Thanks a lot for the article, just what i needed to get in the mood even more. I´m racing this year and am always happy about more info about how it might be.

Nice to read what you wrote about the bike course... just what i like. Technical and tough... will still use 11-23 though. :-)

The run course...well, that´s another story. I like Canada: a few spectators here and there, but lot´s of time to focus and get in your rhythm. Hated the crowds in Frankfurt. Got on my nerves. But you are absolutely right about how it depends on how your day is going. If you do great you like the "Way do go, your doing great!" if not... then it feels more like someone is making fun of you.

Anyway, i´m really looking forward to Moo... just over two weeks to go.

Axel, from the German Moo-Area... going for IM #20.

Axel, I actually think Tom is wrong :-). While the bike course is substantially different in flavour than say IMG or IMCH, it's not "technical" in any reasonable sense, and (as long as you tighten everything in advance) easy to ride with a conventional tri-setup (and 11-23).

Simon

PS: make that 11-21 for you :-).

PPS: there quite a few 3athlon users that have done IMMOO.

Uh, I did Wisconsin last year. I would say that I'm ok on the bike and was glad to have the 12-25. My two 56 mile 1/2s where within 30 seconds of eachother as well. As for having a 39-21 for the second loop, well considering I used the 39-25 the first loop I think it would be stupid to use an 11/12-21 gear set. If you are a sub 4:50 guy on THAT ride then you may be ok. I'm not close to that.



Ed Alyanak

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Ed Alyanak

Hope your right...we will soon find out. ;-)

Axel, in need of a positive IM-experience

Ed: Your biketime (congrats) suggests you are an experienced rider... what terrain do you ride in normally? I train in the alps and i use 11-23 there... your 25 seems big considering your time?

I doubt i will ride 4:50 (have done that on flat courses when i was young ;-)) ...5:15 to 5:25 would make me happy. (That is nonsense to aim for a time on a course that i don´t know...)

Axel

I noticed the link that Tom gave took me to a sale page, which starts the same day this thread began at 8am.

Uh... check out the link again. It's the front page of his store's website, not just "a link to a sale page."

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Steve Perkins

Just so that there's no misunderstanding, I consider the course very challenging, one reason being the lack of any substantial climbs, just myrids of small ones.

I´m really looking forward to that ride. Obviously something must be difficult, as the times aren´t that great. The elevation map isn´t that impressive, so there must be something else.

Axel, very curious

[reply]".. check out the link again. It's the front page of his store's website, not just "a link to a sale page.""


Oops. I must have the wrong link. I keep getting this huge sale page. Sorry. I thought the OP wanted to share an editorial. My computer is acting funny, I suppose.[/reply]

Maybe it's a Mac thing? Cause my computer gets the same thing yours does.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Oops. I must have the wrong link.

Or perhaps... just perhaps... the information about the sale is on the front page of the web site? Nah... that'd be too obvious.

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Steve Perkins

They don't call it the "Redneck Riveria" for nuthin'

As far as the race I have to disagree. IMHO IMWI is far superior to IMFL. The Bike course at IMFL is flat, boring and not a person in site for most of the course. The run course is fairly comparable to IMWI except with less people and if you're unfortunate enought to end up in the dark on your run the run in the park is GOD AWEFUL at IMFL.

~Matt

To a GOOD rider the course is not all that difficult. Someone used to 6K-10K of elevation in a typical 100 mile ride this is no biggy.

If you're a GOOD rider many/most of these hills can be "ridden over" by accelerating down the downside and a little power over the top of the next one...with a few exceptions.

If you're a GOOD rider you probably can get thru the few larger climbs fairly easily and with out using up to much energy.

That being said I'm not a good rider and what makes this course hard for me...other than I'm a few pounds to heavy is, Hard to get into any sort of rythme. Constantly changing gears etc. Not so much the elevation of the hills as much as the steepness of them, again not a problem if you're a striong rider. With that in mind certainly a strong rider could get by with an 11-23/21....not me though.

Also the reason the course times are likely slower is not only that it's a slightly hilly course, very hilly compared to a course like IMFL, but teh damn weather. Last year for instance it was 90-95'ish and 20-25 MPH winds.

It's been very warm every year except 2002 from what I understand.

~Matt

Why not link to the article itself? It seems that the purpose of this thread is really to direct everyone to the home page where we can see that there is a sale going on. Cynic that I am.

I think we've pretty much established that 90% of what is posted by Tom is in someway a veiled attempt to get attention to his business. Not that there's is anything wrong with that, in fact fairly shrewed business.

So with that understanding either don't read his posts or go to the links he provides because chances are it will have something to do with him selling something or just accept that that is the way it is.

For me it's a 50/50 proposition. Sometimes I think "Nah don't care to see another add" and sometimes I think "Well usually there's a pearl of wisdom in there somewhere"

~Matt

Yes... and it's SO veiled that he includes in his signature a note that he owns a triathlon-related business.

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Steve Perkins

Thanks Matt. I'm really slow. I read the first page or so of the thread and posted this reply. Had I went to the end I would have noticed the very similar comments about mine.

I don't need an aero-helmet - I just made myself look like a dork without one.

[reply]Someone used to 6K-10K of elevation in a typical 100 mile ride this is no biggy.
[/reply]

Thank you for your reply, i appreciate that. Had to read that quote 3 times though, until i got that you are talking about feet and not meters... ;-) Yes, that´s how some of my long rides look like.

Axel

I never said he wasn't outright forward at times as well. I think Tom is the "All around" sales person. I just accept, that just like talking to someone that sells Amway, eventually most discussions lead to Tom's business. Neither good nor bad, just the way it is.

~Matt

I'm just a little surprised at the people who seem to be shocked and/or offended that Tom would point them to the home page of his website, which is listing an ongoing sale instead of linking directly to the article. It isn't a secret that Tom owns a shop that sells triahtlon gear... heck, it's right there in his signature line. Why do some people feel the need to point out to everyone that he could have, but didn't link directly to the article? Frankly, that would be a missed opportunity.

Now, if someone's being deliberately sneaky about it, and we've all seen the promotions disguised as "articles" posted by anonymous forum "members," then I can see the reason for calling them out. But I don't think Tom's ever tried to hide the fact that he is, at least in part, marketing his business on this forum.

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Steve Perkins

Me too. It's not like there aren't 16,000+ threads and posts on here followed by this:



http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/
(NOTE: This poster owns a retail business selling triathlon related products).

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

So you weren't trying to get people to notice that you just started a sale?

I think there is a major difference between noting in your signature that you own a business, and starting a thread indicating an article about one subject. Yet the link you provide goes not to the article but to a page that jumps out at you with a banner about a sale going on.

As someone who traveled over 5 hours to buy a bike from you - I would be more positive if you were a little more subtle, and a little more honest - about promoting your business. I probably wouldn't have said anything if you had linked to the article and mentioned that there was a sale going on somewhere lower in your thread. I felt like I had been hit with a bait-and-switch.

" I'm just a little surprised at the people who seem to be shocked and/or offended that Tom would point them to the home page of his website"

I don't think people are "shocked" or "offended" I know I'm certainly not.

I have no problem with Tom "selling his wares" here. As long as he doesn't start doing blatant "XXX for sale" all's fair in love and war. If he feels writing editorials, reviews etc etc and directing people to his site to see them is good for business then go for it.

"But I don't think Tom's ever tried to hide the fact that he is, at least in part, marketing his business on this forum."

Nope me neither. but I have seen ALOT of reviews, articles, editorials etc etc, that many would not think would go directly to a "sales site".

Like I said, I kinda treat Tom's post's like any "Free internet usage". You have to put up with the adds and "pop ups".

I think were most people get stuck is they have a hard time putting an advertiser of tri bikes in the same category as a free Yahoo mail account. It's pretty simple really, read or don't read.

~Matt