 12 17:57
Post #2 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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Some people are there to just have fun, others are out there to really race. Others just love having all the toys...
Indigodog
Apr 14, 12 18:00
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [JustinD]
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I agree there are all types of motivation for all types of people. I race for the physical exhaustion you get from putting it all on the line. I'm certainly not racing for a podium spot although it would be cool to get there.
JT_Dennen
Apr 14, 12 18:03
Post #4 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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Yeah there is a whole lot of different racers there. But I will say if you want to get on the podium you might want a wetsuit, TT bike, and race wheels. Every little bit helps. No point in taking a knife to a gun fight.
AaronT
Apr 14, 12 18:08
Post #5 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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Are you happy participating in triathlon without the go-faster gear? If yes, what's the issue. If no, buy the gear or stop doing Triathlon.
ericmulk
Apr 14, 12 18:32
Post #6 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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I agree 100% and interestingly this is my 27th year in the sport, 1st yr being 1986. I ride a 1994-vintage Cannondale road bike, the frame for which I won at a tri in June 1994, with clip-on aero-bars and the old-school Look pedals, which apparently stopped production around 10 yrs ago. I have kept my one wetsuit but have been using the same one since 1989. I still use the old-school plastic water bottles.
"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
Keith A
Apr 14, 12 19:20
Post #7 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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I love the gear.
For me, a new piece of gear is a great motivator... I can't wait to get it in the mail, and go out an play with it... also...
I'm at least partially driven by not wanting to look like a clown on overly expensive/aero gear. So... I leave the big red nose at home, and I train my ass off.
lightheir
Apr 14, 12 19:36
Post #8 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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It's all up to you how much crap you want to spend your money on.
I do own a pricey Cervelo P2C, but aside from that I'm all about the training and not about the gear. It's not that much - like you, I can bring all my stuff in a small swimbag to the race, or training. (I actually minorly regret buying the Cervelo - at the time it was recommended to me by some strong triathletes but I didn't know at the time that your bike results are 98-99% engine and 1% bike. But it does look great, so I'm ok with it.)
My friends are really into the gear, and they get enjoyment from it so props to them, but I'm more into my improvement than anything else. I do have one pet peeve though - I've got some pure running friends who clearly LOVE gear, but alas, running doesn't have a ton of gear. So they're always bugging me for my opinion on Newtons, VFFs, and often they have so many shoes that they retire some before they even get to use them for more than several runs. I hate that.
hammonjj
Apr 14, 12 20:00
Post #9 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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While I find some of the gear necessary, I have to agree with you. I think far too many people think that buying gear is going to make them great, when all it's doing is getting a few seconds here and there. I feel like most triathletes don't really work very hard at all, they just talk themselves into thinking they are.
Rick in the D
Apr 14, 12 20:26
Post #10 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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I'm de-gearing as we speak, or more well put, placing a moratorium on buying more gear. All that matters is making me a better, fitter athlete, and more gear has nothing to do with it. Why? I think that there are 3 categories of triathlete: 1) pros, elites, etc, where the gear matters because seconds do, so I understand gear purchases, 2) amateurs that are trying to buy speed with gear for that elusive AG 5th place (the OEM's sweet spot), and 3) people that are in the sport to better themselves (who shouldn't buy much gear unless they're burning benjamins). Most people don't need gear. I've gone from being in category 2 to category 3 over 20 years in the sport.
I'll forgo the very immediate and delightful opportunity to acquire carbon everything, compression rest of everything, newton, prescription nutrition, bayonet anything, integrated frontend, power whatever, skinsuit, cooler, electronic shifting, vibram, Ant+ for a world simpler world without stuff, more about the athlete rather than the gear.
My $0.02. Not saying it's right for everyone, but it's right for me.
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- I do all my own stunts
DarkSpeedWorks
Apr 16, 12 6:50
Post #11 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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I can see how one may want to keep the sport as simple as possible.
But there is one thing I can say about wetsuits: forget the added speed, in some places, doing a triathlon without a wetsuit can be a brutal, and sometimes dangerous, experience. I've done a number of long tri swims in Northern Calif in the Pacific and in reservoirs (in the Spring) without a wetsuit and I can tell you that it was no party. I wasn't thinking much about swimming fast, I was just thinking about how insanely cold I felt. So, I think some tri equipment is kind of essential, or at least for me.
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(This post was
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kkoole
Apr 16, 12 7:12
Post #12 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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x2.
A few years ago I decided to ride to a local tri, so I just took what I needed in a small backpack. It was great, so simple. Made me realize how much extra crap I was lugging to races.
BCtriguy1
Apr 16, 12 7:14
Post #13 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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I'm with you. I started tri's around 7 years ago when I was broke and in college. I rode a piece of crap steel bike, basic running shoes, no wetsuit, no tri suit. I took a few years off and now that I'm no longer in college and not so broke, I upgraded the bike to a Kestrel Talon, am thinking of getting a wetsuit as I have ocean swims coming up, but I don't own a trainer, power meter, heart rate monitor, hell I don't even have a cycling computer. I just get out because I love to train, have fun, and enjoy the beautiful scenery around here.
Tom A.
Apr 16, 12 7:39
Post #14 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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Indigodog wrote:
...(I'm tired of aero)....
That's funny...non-aero makes me more tired than aero...go figure :-/
http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
jackmott
Apr 16, 12 7:59
Post #15 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Tom A.]
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I'm fine with getting rid of aero, and wetsuits here in texas.
but in cold places can we keep the wetsuits, please?
Memorial day sale at ATC and Meet Pro Triathlete Matty Reed - Sat May 25 - Captex!
The newest tri shop in Austin - ATC 360
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter
erjordahl
Apr 16, 12 8:07
Post #16 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [jackmott]
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Right, i live in MN. I dare you to try taking my wetsuit away.
Power13
Apr 16, 12 8:10
Post #17 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [erjordahl]
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erjordahl wrote:
Right, i live in MN. I dare you to try taking my wetsuit away.
No schitt.....I'm in the Chicago area and ain't no way I'm goin' swimmin' w/o my wetsuit!!
With all the warm weather we have had this winter, I thought I would check some of the local water temps - Gray's Lake is only 50* and Lake Michigan is in the low 40's. Still too early for any OWS!!
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Me_XMan
Apr 16, 12 8:53
Post #18 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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Whatever turn you on to do tri races...do it!
G-man
Apr 16, 12 11:46
Post #19 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Me_XMan]
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Interesting thought. I 've been around since the beginning of the triathlon and had (have) more bikes than I can count. I know aero bars,frame, wheels are great and faster but just have a hard time getting past single speeds. More times than not you will find me on the fixed gear road bike, SS mtb, humpin the grocery getter frankin bike to the store,or rockin the cross circuit on the SS CX bike.
Aero schmaro, if I hit the local TT on a box rim, round tube track bike with tubulars and no aero bars I can compare my time today with my late 60s and early 70s times and compare how the athlete is performing. (it ain't that pretty of a comparison any more)
You really don't need GPS, speedometers or fancy stuff to pop a pretty good time. Just call me a forever trying to be under an hour sort of guy, the hard way. If you aren't making a living at it you are in it for the fun, have fun.
white wizzard
Apr 16, 12 12:09
Post #20 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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Lose the fuel belt. Lose the nutrition. They have food and drink there, right?
BTW if you are eating and drinking in a sprint or even an oly you are going too slow.
Indigodog
Apr 18, 12 2:24
Post #21 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [white wizzard]
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It's not a fuel belt it's a number belt. I despise fuel belts. Not for any real reason, I just do!
%FTP
Apr 18, 12 7:05
Post #22 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [Indigodog]
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maybe because people wear them on 3 mile runs with 6 full bottles on a 60 degree day?
jackmott
Apr 18, 12 7:18
Post #23 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [%FTP]
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I feel bad for some of those people. Houston has a marathon club, and everyone is *required* to have a fuel belt. Some of them are women just planning to walk it, so they are out there doing 3-6 mile power walks, with 32 ounces of gatorade. Presumably the goal is to improve health and lose weight, which will not happen throwing down more sugar than you are burning.
but they have been advised that HYDRATION is CRITICAL.
Memorial day sale at ATC and Meet Pro Triathlete Matty Reed - Sat May 25 - Captex!
The newest tri shop in Austin - ATC 360
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter
%FTP
Apr 18, 12 7:21
Post #24 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [jackmott]
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Hydration is critical jack! Especially when your club is sponsored by fuel belt and Gatorade! 10 oz a mile minimum!
twomarks
Apr 18, 12 7:44
Post #25 of 44
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Re: Tired of all the gear. [%FTP]
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I kind of like the gear. In fact, I don't know what I like more, the training or gearing up!
Having said that, I have no illusions that any of it will make me any faster if I don't go out and bust my tail. I just got into this sport last year, so there's been a significant ramp-up with a bike, wetsuit (I'm in Texas so sue me), GPS watch, and tri-suit. However, I now find myself kind of at the end of the acquisition period and wanting to hold off on any other significant purchases until I get a few more races, and substantially more fitness/speed, under my belt (but not my fuel belt - which I don't own)
twomarks
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