And has anybody ridden the course with low 50 degree temperatures and a 15mph wind? I have the feeling it is going to be brisk!

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

I have ridden the IMMD course twice in training and I have done Eagleman x2 (same area, shares some roads, different directions). The winds are very unpredictable and change frequently. It is completely flat and wide open on 90% of the course. The honest answer is it's impossible to predict exactly what the winds will be like other than to expect a lot of wind. Both times I rode the course the wind changed by the time I did the second loop.

So you're saying headwind out and headwind back in!

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

Did this race in 1991 when it was the US Continental Long Distance Championship (even then, Ironman was protecting their name). It was low 50s race morning and never got much warmer than 60. I think some T1 times were around 30 minutes just to warm hands and feet. Wind was about the same. Not bad, but it makes a long day even longer. But enjoy the day. I'm impressed that WTC got this done.

I think it's going to be a pretty cool start to the ride. Hopefully if wind does come it shows up after the swim and gives us calm water for the start (wind usually does pick up as day goes on). Given the ride is two big circles we should have some tailwind for parts no matter what shows up

What are folks planning on wearing for the ride? I feel it's not cold enough for anything besides arm warmers but then again I don't have much experience in cool weather riding

Yesterday I rode 3 hours in CT at 4:00am and it was 37 degrees. I put on a few layers and gloves/ toe covers and I was still comfortable. Did a swim in LI Sound in the afternoon and the water was 63 but very choppy. Sleevless wetsuit and I was super comfortable in the water. I am bringing all of my layers with me to Maryland. I am hoping to shed them to family members as the day goes on.

Bring arm/toe warmers, thin gloves. I usually don't wear socks to ride in so may just put on a thin pair. Maybe a thin shirt under my jersey for a second layer. If I keep my core warm I am good to go

I guess I should switch my tri top for a dry cycling jersey at T1. I was planning on wearing it through the whole thing but probably too cold to keep on wet top. My first ironman and not too worried about aero seconds or minutes.

I guess a further question is do folks switch to new tri shorts after swim to have dry ones? I imagine 50 degree cycling in wet shorts is not fun.

Good thing I have an iron sac!

sorry, but think this needs to be said this to many of you:

htfu.

point taken

This.

I gotta admit the whining I see about possible "ZOMG 50 degree weather" at IMMD is kinda irritating. I was at Tahoe 2013 when we dealt with literally freezing conditions (I was chipping ice off my pedals and saddle while prepping my tires). Nobody was complaining. We all just came with a plan to stay as warm as possible.

50 degrees and a sunny day? You will dry pretty fast and get warmed simply by the heat your body generates while riding. 15mph winds really isn't all that bad.

sounds like free Air Conditioning to me. Push on

Oh man, what bad asses we have here! HTFU! Ice on pedals! When I was a kid, we walked both ways in the snow. Yeah, you guys are tough. Really, I mean it. No, really, I am impressed. Honest. Tough guys. Wow! Mean it. Wow.

I've done cold and I have done long. What to wear during a race can have major implications on your time. Shivering during the first half of a bike is not a good use of energy. Which might be why you see cyclists starting off layered up and then handing off clothes to the team car. It is important. Shutting down discussion of this because you two can brag about doing the Iditarod in Speedos does a disservice to the forum.

But yeah, tell me again how bad/hard/tough you are. I always believe stories like that. Really. Honest.

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

This isn't intended to be a dick measuring contest. Rather, I am wondering why such things are even in question. Is this the first time you will be riding in cooler weather? It just seems odd that there is concern over typical cooler fall temperatures. I certainly understand if there was a prediction of truly adverse weather conditions, but what they are calling for is, I would hope, something every cyclist has experienced in the past.

I ask bc this is my first ironman. And I have not done a 112 mile bike after an OW swim in high 40's temp. There are definitely new factors. I am not even sure how changing works in T1 ... the athlete guide just talks about your bags not the actual logistics. Lastly, shedding layers seems like a way to go but not sure if you are allowed to at the aid stations (and likely wont get them back). I get these are noob questions but just trying to make it to the finish line in one piece.

For anyone not gunning for a KQ, I offer this advice when I was faced with a similar conundrum (Tahoe 2013).

Air temp was 33 at swim exit, water temp was 62 (ish). Cold morning.

I planned a full change in T1 and T2. I had a towel, bib-shorts, regular short sleeve cycling jersey, compression undershirt, arm warmers, under-helmet beanie and a cycling jacket in my T1 bag.

Got into the change tent, and despite the ridiculous crowd in there I found a little spot, stripped completely, towel-dried until I was sure I was as water-free as I could get myself, and put on all the kit I brought. My T1 was a long 14 minutes, but it looked like that was pretty much the median time for most people that day (lots of people did what I did).

About half way through the ride the temps climbed to the mid-70s and I shed the jacket. I stuffed it up the back of my jersey (I am sure that was *really* aero, lol). I finished the ride still wearing my arm warmers though.

In T2 I shed all of that except the compression shirt. Put on a regular running tee, running shorts. Changed socks (fresh socks in T2 is important, at least to me). It was warm by this point so I took off the arm warmers but I tied them to my bib-number belt. I knew I would want them later when it got dark. Sure enough when the sun dipped the nice 70 degree weather turned to low 40s quickly. Put on the arm warmers and I felt great.


Now - you guys are not going to have such extreme conditions, however the advice applies. Towel off in T1, get dry, put on regular cycling kit (or dry tri kit). It will take you an extra 5 minutes in T1 but you will be more comfortable. If 5 minutes matters to you, then you probably don't need to read this anyway :)

In T2, might as well full change again. Take the extra 5 minutes to be more comfortable.

Sounded like one. Why was the question being asked? Because people are curious. People may not know what to wear. Why are such things being questioned? Because it could make a difference. What did you say? "I was at Tahoe 2013 when we dealt with literally freezing conditions..." Before you went on the rant about how tough you were by chipping ice off you seat and pedals, you almost talked about what might help people. How did you deal with the conditions? We are going to be at a race in a location many people have never been at before. Coming out of chilly water with the temperature in the low 50's and climbing onto a windy bike could be something many people have not done before. They can't just run back to the hotel/car/home and change. People are being bused in from parking lots. They may be getting there the night before. For some people this may be their first long distance race in the cold. They might like to have an idea of what they are facing and how to adapt. It is not just about HTFU and wearing a tri suit. There are considerations. Maybe not for you, because you would probably just chip the ice of your balls as you ride the course.

Is this my first time in the cold riding? No. I won't go into all the places I had to chip ice from, but you can Google "the snake creek gap time trial." And you know what, there was a lot of information exchanged before that series of races. There is every year. Most folks had never done a water crossing a mile into a very long, cold race. Information was exchanged before all my Ironmans, even the ones back in the late 90's when most folk had no idea what was going on. Information was exchanged before Alcatraz. People always talk about the weather because it can have a huge affect on your race. More information should probably been exchanged before the inaugural Ironman Louisville. That race wasn't cold, but the weather was really important.

If the information in a thread isn't interesting to you, or you don't need it, cool. Good for you. But there is no reason to crap on a thread when some people do seem interested in the information.

Edited to add: While I was typing this you posted an awesome response with great information! Thanks! That will probably help a lot of people! Now I almost feel sorry about all the ice chipping comments. Almost. ;-)

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

Was just having some fun with you. Understand it's your first.

A couple points: Don't let this stuff freak you out. You can't control weather so you just have to roll with what comes at you.

I would say this: if it is high40s/ low 50ish... don't plan on just wearing a tri-suit on the bike. First, put a towel in your T1 bag and dry off. Have an extra jersey and armbands in T1 bag. If you get too hot later on (doubtful if it stays in 50s)... you can always take off the layers and put in your special needs bag (have never used bike special needs...so check if you can get the bag back...pretty sure you do. If not, maybe you have a jersey you don't mind losing?)

Also, if you are worried about cold bike shorts... put bike shorts in your T1 bag and put those on for the ride. You could always put tri shorts in T2 bag...and put those on before the run. It may take you a little bit of time to put extra layers on, shorts, etc. but very minimal - maybe a few minutes?

If you want to help yourself get to the finish line...dress as comfortably as you can for the bike, even if that means a couple minutes added to your time.

Good luck!

...whatever they say the winds are going to be in Cambridge...add 10 mph for the Refuge!

You drop your T1 and T2 bags the evening before the race. You drop your bike and run special needs the morning right before the race. You show up with what you need for the swim and your dry bag race morning. When you change for the swim, you put all your stuff in the dry bag and hand it in where they tell you to. (After the race, this will be the bag you get to change into warm clothes.) Then you walk to the swim start with only what you need for the swim.

After the swim you run out of the water, let a wetsuit puller remove your wetsuit, or do it yourself. You run past the T1 bags, grab yours or maybe have a volunteer hand it to you. You run into a changing tent. There will be more volunteers to help you, if it is not too crowded. You can change into your riding gear, or if you are wearing your riding gear under your wetsuit, you grab you helmet and stuff and run out. You may have to stuff everything from the swim into you T1 bag, or a volunteer may do that for you. You get on your bike and go.

About halfway through the bike course you will have an opportunity to grab your special needs bag, if you want. I usually put nutrition in this. You will never see this bag again if you choose not to stop for it. You cannot drop stuff off, unless you toss it in the trash.

From T2, bike to run, is similar to T1. You will hand your bike to a volunteer at the dismount line, run past the T2 bags, grab yours, or have a volunteer hand it to you. You change from bike to run clothes. Or drop off your helmet and shoes and grab your running shoes and whatever else you want from the bag. Again, a volunteer may be stuffing everything into your bag for you, or you may need to do it. I have had volunteers dump out my bags, help me with what I have needed, and then tell me to go while they put all my bike gear into my bag. I have also had to do this myself.

Mid run, you get your run special needs bag. Again, put whatever you want into this. I may have nutrition. I have also put a throw away long sleeve shirt in sometimes, just in case I am running late and it gets cold. You will never see this bag again. If you do not pick it up, it vanishes into the void.

When you finish, you can grab you dry bag and change. You get your T1 and T2 bags back. Hopefully your bike- usually a bracelet checkout from transition. Again, special needs bags are gone.

I will probably wear a bike kit with knickers and arm warmers. And socks. If it gets warm, I just pull down the arm warmers until they are only on my wrists. I can always trash them at an aid station if I really need to. Some people use old tube socks as arm warmers because they know they are going to toss them. Anything you peel off during the race is gone unless you hand it to family. I will probably take a page from cyclists and put some paper or plastic under my jersey to block the wind and keep me a bit warmer during the first part of the course. I am still debating how to handle the run.

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

I am not a great swimmer so I am wondering if that level of winds will make the bike course significantly more challenging to keep some of the good swimmers in check so they can be caught by the stronger cyclists?

In answer to the OP's question, 15 mph is not very windy at all and will not change the race appreciably.