375M swim => 1.5 mile run=> 12 mile bike => 1.5 mile run => 375M swim.
Considering biking in sneakers with toe strap pedals versus using bike shoes. The bike is flat and the race is at the beach in North Carolina. My bike shoes are not tri specific, and I am not able to leave them clipped in on the pedals (coordination is not my strong suit). I would think the pyro platform pedals would be a good idea, but this is the only race I will ever do like this and would not want to drop the $$ for one race.
I will prolly look silly biking with a p2k, hed3 front and renn disk on back with sneakers, but heck i want to be fast versus look good.
“I will prolly look silly biking with a p2k, hed3 front and renn disk on back with sneakers,”
I’ll take a guess. Probably your pedalling technique will suffer making you slower on the bike, but your transitions will definately be faster. Really depends on how much you lose on the bike. And yes, will definately look a bit silly.
Probably your pedalling technique will suffer making you slower on the bike, but your transitions will definately be faster.
I wonder how just how much bike time the running shoes will cost. I’ll know a little more about this later today- picking up a set of Speedplay X3s and real bike shoes this afternoon.
Rockfish- why don’t you try your own TT comparison, one loop in running shoes, the next loop with bike shoes, and see what the time difference is? For that matter, you could do some timed transition rehearsals and see how much time you save or lose there, too.
It looks like a fun format, this is what I would do if I didn’t clip the shoes to the bike before the start.
Out of the swim into running shoes with elastic laces, back from run slip off shoes and slip on bike shoes, clip in after leaving trans area. Back from bike, take feet out of shoes before transition and run into transition barefoot, put on running shoes head out for run. Back from run slip off shoes and run to water.
You should really try to clip the shoes on the bike before the race, it is much easier than people think. Just practice it a few times at home and you will see how easy it really is. All that you will need to do is rubberband the back of the shoes to keep them from dragging while running out of transition. I think that the time gained using cycling shoes would be greater than the time lost changing shoes.
If you want help on how to get on bike with the shoes clipped in, let me know.
thanks for the feedback. on starting to bike with clipped in shoes i am ok with the technique, when i had tri shoes, but my current shoes are roadie style and the tongue gets folded under and I cannot seem to get it right with any speed. i do not want to cut the tongue off since i ride the shoes in the winter.
A time trial/transition test, would be a good indicater, but I live in the peidmont section of the NC, and its about impossible to find a flat stretch of road. still may do it on a hilly section just to see.
frogonawire - that is a very generous offer and thank you. but i would prolly only use the pyro’s once so some one else would get better use out of them other then me. again thanks it is a very kind offer.
the race format is interesting and will fun, just hoping i do not drown finishing with a swim.
A time trial/transition test, would be a good indicater
Rockfish, I just got a set of clipless pedals and bike shoes yesterday. I was three tenths of a mph faster in a 30 minute time trial than I have been previously.
It isn’t near scientific, of course. My wife, still riding with toe clips and running shoes, was six tenths of a mph faster yesterday than she has been previously.
thanks for the feedback. on starting to bike with clipped in shoes i am ok with the technique, when i had tri shoes, but my current shoes are roadie style and the tongue gets folded under and I cannot seem to get it right with any speed. i do not want to cut the tongue off since i ride the shoes in the winter.
Wrap a piece of duct tape from the inside of the shoe (attached to the tongue) out the opening for your foot and onto the outside of the shoe (under the straps). If you have laces, you can replace them with a couple of rubber bands tied together to make it stretchy. Then, you can grab the duct tape, stretching the opening and keeping the tongue out of the way while you slip your shoe in. Worked for me.