Hey Ya’ll,
I got into Alcatraz, any thoughts for an east coast racer on gearing and handlebar setup. Right now I have 53/39 and 12-25 (Record 10 speed). I use the Carbon X but think I may want my drop bars with clip ons? It is very flat here in Wilmington NC, so what type of hills can I expect? Also any pointer on the swim course other than don’t freeze.
JTriAll3
Alcatraz is a great race- you are going to love. As far as tips for the swim go, don’t worry about anything else but swimming for now. The RD will go through a whole overview of how to swim the course correctly to compensate for the tides, etc. If time is important, your positioning on the boak makes a difference, however small that may be. Stay near one of the four exits people are jumping from and you will be good to go.
The bike at Alcatraz has some very steep hills. I live in Boulder and train in the hills and these things still took me by surprise. I used a standard P2K aero setup last year and will probably switch to a regular road geometry with clips ons for this year. Enjoy- it is a fun race!
Another great race which is hard to get into now. If the water is calm like 2001 & 2003 the swim is really easy. Last year from what I heard it was rough. Always swim for shore sighting on the arts dome (I forget the name of the place) you will see it. The tide will sweep you down to the yacht club. Very easy swim in 2002. The bike is another story. Get in good biking shape for the race. Be carful of people crossing in front of the bikers coming down the hill adjecent to the Cliff House. I almost seen a women flying down on her bike hit an elderly couple crossing to go for lunch @ the Cliff House. I was biking up the hill, it was real close. I saw the fear in her eyes doing 45mph down this hill and almost wipping out. The trail run is great very tight in the begining and you most likely will see the leaders coming back on the same trail at this point. Watch your head going through the tunnel. The beach sand is hard except the sand stairs, but all the age groupers walk it anyway. What a great race in a beautiful city. Listen for the cow bell ringing away on the run back to the yacht club. The fans are fantastic.
James
Alcatraz is a great race. My advice would be to swim some 50s in the pool with your head up - this will help with your sighting and also practice in your wetsuit if you can.
The bike: It’s a very well rounded course - you need strength for the hills, technical skill for a few downhills, aerodynamics for the few flat stretches, and power for the short steep hills. Do some big gear riding if you don’t have hills - strength is critical on this course but save it for the run - as this is tough too.
The run: starts and ends with about 1.5 miles of flat. It’s the middle 5 miles you have to worry about. After the flat section you hit a set of stairs, then run through some tight trails, under a 4foot tunnel (DUCK!) and then onto the road and down to the beach. After the out/back on the beach you hit the sand ladder - use your arms to pull yourself up - and then you are back on the trails/tunnel and back down the stairs you first came up. Once you hit the pavement, open it up again as you are only 1.5 miles from the finish.
I can’t remember ever having more fun during a race. It was a blast. Be prepared - it’s a strength course so get your legs ready - have fun!
A 39-25 is plenty low enough. There are a couple of sharp turns while descending. Only about 5 or 10 minutes where you can get down into the aero position - just as easy to ride in the drops. My guess is about 75% have “aero” setup and 25% road setup. The whole bike is only 18 miles - more or less an hour. Go with whatever you are comfortable with. It is a good idea to preride the course.