I have heard that you can secure your bike shoes in the pedals with rubber bands. This is supposed to keeo the shoes in the “up” position making it possible to get through T1 a bit faster and not having play with your shoes to get them on one you have started your ride.
How is this done? Can some one please explain the placement of the rubberbands. I’m getting tired of running with my bike shoes on.
Keep Tri-ing
Iron Mike
little tiny rubber bands from the heel pull tabs to the chain stays. Getting your shoes on while riding takes some practice. Don’t be in a big hurry. Get some speed up first. Practice a couple of times before race day. You can forego the rubber bands and just step on top of your shoe when you get on. That’s what I do and it works fine.
The hard part is practicing to get into the shoes and out of them without taking out fellow competitors. Requires quite a bit of practice.
Your shoes should have a heel-loop. I normally run a thin rubberband through the heel-loop and then hook it up at the rear skewer. That will do the trick for the left side. I don’t use a band for the right shoe, but you could do the same and hook it up at the front derailleur or chainring.
Practice practice practice…
used to use rubber bands but now I just use electrical tape. tape the right rear shoe loop to the right seat stay and then tape teh left shoe with the crank foward to the crank. works like a charm and seems easier to me than rubber bands
Ack! Dont hook it to the skewer! to the frame only! I can just see you now, a bloody pile about 100meters outside T1. (rear wheel about 80 meters outside)
Unless you are using speedplays you can just let them dangle. They might bounce off the ground a bit but you’ll get the hang of it.
Durring summer you can practice every time you go for a ride. At times my shoes dont leave the pedals for weeks.
and out of them without taking out fellow competitors.
Adrialin–I always count on you for common sense. I am nobody’s idea of a fast on a bike, so when I am blocked by a “speedster” trying to get his feet out of his shoes, slowing down and wobbling in the effort, I wonder what time it saves. In other words, he would have had me to the finish, except he was screwing around getting his feet out of his shoes. I could not pass him because you had to weave through the parking lot before you got to the finish, and he blocked me the whole way. So I suppose, as between the two of us, the result was the same, but I just am not seeing how this is all that much faster.
I’ve seen the ITU racers do this and I tried it but found it more of a hassle than anything else. I leave my shoes in the pedals for transitions and never have any problems (knock on wood).
out of curiosity, why can you not let the dangle if you ride speedplay?
i use speedplay and find it easy to simply let the shoes dangle - no problem getting into them (after some practice).
Along with holding your shoes up with rubberbands there is a sequence that I go through to get through T1.
After running up to your bike and taking your wetsuit off, you put on your glasses then helmet, then grab the bike and run out of the transition area. Just after you cross the mounting area don’t stop, grab each end of you bars and jump on your bike and land on the seat, it is easier than it sounds. Get pedaling for a few seconds, the rubber bands will break, make sure that you are clear of everyone then slowly put your feet into your shoes and strap them up.
By not stopping to clip in like most other people you will probably gain about 15 to 20 seconds right there plus the time it took them to put their shoes on. You may lose a couple of seconds putting yours on but you will be moving forward while doing it when they were stopped. If you don’t rubberband your shoes up, they will drag on the ground and will make it difficult to run with the bike.
I rubber band my right shoe to the extra cable length on my front derailleur and the left shoe to the rear skewer. If that tiny rubber band can open my skewer I’ve got other problems.
Good luck
jaretj
If it wasn’t faster, ITU racers won’t be doing it where 2 hour races are won by seconds, not minutes.
Think about it this way. While you’re fumbling aorund with them on the bike trying to get them off, you’re still rolling at 20 mph. While you’re fumbling to get them off in the transition area, you’re going nowhere.
I thought that this was looked at and proven to not be effective and helping your splits “most” of the time. I ahve seen many a moron lay down on the road infront of me as they mess up getting their shoes on and fall over their bike.
I think with Speedplay’s float and release point, if they hit the ground they can pop off.
The reason I use rubber bands isn’t to keep the shoe flat, but to keep the pedals level so there is less chance of a shoe hitting the ground. For long transition runs, I’ll do both shoes.
I noticed that you carry your bike a lot of the time. Why is that?
jaretj
Same reason. If it’s a bumpy transition area, it’s easier, faster, and less troublesome to carry it. Coming into T2, when my shoes aren’t rubberbanded, it’s especially important. Losing a shoe is a dumb way to get DQ’d.
out of curiosity, why can you not let the dangle if you ride speedplay?
i use speedplay and find it easy to simply let the shoes dangle - no problem getting into them (after some practice).
I use Speedplay’s and if I let my shoes dangle, they will pop off if they hit the ground. When that happens, all the time you have “saved” and way more is lost when you have to turn around, go back pick up one or both of your shoes and put them on.
“Just after you cross the mounting area don’t stop, grab each end of you bars and jump on your bike and land on the seat, it is easier than it sounds.”
Talk about a leap of faith. You’ve gotta have balls to do that the first time. I guess you don’t need balls to do it a second time, which is good seeing AS YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY ANYMORE!!!
I thought that this was looked at and proven to not be effective and helping your splits “most” of the time. I ahve seen many a moron lay down on the road infront of me as they mess up getting their shoes on and fall over their bike.
I agree. I don’t know how many times I have see guys running out with their shoes in the pedals only to pass them easily in the first 100 meters after T1 while they are securing their shoes…or falling down as you mentioned. IMO it is easier to be proficient at putting your shoes on in T1 and clicking into your pedals at the mount line…then your done and ready to roll!
I never land on my “Privates” allways on my “Behind”, and yes it did take some to do it the first time but I’m tellin’ ya, it works great.
I forgot to mention that sometimes you will need to wipe the dirt and rocks of off your feet before putting them in the shoes, just wipe them on the top of your shoes. Someone told me that “It’s not a good triathlon unless you have some rocks in your shoes.”
jaretj
Hello,
You’re correct about passing people when they are trying to get into their shoes on the bike, but its still faster overall. When I race i try to rack my bike on the aisle, pointed the direction of the run. Run in from the swim, 5 seconds to put on helmet, grab bike run through the transition area, hop on bike on the run, pedal hard, pause to get in shoes (at speed). No way is putting on shoes while standing still, then duckwalking in them faster overall.
I also agree that the penalty for blowing it is greater when trying to get into shoes on the bike, but practice makes perfect.
For me transistions are one of the skills that make triathletes triathletes, versus just people who cross train.
Shawn
For me transistions are one of the skills that make triathletes triathletes, versus just people who cross train.
Shawn