Maui5150 wrote:
All depends. Every second counts but how solid are your mount and dismounts. If you are only solid 80% of the time, how much time do you lose in the other 20%? If it is 6 seconds and you are off, then sure, it is worth it.
If it is 30 seconds and you are picking gravel out of your bloody knee and you never get into a good bike rhythm then finishing a head 1 place 4 times, and finishing 30 spots behind 1 may be worth it.
When in doubt, stick to what you know until you are consistent.
I didn't do flying mounts before I started doing cross, now they are pretty natural. It's much easier to do them in a triathlon vs Cross where you are mounting, dismounting and running over obstacles while your at your HR limit. The trick is keeping your head up and looking forward while you're jumping on the bike. If you're looking down at your pedals or the ground that's a good way to crash into someone or something.
LOL there are spots to be picked up just running past the mount line before you get on, it's amazing how many people come to a complete stop at the mount line and attempt to get on their bike.