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Just got a lottery slot.
For those of you that have done this race, can you give me advice on the bike and bike set-up I should use for this race? I understand the course is pure hills.
I have a tri-bike with Hed-3s. Weighs about 21 pounds in full tri set-up. Rides like a tank, but fast as heck on flats and rollers. I also have a light Ti road bike with light, thin 32-spoke wheels. I could put some shorties on this bike, though never tried it. I climb far better on the road bike, but do not ride flats quite as well as the tri-bike.
Any thoughts?
Robert
I used a road bike with shorties, a Thomson and 303's. Perfect set up. Great race.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Tom's probably right using a road bike setup, but I did it last year on a Blade, and still had a really good split. While there are a lot of climbs, there are also some very fast decents, so aero is good. Either way you'll be fine. I would recommend a bigger than usual cogset to save you legs for the run though.
If you havent done this race before you are in for a treat. The run course is absolutely stunning. I was lucky enough to get in again this year as well. Although I suspect the swim will be harder. Last year we had a fast current pushing us to shore. I guess that very unusual for the bay that time of year.
Good luck,
Dennis
I live on the course right next to Golden Gate Park, guess I'm spoiled :-)
Only about 4-5 miles of the bike course are flat and thats along the ocean and Marina Green where you can expect pretty gusty winds if the fog bank is anywhere close by. The rest of it is classic San Francisco terrain.
You also get to run right by Robin Williams' front door. But he won't be at home cuz he's in the race.
Enjoy the race and if you need any tips on what to do while you're here, just ask.
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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill
Just got my slot this morning, too. Riding a stock Trek now with a front triple. Am planning on getting race wheels this spring - may have to think about the rear cassette as well. Only question now is where to get the $$ ...
Any additional course info would be greatly appreciated.
king of the road says you move too slow
KING OF THE ROAD SAYS YOU MOVE TOO SLOW
I’m a slowertwitcher (50 yrs old middle-of-the-pack age-grouper) and can’t get into the Big Dance. But I did get into the NIT equivalent, Alcatri – Escape From The Rock. It’s a similar race held in August, put on by (I think) Dave Horning, who was good back when I had twitch. Anyway, my brother lives down the road from Robin Williams, so I had him query the locals – they say leave the aero bars at home. I remember reading a thread that discussed the pros and cons of having a dual set-up for your front end. For those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest and race on courses that can get pretty vertical, (and for us old guys), that is a real help. I flip the Corima seatpost on my Kestrel 500 sci, slap on some drops and stubbies, give my legs a few weeks to adjust, and I’m good to go…so to speak…
Thanks everyone for the responses.
Is there any particular protocal to follow in putting shorties on a road bike (PS. Ernesto will roll over in his grave once I do that)? Should I modify my seat post height, move the seat forward on the rails, etc. Like you, Tom, my road bike has a Thomson straight. I've been debating getting an Arione as well.
Thanks again.
There are no flats on the Envirosports (Daev Horning) bike course at all. Literally you ride up a big hill, down the other side, turn around and go back up again and down the other side.........3 times. I believe there are some places on the Tri Cali course where aero's are helpful. The bike course is quite a bit different.
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"He broke into the long easy lope, and went on, hour after hour, never at loss for the tangled way, heading straight home through strange country with a certitude of direction that put man and his magnetic needle to shame."
-Call of the Wild
I just got a spot today as well. I entered the lottery half hearted, now, I need to know if it is worth the travel expense to participate in this race. It will cost me my entire season to do this. Is it worth it?
I travelled from Japan to do Alcatraz last year.
Was it worth it? I think so. The race itself is great - swim is fun, bike course is hilly, run course is great (though difficult to pass people in some spots) but also the whole San Francisco experience is great. It was my second trip to San Francisco.
It's worth it in my opinion. I wouldn't spend that money to travel to the race every year but as a one off - with a holiday in SF - it was worth it.