Saw that recently also for IM Whistler, do you know if you can at least carry your shoes to your bike and put them on there?

I saw people do that but again not ideal for me. Interestingly both races mentioned so far are Canadian races... Anybody else have any news of other Ironman races allowing or not allowing shoes on the bikes in transition?

I can verify that Galveston 70.3, IMTX, and IMBoulder all had it specifically stated in the athlete guide that all gear including bike shoes must be put in bags.

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Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice

It's a local rule - don't know if regional or up to individual RDs.

At IM Frankfurt, we were allowed to have shoes on our bikes. However, flying mount only, not allowed to then put the shoes on while stationary at the mount line.

Same with helmets - either in the gear bag or on the bike.

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

I’m confused where you say “flying mount only”. Are you saying if your shoes are on the bike you MUST do a flying mount? I’m guessing that’s not what you meant

At IM Frankfurt, if the shoes were attached to the bike, we had to put our feet in them while moving on the bike. It might not be a textbook "flying mount", but we had to be moving...at least that is the way that I took it.

That's exactly what I meant. The options were clearly outlined in the athlete briefing:

A) Shoes in T1 bag, wear them in the tent.
B) Shoes on the bike, flying mount - no stopping in "flow zones", which the mount line is one of.

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

There is no specific rule written in the Ironman rulebook. However, based on my experience and talking with others it seems to go like this:

70.3's - completely up to the RD. I personally haven't done a WTC 70.3 where it wasn't allowed but I do know that a few races haven't allowed it in the past.

IM - At least in North America, I have yet to see a race that allows it in recent years. IMFL didn't allow it last year and while not ideal, its much easier to just run with your shoes in your hands up past the mount line and them put them on compared to running in your bike shoes.

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Guess I missed this at Boulder this year. I had my shoes on the bike along with plenty of other people and also don't recall seeing it in the guide but may have overlooked it. More of a reply to the OP but I think part of this is because most everyone who doesn't do some variation of a flying mount but has their shoes clipped on goes to the mount line, as soon as they pass it stop right in the middle of the road, put their leg over their bike, and try to put their foot in clogging up the lane of travel. If they would move over to the side and passed the mount line 15-20 feet so that other people could pass them I am guessing this would not be as much of an issue. Maybe in the future they should have a flying mount lane and a non-flying mount line (somewhat pink).

ETA: I have also done Galveston several years and never seen this. Athletes do not have gear bags/changing tents at that race as I recall since it is a 70.3 so not sure how that worked.

That’s one of the dumbest things in a guide I’ve heard of. So people who leave shoes in bag will get to the mount line or past and get on bike however they want but if shoes are on the bike you MUST do a flying mount.

It's less stupid than having people start to wear shoes on the congested start line.

If you want to do a flying mount, you're allowed.

If you don't want, you can wear your shoes at the tent, get to your bike and go.

However, if you want to leave your shoes on the bike, then sit around at the start line, block people's path and generally not move for ~30sec or longer - nope. Why should athletes be allowed to be a general nuisance and block such a safety-critical area?

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

Well the good news is all 2-3000 people aren't mounting at the same time. It is obviously a bit more congested in a 70.3 than at a full at athe mount line but still have not had much issue in the ones I have done. For Boulder this year when I got on the bike it was myself and 2 other people and that was it at the mount line so plenty of room for me to move past them while they were stopped trying to get on their bike. I agree that most AGers are probably not qualified to do a flying mount. I have also seen people who already have their shoes on and are weaving back and forth trying to get there feet (with shoes on) clipped into the pedals. I also go back to how does it work at a 70.3? I don't know if the rules have changed since I last did one which has been a couple of years but I have not heard of not being allowed to have your shoes on the bike if you wanted at the 70.3 distance.

Agreed

If you can’t do a flying mount but still want your shoes on the bike just run an extra 30 feet or so. Get on your bike. Get up to speed with feet on top of the pedals

Then reach down and put them on

In races where you can't leave shoes clipped to the bike, I carry my shoes as far as I can and usually either lean on my bike or have a volunteer hold the bike while I quickly put them on. I have done this many, many, many times at IM races w/ no problem.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

Not true about IM Boulder. It's one of the few IMs that you are specifically allowed to pre-attach shoes. They said it explicitly in the athletes meeting.

I know in Louisville you cannot. I can't remember about Texas.

IM 70.3's are more of a mixed bag. More often than not pre attaching has been allowed at the races I went to. At St. George this year they were not allowed.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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It makes no sense to REQUIRE a flying mount if your shoes are attached to the bike which you stated was the case. If my shoes are clipped to the bike why can I run to or past the mount line and just mount the bike normally rather than a flying mount?

I run in my shoes but I always go past the mount line until I'm clear and out of the way. the seconds I lose doing that aren't making or breaking my day.

Nobody's going to measure your speed or whether you were, in fact, "flying". If you run past the start line, step on your shoe/pedal and go - you've done what the regulations allow. Flying mounts mean anything from cyclocross-style jumping mounts to a slower step-on-the-shoe-and-push-off. Basically, as long as you don't carry/clip out your shoes at the mount line, you're good.

What the rules forbid is dangerous behaviour around the mount line: People fumbling with their shoes in one hand, bike in the other for ages, blocking the way for the hordes of incoming athletes.

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

No. Flying mounts are a specific thing. They’re certainly not a slower step on the shoe and push off. They’re called FLYING mounts for a reason. That’s why I specifically asked for clarification of what you meant.

All 5 IM's in the states from 2013 to 2017 have required shoes in bags.
70.3 races you could put them on your bike.

I'm venturing a guess that with mass or TT swim starts, the crowd for a full IM heading to the bike would pretty congested and if you had a handful of novice mounters falling over at the mount line, it might get messy.

Just a guess.

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Ryan
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