I do it exactly as you describe. Never been out of the top 10% in T1 time, either.

I dismount by loosening both shoes about 1/2 mile out. I pull the left foot out of the shoe and pedal with it on top of the shoe. As I get to the line, I pull the right foot out of the shoe, over the seat, and put my right leg forward of the left leg, between it and the frame. Hop down to the ground and never slow down on the way to the bike racks. Hop down a few yards BEFORE the line so that the line marshall doesn't jump in your way to stop you (thinking you're gonna roll right through).

The exception to this was IMUSA, where I pulled up to the line and just stood there for a few minutes before walking very slowly to transition. I was a little dumbfounded at how long it took me to ride those two laps.

Go watch a cyclocross race. Learn. Apply.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

No cyclecross within three hours of here... fill me in.

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http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

Julian did a good job of describing the dismount. The mount is a running jump, where you land with the back of your thigh on the saddle (don't go for the perineal landing pad -- potentially disastrous results), then slide into place. Practice it on a MTB in a grassy area.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

I put shoe goo on the bottom of my speedplay cleat then run in them to T2. I am always afraid that after all the hard work I'll get a cut or thorn or something in my foot and not be able to finish. I know that chances are slim that this would happen but I still worry

Have you tried preclippign your shoes... not that hard after you practice it a bunch... much easier to run in bear feet and definately knocks a couple of seconds of of T1

Unless you don't have tri specific shoes... kinda hard then

I pre-clip my shoes, run with the bike and pass the participants clogging the mount line (running). By the way my shoes are "banded" with rubber bands to keep 'em horizontal. I hop on the bike still running and hope I land on the saddle, and not too hard on my balls.

If I hit my feet just right, they'll be in the shoe, if not I do not even worry about getting into the shoe untill I developped speed. So on an uphill out of the transition I leave my feet on top on the shoe untill the terrain level out. If that happens to be a mile, so be it. Only then do I put my feet in the shoe if need be (sometimes I get lucky and a foot makes it in) and tighten the strap.

Comming into T2 I stand ontop of a shoe, off to one side and cruise in and step of and run, often passing "cloggers". Unfortunately a lot of the cloggers pass me on the run....

Henk

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Alex Jonker

Any suggestions on the "rubber band" thing?

In a comedy of errors, one time I tried it and it didn't break! The other time, it broke, and snapped back at my Achilles... ouch!

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http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

You shouldn't need to use a rubber band.

You should run along holding your bike by the seat. As you come to the line, look down to see if the pedal is in the right spot. If it isn't - just lean down as you are running and wind it back with your left hand to the 9 o'clock - 3 o'clock position. ( left pedal at 9 o'clock ). Then you grab the handlebars , put your left foot on the pedal and scoot a couple of times with your right foot. Then lift the right leg over the seat. Build up speed and put your feet into the shoes.

easy peasy.

I don't like jumping onto the seat as I weigh 85kg and I don't think it's fair to my bike to jump on it like that. Besides - it hurts when you land on the wrong spot.

But won't they be hanging upside down and scraping along the ground and spinning my cranks with them if I don't "band" them?

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http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

No. you just put them in the right position when you rack your bike. They usually stay pretty straight as you run along with the bike.

Goeie morge' ,

though you can twist ties, or sewing tread or other "connectors" I alway end up with rubber bands. The cheapest and prefferably a package that has laying around the house for a while seems to wokr best.

It holds the shoes but has relative little snap to it. I have had the same problem with quality bands; I now alwas look down and "swipe" my left heel (the left band has a harder time breaking away from the quik release), at a sprint I noticed almost half way into the ride that I was ot disbanded.

On a different note on another sprint race (Kure Beach) I couldn't "find" my shoes, and rather than slowing down I went all 12 mi on top of them.

Henk

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Alex Jonker

I thought you ment how you put your bike at T1, so I'll answer that:

Hang bike by back of saddle (no cages there) on the pole thing, with helmet + shades on the handlebar. Shoes are pre-clipped in (saves a ton of time). Just like someone said in competitions I use rubberbands, but it isn't really necessery. At the line where you're allowed to get on the bike I jump on the saddle and start to peddle, and when you gain enough stability you slip your foot in and strap it, pedal a couple of times, and slip the other foot in then strap, and you're good to go. This just takes a little bit of practice.

At T2: Unstrap your shoes a little before the line, and keep your feet on the actual shoe and keep pedaling til you reach the line. Run to your transition, hang the bike by the STI brakes, put on shoes with quick laces, grab hat + number and run off.

Ok, at risk of being thrashed, I will say that you must use Pyro platform pedal adaptors for sprint races. I have done three races this year, all sprint, and I have not been beat in the transitions by anyone, age groupers, or elite. This past weekend race, I won my age group by 20 seconds. I also put 20 seconds over my very fast 2nd place competition in T2. So, you can say I won the race by winning T2. Using the Pyro's has not adversely effected my bike split, it is still respectable.

In a couple of weeks, at White Lake 1/2 I will be doing the rubberband, shoes preclipped onto bike trick. My whole goal in the transitions is not to stop moving forward. I have seen too many people loose their shoe by not attaching it with a rubber band. It is a sad scene to see someone then struggeling to pick up the shoe and it sorta blows their whole strategy.

Good luck and race fast.

Shawn

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"Nothing in life ever just happens. Calculated progression insures your strength."
Shawn Spencer
Bike Cycles
Wilmington, NC
http://www.bikecycleshop.com

Yep Shawn is right, the Pyro's for sprints are the best. For a little under $100.00 it looks alomst hassle free. My 11 yr old daughter had "blazing" T times due to just one shoe change - she was on a non claeted mountai bike. But it works.

I agree with Sawn a lot of athletes lose time in the coral, the shorter the race the heveir the T times weighs on the final outcome.

Henk

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Alex Jonker

I take it behind the bushes ; ]

I buy it a couple of drinks then invite it over to see m place... then straight to the bed... I usuallydon't like to mount my bike in T1... i prefer some privacy

Just kidding (don't tell my wife)