From the few European IM races I’ve seen on TV, it seems that road bikes are more common with European age groupers than Tri bikes and you hardly see anyone using a sleeveless wetsuit. I also noticed in the UK tri mags you’ll see more road bikes advertised vs. the US magazines. Ditto for a lack of sleeveless wetsuit ads. Anyone have any insight on this?
From the few European IM races I’ve seen on TV, it seems that road bikes are more common with European age groupers than Tri bikes and you hardly see anyone using a sleeveless wetsuit. I also noticed in the UK tri mags you’ll see more road bikes advertised vs. the US magazines. Ditto for a lack of sleeveless wetsuit ads. Anyone have any insight on this?
In America we feel strongly that weight lifting will improve triathlon performance. Therefore we tend to have larger guns than our European counterparts. So…we show them off with sleveless wetsuits…which we wear as they pass us like we are standing still. ; )
I have raced in Europe for the last several years, and at the front end of a race, you can’t tell between US or Europe, except the depth of the fast end is deeper over here.
I live in france and most of the courses here are more technical than the US. It’s not just the climbing, but the fact that the the descents are far from straight and the road surfaces leave a lot to be desired. I think this is the same for many med countries. I still think a tri bike set up is better in most of these situations, however the difference is just not as great as it would be on more straightforward courses. Perhaps basical cycling culture in in France also means that only the guys with 2 bikes will want to own a tri bike and even then, they would perhaps rather spend the money on one good road bike. However I have detected a significant change over the last 2 seasons with a much higher percentage of tri bike set ups in T1 than before.
I can tell you from experience another big difference: a prediliction for drafting on the bike. Actually, and to be fair, this distinction doesn’t fall soley on on the Euros as I’ve seen plenty of folks from all around the world rolling through together. At each of the world championships I’ve competed in (with the exception of the hilly course in Lausanne) it has blown my mind each time to witness how unbelievably egregious the drafting is and how blind of an eye is turned by the officials. It would be interesting to know whether it’s simply an ethos of inevitability for other countries.
Not that we in the US don’t have our own drafters - we certainly do - it just seems more frowned-upon here than what one would be lead to believe is the accepted mindset overseas.
Florida. 'nuff said.
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In my experience there are a couple of notable things
- no sleeveless wet suits, unless they are an American
- more road bikes
- The AG euro’s run a hell of a lot faster at the pointy end of the stick
- No one over there in the AG fields can swim fast either.
I’ve only a N=2 for racing in Europe though.
Based on what I saw at the 2008 Clearwater race, they draft just as much as American’s. Now the Aussie’s and Kiwi’s, there’s an honest bunch…(runs, ducks for cover).
In Clearwater you have to swim really, really fast to not draft on the bike 
The year I did it, I spent the first 40k off the front of the entire AG wave, only to be swallowed by places 4-104th…all at once.
In Clearwater you have to swim really, really fast to not draft on the bike
The year I did it, I spent the first 40k off the front of the entire AG wave, only to be swallowed by places 4-104th…all at once.
LOL! Although I don’t swim as fast as you, Brian, I did get out in 29 min and stayed clear until about mile 45…where I was swallowed by the field. The reason I made my initial comment was that there was not a lot of English being spoken around me except for the Aussies and Kiwi’s yelling,“STOP FUCKING DRAFTING YOU BASTARDS!”. 
In Clearwater you have to swim really, really fast to not draft on the bike
The year I did it, I spent the first 40k off the front of the entire AG wave, only to be swallowed by places 4-104th…all at once.
LOL! Although I don’t swim as fast as you, Brian, I did get out in 29 min and stayed clear until about mile 45…where I was swallowed by the field. The reason I made my initial comment was that there was not a lot of English being spoken around me except for the Aussies and Kiwi’s yelling,“STOP FUCKING DRAFTING YOU BASTARDS!”.
and I’m sure if the Nth Americans didn’t have their lawyers doing their fighting for them there would have been some blood spilt by the Aussies/Kiwis.Love the good old days when you could belt someone for cheating in a race just like one certain German triathlete did in Ironman Oz many years ago.I miss those days.
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I thought they called everyone wankers!
Another notable difference is that euro AGers get drug-tested after races. Even small races.
Can’t wait for that to start here. We’ll take popcorn and watch the train wreck.
If you are talking the MOP age groupers the biggest difference is weight.
We have a lot more overweight racers on this side of the pond and also generous cut-off times to make everybody a winner!!! lol
That were the Germans!
Another notable difference is that euro AGers get drug-tested after races. Even small races.
Can’t wait for that to start here. We’ll take popcorn and watch the train wreck.
What? I’ve never seen any testing for any age grouper at any race in France, except at federal events.
European AGrs are better looking and much stronger?
BUT seriously you guys (US) have better teeth…what is with our Dental services! its 2010 and most of us look like we have never seen a dentist.
From the few European IM races I’ve seen on TV, it seems that road bikes are more common with European age groupers than Tri bikes and you hardly see anyone using a sleeveless wetsuit. I also noticed in the UK tri mags you’ll see more road bikes advertised vs. the US magazines. Ditto for a lack of sleeveless wetsuit ads. Anyone have any insight on this?
Europeans tend to laugh at slow people riding a very expensive bike.
Road bikes are faster too, for the slow folks. (I know this is not the slowtwitch consensus) So for the majority it is much more logic to buy a road bike. Also bike shops will put you on a road bike. I bought a new bike, and I really had to ask for tri frames. If you go to a shop and you say you need a bike for triathlon you get a road bike with clip ons. Not a bad choice for anyone slower then lets say 5:30 IM bike ride for technical courses with downhills etc and 2000 other guys around you forcing you to never ride straight lines. Also european triathletes train a lot with road bikers or they are long time fans of cycling. The bike culture did not start with triathlon cycling, but with road biking. That might be a big difference in tradition?
Also, you can not be too fast to be an age grouper. That sort of excuse I only see here, on slowtwitch. If you get your ass kicked, it is never because the other should race pro.
sleeveless wetsuits i almost never see here in europe. Maybe our lakes are colder? Maybe 24 degrees C cut off for non wetsuit race is really 24 degrees so we should not be affraid to overheat in wetsuits in 28 degrees water? Maybe it is because we can not swim and need every bit of floating material we can get? Maybe it is because our skinny undertrained arms actually fit in the wetsuit? The only guys i know with sleeveless wetsuits lift lots of heavy things in the gym and they do not fit in a normal wetsuit. They buy the sleeveless things, and complain every race it is too cold.
I’m a European living in the US (“America”). I have raced on both continents.
Main difference: there is no such thing as a European triathlete. I can distinct a Brit from a German, from a French from a Spaniard.
Notable though: at first glance it seems as if more “Americans” try tri just for looks (the mentioned ‘big guns’). At second glance, many Swiss, Spaniards, Belgians etc. do it for the same reason. But lean beats bulky.