Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Transition Area Etiquette
Quote | Reply
I have an etiquette question for all you out there who are experienced and wise in the way of triathlon. I competed in my 5th triathlon on Sunday, and my first Olympic distance. I had a great race, for me, but there is this nasty incident hanging over the day.

My friend and I got to the transition area 5 minutes after it opened at 7:05, and got a couple of good spots right next to each other 6 racks from the bike exit/entry. We did our normal, pre race routine: checking out the transition area, then a run warmup and a bike warmup. I got back from my bike warmup at 8:30, the race started at 9:00 and found a guy racking his bike in our spot and unloading his stuff. I walked up to him and told him, "I'm sorry, but you are going to have to move your bike, these spots are taken." Anyway, a rather loud conflict ensued where he informed me that because my bike wasn't there, he didn't know the spots were taken. However, there were two piles of gear there, even though our bikes weren't. I tried to stay polite, but I was a little tense, and time was ticking away. In the end, the guy told me that I was rude, and left.

So, in hindsight, I'm wondering if I should have handled it differently. Should I have offered to turn my bike around and rack it by the seat? I always rack my bike by my brake levers because the two times I didn't my bike ended up on the ground. Should we have moved stuff around to make room for him? We were racked so our handle bars were touching and I had another guy's seat right next to my handle bars, so it would have involved moving the whole row. Should I do my bike warmup at a different time, or not at all?

I feel like if I get to the transition area when it opens that I have a right to claim a spot and not move for someone who shows up 30 minutes before the race. Is that wrong? Was I rude? Feel free to lambaste me if I'm in the wrong. I'd just like to know one way or the other so I can avoid situations like this in the future.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
First, ivy_tri, let me say that you should try to rack by the saddle. You take less room down the aisle when racking this way. If you have to buy/make a saddle hook to make it work, do it. Your fellow age-groupers around you will thank you. Aside from that, your experience has happened to me many times. I, like you, prefer to get to the race early to get a good rack and warm-up at a non-rushed pace. Some races already have numbers on the rack so getting there early to get a good rack serves no advantage at all, except for the non-rushed warm-up. I suggest next time it happens you try this.

Make yourself a rack place holder you can hang on the rack, above your transition bag, where you're bike would be normally be racked. I made mine out of white teflon. It reads "Reserved for my name". Someone will have to move it in order to take their bike in that spot - which will be very obvious. Bottom line, you got there early and the other guy didn't. He shouldn't be able to take your rack, IMHO. I have had and have witnessed some heated arguments in transition regarding this very issue. It is generally accepted that if someone has his stuff in a spot (whether the bike is there or not), that spot is taken. Don't feel bad about the way you handled it. It will happen again. When it does, don't let it interfere with your race plan. Always try the nice approach first. Of course, some people are going to give you a hard time about it right off the bat. In the long run, it's really not worth getting into a fight over or losing focus on the race. Move your bike if you have to and don't worry about it. Concentrate and focus on the race. And if he's in your age-group, make sure you kick his... well you know. Smile as you go by! ;-)
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I think you were in the right, but it might not have been worth the conflict to establish your rights. That's a personal decision, not really etiquette. Something similar happened to me is weekend, just not quite as drastic. I put my bike on the end of the rack and then started my typical race day portapottie roulette. When I came back my bike had been moved down about 3 feet and some other guy was on the end of the rack (the rack wasn't full, he just wanted the end spot). Unlike you, I didn't say anything to him. He was standing 6-8 feet away, so I just shot him the evil eye and then made a big production out of moving all of his stuff about 3 inches over and then stood there in front of both our bikes for about 10 minutes pretending to futz with my stuff (thus taking some small, admittedly juvenile, pleasure in denying him access to re-assemble his stuff). Your direct approach was at least more honest than mine. Of course, having one of those personalities that just lets stuff like that s-l-i-i-i-i-d-e on by would be the best, but that's a trait I just don't seem to have enough of.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
IMO. one of the most appreciated things a RD can do is to mark the bike racks with race numbers. That way there is no argument about whose spot it is. You still get the occasional space hog, though. What I do is to lay out a towel or rug with all my gear on it to "mark" my territory. I haven't had anybody out and out move my stuff, but I have had them infringe on my space somewhat. BTW, the second most appreciated thing a RD can do is to have good transition area security. The one I did this weekend has wristband and race number checks coming in and out of transition. No wives, kids, sister-in-laws, or other hangers on allowed in. If you try to walk out with someone else's bike, you get stopped.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
You jerk! How DARE you place your equipment at your rack spot, go off and do something like... a pre-race warm-up on the bike, and then expect to still have your spot on the rack! Why... you were ASKING for it! :)

Sounds to me like you were completely in the right. The other guy was probably just made because he thought he'd found the perfect spot, only realize he was a victim of his own mistake.

Things like this will happen. The important thing is to not let it affect your race concentration. If this other guy wants a better rack space, he should do what you did... get there early.

Shake it off. He was wrong.

-->Steve
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
FWIW... I hang my wetsuit over the rack where I want my bike to be with the rest of my gear below. That, to me, obviously says the spot is taken. If somebody moved my stuff, I'd have a word or two with them.

Andy

'You'd be surprised how many people violate this simple principle every day of their lives and try to fit square pegs into round holes, ignoring the clear reality that Thinsg Are As They Are.'
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ivy, I know this is totally off the subject but how did you do in the race? I thought only pros warmed up for 1 1/2 hours before a race.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [beatnic_tx] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'll have to spend some time this off season trying to figure out a way to rack my bike by the saddle, and making some fancy marker to hold my place while I'm warming up. Or maybe I'll just write my name in big letters on the inside of my wetsuit and hang it over the bar. I don't know if it's my saddle that doesn't respond well to racking, or the fact that my bike is little. Thankfully I'm an engineer, so I can spend my winter figuring out a way to make it work.

In response to how I did, well, I'm happy with the results, but they are pretty pathetic overall. I'm a MOP/BOPer depending on the race, and I'm not heading for the pros anytime soon. :) I finished in 3:15, with a horrible swim, a decent bike and my best run of the season. Mainly, I just wanted to finish my first Olympic Distance tri, and next year I'll start learning how to race the things.

My friend was trying to qualify for Nationals next year, and she's incredibly anal about getting to the race early. Thus we arrived to the transition area two hours before race time. (She missed by 00:02:41, ouch!) And we weren't warming up the whole time. She had a brake pad that was rubbing, we didn't get a course map in our packet and we were trying to figure out the course. Random stuff. Although, I have to admit, I like having the time in the morning to get my stuff arranged, warm up and get in a fight or two before the race starts :)
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I am an obsessive-compulsive nut who is always one of the very first to the transition zone on race morning and always get one of the best spots. I leave my wetsuit across the rack when I take my bike out and would probably have gotten in an argument like you did (I get a little intense on race day). The guy crowding your space is an idiot who should have gotten there early if he wanted a good spot..... it's all part of the race prep!
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [Allan] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I always bring an extra towel, just in case they miss the green, red and white striped frog on my towel, and hang it ove the rack where my bike goes when warming up. A bit of electrical tape helps secure it to the rack.
Hang something on the rack to help mark your territory.
FWIW, my bike doesn't hang by the seat very well either. I'm a bar racker.

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The towel and wetsuit "hang" are excellent strategies.

As for racking, racking by the seat allows for a much faster swim-bike or run-bike transition, but it can be difficult with a Softride.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ditto for me in a race earlier this year. I was pissed, Rack space was at a premium and the RD was setting up additional racks 10min before the race. Racks were marked with numbers like this rack race numbers 1-10. After a very calm conversation I realized the guy saw my towel, the rest of my gear, had the wrong number and and was trying to steal my spot. I told the dude I felt his pain and he could stay but his bike had to go then asked him if he wanted to move his bike or should I. I was able to keep the fur from flying yet I really wanted to shorten the dude a few inches.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [john] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Hang your wetsuit on the rack prior to the race, but please don't do it during the race. I came into T2 during a race and foud a wetsuit over the rack right where my bike racking spot was. Needless to say, the wetsuit ended up in the dirt, I had a slow transition, but used my anger to help me in the run. Also, I like to rack my bike by the seat for T1, but rack it by the brake levers for T2. That way I don't have to turn the bike around during either transition. One thing I would like to see is taller bike racks for us longer legged types with 58-62 cm frames. Often I have to tilt my bike to work it under the crossbar, and with a crowded rack, that gets tricky sometimes.
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
wow. lots of interesting stories here.

I'm another early-arriver and when conditions permit I snag the coveted end-spot too. I'll take one on a less-than-optimum rack (i.e. further from exit/entry points, etc) just to have one. I value having one less person to worry about bumping into.

thankfully, I've not ever faced the pre-race moving/stealing/ignorance situation many have described here. part of the reason may be that my personal warmup scheme generally does not involve a bike ride. a short jog and swim but no bike. I just don't see the point. even in a sprint distance race, 4-12min worth of swimming I see as enough time to eliminate any cycling-specific warmup gains.

anyone moving my rig from it's spot, then, is blatantly wrong and I would never shy away from informing them of this fact.

what I HAVE experienced, a couple times now (in 5yrs of tri/du, so it's rare), is someone on my rack returning to T2 before me and racking in "my space". at my recent 1/2IM it was the guy right next to me who racked himself by the back of his saddle pointing the opposite way in T1...but saddle-nose racked himself right on top of my gear bag (which was located directly under my bike) in T2. the proximity of the rackmate on "my" side of the rack eliminated the option of simply racking myself a little to the left...as well as keeping me from just shoving the offender's bike over there. three things kept me from blowing up and doing something satisfying but stupid: 1) I wasn't really racing that day, 2) He had such a pretty bike I couldn't bear to risk defacing it somehow, and 3) he was a Marine, who had come to the race with a LOT of fellow Corps...who I directly/indirectly work for and I can't help but give them the benefit of the doubt as a result.

so I took the time to rearrange things a bit and all was well. under different circumstances, things could've been worse.

Ivy, you're 100% in the right.

Carl Matson
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [Andy] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
"I hang my wetsuit over the rack where I want my bike to be"

This seems to work best. It took me a few races to figure it out, and before that I did have one incident where I came back to find someone racking where I was set up, but I politely pointed out that my gear was there, and he moved down the row.

As amazing as I still find it to be, most people are very respectful of your transition area, and if you leave a clear marker, no one will snatch your space.

------------------------------------------------------------
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
i also warm up on the bike. to save my spot i put a towel over the rack, then wrap my race belt with my race number attached around the towel, then put my bag on the side of the rack where i intend to have my front end sitting (and rack by the seat). usually someone will rack up by the seat on the other side but as long as they don't slide my stuff further away from the exits, it doesn't bother me.

on the rare occasions someone moves my stuff from the prime position, i'll slide their stuff over and rerack my stuff in the original, reserved position. if they're standing there i kindly explain why i'm doing it. if they're not, they probably never notice...

i also much prefer individually, pre-numbered spaces.

Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
In some species, the males use urine to mark the boundaries of their territory. Just don't get caught for public nudity!
Quote Reply
Re: Transition Area Etiquette [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ivy you were not rude - in fact you were down right witty. You failed to mention that when the intruder asked if he had to move his stuff you said, "Unless you have a kickstand or something, yes you have to move." That was the best!

Seriously what did he expect, showing up 30 minutes prior to the race? "Wow the 499 people here overlooked these prime transition spots." DUH he knew exactly what he was doing and was hoping that we would be too meek to stand up for outselves. All I have to say is he is lucky I was still warming up or it might have been ugly. He is the one with the bad karma. Thanks for saving my spot. :)
Quote Reply
How NOT to set up your transition [ivy_tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I took this picture before the racks filled up, but by race time the racks were overflowing. This jerk was so clueless, he dropped his bike on the ground after t2 and only racked it after his wife yelled at him!


Quote Reply