hi all, i’ve got a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch spacer i’d like to ditch so i could get lower on my bike. but it’s 6 weeks, give or take a few days, from IMWI. is it too close to the event to make a change like this? usually i’d just go for it, but don’t want to shoot from the hip this time… thanks, miss cat
I went from a road bike with aero bars to a tri bike with “an aggressive” aero position (compared to the one on the road bike) 7 days before IMLP. I have no clue how many inches I dropped but I am sure quite few.
So if you ask me dropping 1/2 to 1/4 inches 6 weeks out IMMoo shouldn’t be a problem… but that is just me!
Cheers,
Fred.
ok, i’m more risky than not (at least with most things) so i called the bike shop, wheelie fun, to have them give me a hand. 
does anyone think dropping the space is a bad idea?
if so, why?
Depends. What does your back feel like now after 100 miles and then a transition run? I don’t think a 1/2 inch is worth it at this point. I have put about 3/4 of an inch back in over the last 30 days. There is something about rides over 80 miles and my back. But I’m old.
So the real question is, besides that it will look better, what will it do to your time, power and ability to run?
I’ve made changes right before races and if the new pos is better it worked out fine. You don’t know until you try it. I can’t imagine that a) you will even notice that small of a change or b) that lowing the front by that small a change will make any difference. I’ve dropped the front end a couple of inches on a Thursday and race well on a Saturday, but that was not 112 miles.
Chad
well, see, there i go again, forgetting all about that little thing called the MARATHON. i tend to wail on the bike and get a temporary memory lapse that i actually have to run afterwards. thanks for your point of view. i am not going to make the change; as my shoulders already grow tired and have only recently grown accustomed to 112. so, i’ll just wait until after the race–removing the spacer isn’t going to do much for me anyway. probably just me over analyzing things. after all, i can always get in the drops (straight roadie is what i’ll be on). thanks! i’ll leave 'er alone.
I purchased a new triathlon bike six weeks before this years IMC not really knowing if I’d be able to race on it or not. I kept my well loved but nothing fancy road bike in great shape just in case the new bike caused me issues. Well instead of causing me any issues it has unleashed all this speed and power that i didn’t know existed. I’m now WAY more comfortable on the bike and I’m loving every minute of it. I can’t wait to for IMC. So, i’d say make the changes, and if they are causing you problems you can always change back before it’s too late.
I don’t think you plan on racing with aero bars, right? If not, just leave that spacer there!
ok! i’ll leave it there. 