You will get a lot of advice about lowering tire pressure. But it comes with a lot of provisos.
What pressure do you normally run at, what size tires do you have, what sort of tire do you have and what do you weigh.
So for example, if you are on 175lbs on 25mm tires at 130psi or 120 or 110 lowering the tire pressure 5 or 10 lbs won't do you any good. Because you should already be at 90, before you lower the pressure. On 28mm tires you could be at 80 or 70. If you weigh 150, you still haven't reached your minimum.
The physics are simple. Due to the size of the tire contact and typical loads, any tire works in a straight line. The contact point is small enough that it penetrates any surface water (except big puddles and nothing helps there). Straight lines are somewhat typical for Triathlon courses.
The hardest turn you are likely to have is the the turn at the halfway of an out and back. Otherwise you are going to do at most half a dozen left or half a dozen right, depending on whether you are going clockwise or anticlockwise. So not much time to lose. Mind you, even in the dry there's always some twerp who bottles a corner, braking late or over estimating their cornering abilities. So making the turn slightly slower is a safe bet.
If you want to test the limits, that's called practice. nobody practices on race day.
Nearly, if not all, of the advice you will find online is about road racing conditions and that ,believe it or not, is a different sport, unrelated to Triathlon. There, having some grip is useful on a corner as they tend not to slow down much in a peleton. There is also some use in having grip for the final sprint, as wheelspin is a problem when you put out 700w or more. Again, not so much of a problem at 200w.
There are some techniques that can save a fall on cornering in the wet, which I use, but these require a little practice, in the wet. So if you are overtaking anyone on a corner, be aware that they can be just as dangerous for you as the wet road you are both on. And stay away from painted lines, road covers and gratings, they are the equivalent of skating on ice.
As for braking, as you have disc and we can assume you are going straight, you will outbrake everyone around you as 90% will still be on rim brakes.
This all assumes you are not in a draft legal race.
If you live in Canada, you probably own elbow pads.....:0)
If there are thunderstorms, the swim is off, as is the bike and the run.
Have fun
What pressure do you normally run at, what size tires do you have, what sort of tire do you have and what do you weigh.
So for example, if you are on 175lbs on 25mm tires at 130psi or 120 or 110 lowering the tire pressure 5 or 10 lbs won't do you any good. Because you should already be at 90, before you lower the pressure. On 28mm tires you could be at 80 or 70. If you weigh 150, you still haven't reached your minimum.
The physics are simple. Due to the size of the tire contact and typical loads, any tire works in a straight line. The contact point is small enough that it penetrates any surface water (except big puddles and nothing helps there). Straight lines are somewhat typical for Triathlon courses.
The hardest turn you are likely to have is the the turn at the halfway of an out and back. Otherwise you are going to do at most half a dozen left or half a dozen right, depending on whether you are going clockwise or anticlockwise. So not much time to lose. Mind you, even in the dry there's always some twerp who bottles a corner, braking late or over estimating their cornering abilities. So making the turn slightly slower is a safe bet.
If you want to test the limits, that's called practice. nobody practices on race day.
Nearly, if not all, of the advice you will find online is about road racing conditions and that ,believe it or not, is a different sport, unrelated to Triathlon. There, having some grip is useful on a corner as they tend not to slow down much in a peleton. There is also some use in having grip for the final sprint, as wheelspin is a problem when you put out 700w or more. Again, not so much of a problem at 200w.
There are some techniques that can save a fall on cornering in the wet, which I use, but these require a little practice, in the wet. So if you are overtaking anyone on a corner, be aware that they can be just as dangerous for you as the wet road you are both on. And stay away from painted lines, road covers and gratings, they are the equivalent of skating on ice.
As for braking, as you have disc and we can assume you are going straight, you will outbrake everyone around you as 90% will still be on rim brakes.
This all assumes you are not in a draft legal race.
If you live in Canada, you probably own elbow pads.....:0)
If there are thunderstorms, the swim is off, as is the bike and the run.
Have fun
Last edited by:
michael Hatch: Jun 20, 19 6:28