OK, I just picked up my dream bike, a P2K with vision tech aero bars and full Zipp 909 wheelset. (The dimpled rear disc is sooo cool.) Have only got to ride it one time because we have had 7 inches of rain in the past week, closed roads, mudslides etc. I am travelling to Phoenix for pleasure and the McDowell Desert Duathlon happens to be this weekend. Now here is the geek part. I haven’t raced on the bike yet and can’t bear to trust it to the airlines before I at least get to race it once at home. I can just see get off the plane tonight and finding a hole punched through my disc wheel and I have not even got to race on the thing yet. I have a trusty Bike Friday, you know the bikes that fold up and fit in a standard suitcase and will be racing on that speed machine with aerobars. It has 16" wheels so maybe that will make it faster. Seriously the Bike Friday is cool and I have travelled all over the country with it and never had to pay extra for shipping. This will be the first (and hopefully only) time I have raced on it. I have a time trial March 8 and will get to put the P2K to the test then.
is beyond geek in my book! Man, that’s right up there with commuting on a 'bent.
But seriously, I can completely relate to your fears. Sounds reasonable to me. Seen some guys do pretty well in crits on BikeFridays.
I met a guy at the World Championships in Montreal in 1999 while we were in line for the bike check in. He had a bike Friday with little Hed wheels on it that he said he raced with all the time whenever he has to travel. For an early season race, that sounds like an afterthought to your race calendar, it seems like a good option to ease your fears.
A friend of mine did Wildflower Olympic last year on a folding bike (not a bike friday but it was made of Titanium!!!) with PowerCranks! He said the problem were the downhill and flats where top speed was limited.
Maybe you guys can start a club. GNT - Geeks in training.
That is pretty geeky. But it could also be a hell of a lot of fun. Ride that geeky little thing with a huge smile on your face and the loudest jersey you can find. It would definitely suck to be passed by you on that thing, but it would also make me laugh.
Somebody please post a link to a picture of this bike
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um,…you know they make hard-shell bike cases that you can ship your bike safely in. your lbs or someone there probably has one that you can borrow. or perhaps i’m missing something…
I LOVE the geeky bike idea!!! It would be a blast to tri something different. Even better if you can blow by some folks on it, especially those guys who still tatoo ‘see ya’ on their butts.
Otoh, I’m a girl so whadda I know?
Here’s one:
I also like their beam bike:
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At Ironman France last year there were at least 3 Bike Fridays and a couple of other folding bikes that I saw.
I kicked myself afterwards for not noting down the race numbers to see what their bike splits were since I have been thinking of getting a Bike Friday or an airnimal.
Check this out: http://www.airnimal.com/gif/gallery29.jpg
Cheers,
dt.
sounds like a really coooool bike.
Yep, … bring in the clowns… I got passed by one of those bikes at the Carlsbad Triathlon (California that is - not the one in New Mexico) about 4 yrs. ago. Let just say it wasn’t a good day. But, I was amazed how well he did on that bike. The only other time I had seen one of these bikes were on my bike tours.
Very practical and good Idea for the traveling Triathlete. I did the math one year and figured I could save about 300-400 dollars in airline special handling charges per year if I got one of these things. Not to mention the hauling and storage headaches that regular bikes have… I just not convinced because I feel I would need the big red nose and oversized floppy red shoes to make the clown bike and apparel match. At least, I would be noticed by cars and triathletes alike. Not like it’s a dignity “thing” to start with… When I note my race times… that dignity thing goes right out the window.
BTW, they also make a tandem w/ an optional trailer… you use the trailer as the shipping container.
Joe Moya
Trying to out Tri-Geek a fellow Tri-Geek in this NG is an effort in futility.
Yes, he even put aero bars on this bike? I
oh boy…
this is bad.
very bad.
