With all the sweet rigs in the transition zone in a triathlon - are any of you worried that your bike might get pinched/“borrowed” by either another competitor or someone else?
has anyone had it happen to you or heard about one?
just call me paranoid but the one race I was at - there was a lot of people coming in and out of the transition area…before the race…and whos to stop you from bringing a beater and then walking off with a P3 leaving your beater behind…?
yes I’m paranoid…
How bout this scenario… Register for race, stash your bike somewhere on the course in the woods… start the swim… exit water, jump on someone elses ride, switch bikes on the coarse, finish race go pick up your new set of wheels…
or
for those races that don’t have timing chips… just swim in your skinsuit… jump on a new bike and ride home…
Thanks for giving me one more think to worry about this weekend at my first tri of the season.
Let me know how I can return the favor. 
Any triathlon I’ve been to…grand total of 4…has volunteers at the transition exit making sure that the competitors number matches the number on the bike.
I think the only way for this to work is if the culprit DNFs and just rides away on the bike while out on the course.
never worried before this season as my bike was nothing special. but now with a new one, i am a bit worried. the series i participate in doesn’t do much (if any) transition security. heck, at one race a chick in my AG had her b/f in there holding her bike and helmet out for her when she came out of the water so i’d say the security is pretty non-existant.
there will be hell to pay if my bike goes mia this year!
k
has anyone had it happen to you or heard about one?<<
A friend of mine had his bike stolen from the TA at IM Florida 2000. A Trek 2000 with Spinergies. He finished the bike, the bike catcher took it at T2, he went out on the run, finished, went to get his stuff before watching his wife finish and no bike.
I believe they finally (after months and major headaches) got a resolution with IMNA. And having sat around the TA entrance post-race for hours, they could also tell you stories of what #($%& jerks some triathletes can be, thinking the rules don’t apply to them. Actually, I could tell the same stories having worked TA at Alcatraz for many years.
clm
Maybe I’m just a very trusting person, but that never crossed my mind until today. Now that you mention it, I’m surprised I didn’t think of it. The two races I’ve been to didn’t have any transition security at all. I don’t think anybody would want dear Bess anyway though. She’s not exactly spectacular. But my boyfriend takes care of my bike when I set out for the run. He has everything loaded by the time I’m back. Do you think he gets bored?
-Chelsea
If you’re really paranoid, you can lock it to the stand. Of course that wouldn’t stop an ultra determined thief, but it would be enough of a deterrent that he’d go to the next one down. It would add less than 10 seconds to each transition, no big deal. Some tri snobs might snicker, but their opinion is worthless compared to the value of your bike.
Can you get a LoJack chip for your bike? That’d be cool.
Do you really think I can afford a Ti bike with zipps? That was a real nice race…
Only joking.
20 years in the sport
200+ races
Only one recalled incident where a bike went missing and that was at IMLP and the person left TZ before anyone started checking bikes and numbers. The athlete who took the bike actually mistook it for his own (they were identical down to the water bottles which is how they were able to find the guy) and left after the bike segment. Both owners got their own bikes back and everyone was happy.
Yes bikes can be lowjacked…a product in Canada called boomerang also works quite well. Not too many bike thieves think one will come with one of these tiny GPSable microchips.
I’d say your bike is pretty safe in TZ
The better run tri we have around here matches bike numbers to your body markings and also gives each entrant a wristband. They have security at entry/exit points and if you don’t have a wristband on, you don’t get into the TA, and if your numbers don’t match, you don’t take the bike out of TA.
Other races have little to no security.
What appalls me is to see someone leave a $3-4000 bike on the rack in the TA, and go to the post-race party/awards and just let their bike sit out there for hours. I always remove mine as soon as the RD allows it and lock it to the bike rack on my vehicle.
as upset as you are about that practice imagine how ticked off the race crew is (and having stuck around a few times to help break down I know the feeling all too well). You always get one or two bikes left over in TZ while the crew tries to get things packed up so they can go home (some have been there since well before dawn to set up). I say if it gets left behind and it takes longer to get them than it takes for the crew to break down…it becomes fair game for anyone. In fact it should be raffled off alog with every other draw prize. Obviously the person has little or no regard for it in the first place…they can afford to get another one. Might as well let some MOP/BOPer have it…rest assured they won’t leave it behind like that.
Just get one of those cool orange safety flags. Not only will you be able to spot your bike if anyone tries to make off with it, but you’ll always be able to go straight to it in transition. Plus those things are bada$$!!!
Kevin
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Agreed!
Reminds me of when I was a Scoutmaster. Everyone knew our meetings were over at 8:30, but some parents didn’t show to pick up their kids until 9:00. Meanwhile, my low alcohol warning light was not just flickering, it was blazing away.
Volunteers of this world are always dumped on by those who are too good or too busy.
the drawback of trying to help others is that there will always be some that take more…especially in the food line…but that’s another thread
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About two or three years ago I was at a Triatlantic race; I think it was the Greeting of the Geese race, where the RD announced that someone was “missing” their Griffin $$. I don’t know if that person was ever reunited with their bike but from then on I always remove my bike from the transition zone ASAP (especially with the new Isaac!).
Dave in VA
“What appalls me is to see someone leave a $3-4000 bike on the rack in the TA, and go to the post-race party/awards and just let their bike sit out there for hours. I always remove mine as soon as the RD allows it and lock it to the bike rack on my vehicle.”
He, Mister!
Some people actually RIDE their bikes to a race. Can you imagine?
(I always bring a lock)
as upset as you are about that practice imagine how ticked off the race crew is (and having stuck around a few times to help break down I know the feeling all too well). You always get one or two bikes left over in TZ while the crew tries to get things packed up so they can go home (some have been there since well before dawn to set up). I say if it gets left behind and it takes longer to get them than it takes for the crew to break down…it becomes fair game for anyone. In fact it should be raffled off alog with every other draw prize. Obviously the person has little or no regard for it in the first place…they can afford to get another one. Might as well let some MOP/BOPer have it…rest assured they won’t leave it behind like that.
If you are ticked off, you should probably kick your race director!
I bet he did not mention in ther race instructions that participants should remove the bike from T1 by a specific time.
As mentioned before, there are circumstances where people have no other choice than to leave their bikes in T1 as long as possible.
Your comment does not strike me as very well thought out, and I also admit that it strikes close to home.
I humbly appologize if you found my post to be less than adequately thought out (more so if it hits home with you) I’ll be sure to PM you and find out your particular practice on a matter before I post my opinions again. The very thought that I would have offended someones sensibilities on such a matter has me very red with embarassment.
Curious though…while leaving it in TZ, locked, as long as you can…where are you this whole time? Not meaning to offend you further but wouldn’t it be safer still beside you when you sit in the grass and wait for the awards to take place? Guessing you stick around so long some times waiting to pick up hardware…your name is called…you leave it for the minute or so to pick up your award…then head back. All safe and sound…none of the crew is waiting on your return.
Either way…serious kudos to you for riding to the race rather than add another vehicle to an otherwise packed parking area. That does make sense. Wish more people did that. But then we’d still have a full TZ when the guys were trying to pack up.
And while there are times when I would like to kick people…most of the time it isn’t the RD for neglecting to announce that all bikes need to be removed as soon as possible post race. A lot of the time it is arrogant people that think the sport and everything about it is all about them. But that can be said of any sport (this comment is not directed at you btw…leaving your bike in TZ post race is low on the list of assinine things triathletes do).
Better not leave your bike in my TZ post race…I’ve been looking for a new set of wheels to commute with;-) And I know the race crew pretty well