Don't assume it will be hot. IMFL has had some brutally cold and windy days. I will be doing it this November as well (IMFL#3 and IM#14). If it is going to be a cool day, I'll wear the Giro Aerohead. If it is forecast to heat up more than 75 degrees, I'll be in the Giro Advantage 2. If you have a disk, bring it. If you get an 808, consider a wheel cover. Re aero shoes. http://www.thomasgerlach.com/...es-aerodynamics.html

I've been toying around with this a bit myself.

I'm renting an 808 and a disc, although there's an outside chance I'll leave my HED3 on the front. But always disc.

For shoes, I just swapped over to the Sidi Ergo 4's, and I'll be wearing them for IMFL. I just like the comfort and adjustability of the shoe for the day. Couldn't make the Empire ACC work as badly as I wanted it to.

The helmet is my question mark right now. I run hot, period, and I had to give away my old Advantage2 as I can't wear it anymore due to my neck injuries. I have an Air Attack without a shield, but would prefer something MIPS that is also light and vents well enough.

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IMFL could be in the low 40's (deg F) or 80's. It's really hit or miss that time of the year with the weather. It can also get quite windy (20-30 mph). Surprisingly to me, we had a perfect day last year.

Always run a disc. I would even ride the disc in the 20 mph winds personally. Helmet is a tough call as it vastly depends on your head and bike position. Shoes.... whatever are comfortable for 112 miles and you are able to run after. If your feet are uncomfortable after 112 miles, you are in the wrong shoes.

What about tires and tubes? Those are probably your most bang for your buck.

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Not sure what you consider hot, but it got up to about 80F/27C at the end of the bike last year, full sun. So not super hot, but also not cold. I wore a LG P-09 with the front vent plug removed (that's your only ventilation) and was fine. But I also raced there in 2014 when the windchil was near freezing at the start, so you never know.

Always run a disc.

It's hard to give advice because equipment choice is so personal. Me, I wouldn't ever run that Bambino helmet unless it tested fast in the tunnel. A 404 front will be fine, but make sure you pair it with a super deep, or better yet, a disc in the rear. The roads are flat, windy, and fast, so having super fast (low rolling resistance) tires will also help a ton. I see that you rented wheels; it might be good to check with the company you rented from they have latex tubes and good tires. This alone could save tens of minutes from your bike split. Also if they are tubular wheels, I'd say "thanks but no thanks."

Shooting for a 4:59 vs 5:08 can be a fools' game. 5:08 or 5:18 or 5:28 bike split and a good run will almost always beat 4:59 bike and a terrible run. :)

IMFL can also be SUPER SUPER COLD (it was the year I did it,) so be prepared.

this is VERY good advice. As I say to my athletes, your time will be what your time will be...

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When you get to my age and number of IM races (including Kona #4 coming up!), it's all about comfort!

Generally people put too much stock in aero testing and equipment, disregarding the fact that most IM courses aren't exactly solo rides for 112 miles. Your fastest IM bike and runs are gonna come when you are comfortable on the bike.

For me the solid disc on the rear is a bear for 112 if the road surface is anything but perfect.

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Hi,

Thanks for this - I thought your comment about ;not being a solo rides was very interesting. Having conduct a grand total of one IM, for which I took the bike leg as a 180KM TT -and which is what I did. I have read about about people going out in a line 10 m or so apart, is that what your referring to? Is that a noticeable difference?

My cyclnig has always either been - close as possibel to wheel in front. Crits, Club Rides, etc or nothing at all TTs.

"Generally people put too much stock in aero testing and equipment, disregarding the fact that most IM courses aren't exactly solo rides for 112 miles. Your fastest IM bike and runs are gonna come when you are comfortable on the bike. "

I certailny belive that - having had a terrible run last time after a good bike!

Hi,

Thanks for the input on the wheels.

Currently I don't own a disc I just have a set of 404s, I supose the question is best rephreased as:
Is it best to hire a disc one the day, but knowing that they are a little battered or is it better to use a good set of 404s or buy new 808?

Rob

Real life time difference estimations for equipment based on aero testing in a tunnel is probably over estimated in most cases for a variety of reasons, but even more so on a crowded bike course. Florida takes about 60 miles to thin out in my experience. It was a bit better than that last year with the staggered swim start.

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Coach at KonaCoach Multisport

Hi,

Your comment on tires and tubes is was really intersting, somebody else mentioned this as well.

I was running some fairly standard Conti GP 4000 lclinchers ast year, as I was worried about punctures so thougth I would use something I was familar with. and for my inner tubes, just standard conti race ones. Any recomendations on a good combinations? Somebody was saying there could be a 10 minute difference!

I would recommend you save the money on the 808 rental and buy the aero cover for your rear 404. I imagine someone makes them in the UK, but if not, here is your best source in the U.S.: http://www.wheelbuilder.com/aerodisc.html

GP4000 are decently fast but there are faster tires out there. Look at conti TT tires, specialized turbo cotton, Vittoria corsaspeed tires (these tires would save you ~3-5 min over an Ironman compared to the gp4k. Also, ditch the butyl tubes and look into latex tubes (vittoria or silca). Latex tubes can save you 2-5 watts per wheel over butyl.

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I used the LG helmet in hot conditions and it was fine (no visor). I opted for the Spesh Evade though in Frankfurt 2015 with temperatures around 39 Celsius.

Are you not concerned about punctures with the latex tubes and TT tires? The roads in IMFL were pretty good, and much better than you would get for 180km cycling in the UK (a 10 or 25 mile TT, is a different thing and you can get good roads for bikes at the time.

Rob

They sell them here, I wasn't sure how good they are. What are your thoughts on the hire wheels?

Rob

Get a wheel cover and latex tubes. I ran conti tt tires and didn't have an issue with them. Just be careful if there's still construction leaving PCB. I stayed out of the gutter until we hit the highway. Not blocking but left of the line still. I'm large and usually run hot, although I do live in FL, and used an aerohead without overheating issues. I did fade late in the ride and had a less than stellar run, but think that would have happened with any helmet (my back locked up). I have a Gerlach-ed pair of Giro's but think whatever is comfortable is your best bet for shoes.

Not at all.

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I have no experience with rental wheels, but I would want to know what their tire wear policy is. Apart from the race distance they really don't know how many miles a renter puts on their tires, so what do they look for before changing them? You are flying from the UK to Florida for your "A" race. That's a big investment. New or almost new tires are your best insurance for avoiding a flat in your destination race, and a small price compared to the airfare and other expenses of doing IMFL.. With rental wheels, you probably have no idea how much wear is on the tires. But you could bring your own tires, rent the wheels and use your tires instead of theirs if you really want to use the 808s.

Hi,

Thanks - I will be taking my own tires (good call that). I was looking at hiring disc wheels (i.e the choice for me was either buying 808s or hiring a disc). But, with that said, I am now considering buying a disc!

Rob

All,

Thank you for the great advice (this was my first posting on here). Based on the advice on this thread, and elsewhere on the forum, I will be getting the following:

• 404 - front wheel
• Disc rear (hire or buy)
• Latex inner tubes
• Conti TT or Conti 4000 GP tyres
• P-09 Helmet
• XLab 500 hydration

I am considering calf guards as well.


Anything else you think is a must have/top tip, let me know!

Thanks again.

Rob

Rob,
Latex tubes are more resistant to both punctures and pinch flats, but they do take extra care to install as they are so stretchy that they are easy to pinch under the bead if you aren't careful. We recommend using 2 wraps of tubeless tape instead of standard rims tape as it is lighter, slicker and thinner, all of which make tire and tube install easier, you will also want a rim tape that covers the full tire bed as latex should not be touching carbon when installed.

Lastly, you will want to carry a butyl spare tube. The challenge of installing latex is not worth it on the roadside. I recommend carrying a slightly narrower butyl tube with extender pre-installed for racing as the smaller tube can be pre-inflated a bit more and still be easily installed even with shaky, sweaty hands and a fuzzy brain!

Best of luck!
Josh

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Good advice here; the temps on race day morning in 2014 were right at the freezing point and never got above 52 degrees F, falling to the high 30s by midnight and later that night when many were arriving at the finish line (time limit extended due to the cancellation of the swim and time trial start procedures).

I brought cold weather gear (gloves, thermal shirt, wind breaker jacket, leg warmers, wool socks and winter gloves) for the bike and cold weather gear for the run and it was comfortable for me throughout the race. I saw a number of DNFs from people wearing just a Tri suit (tank top singlet or two piece suit) with nothing else on. Fast runners might be okay without cold weather gear, but if you stop running for any amount of time it can get very, very cold in the winds I saw on that day/evening in 2014 without cold weather gear.