In Oceanside this weekend, I stood in the start/finish chute about 25m before the first 90 degree left turn. Call me crazy, but regardless of your skill level, the first 500m of the bike is NOT the place to:
1.) turn on your computer
2.) ride no handed to put on gloves or arm warmers
3.) drink from water bottles (especially aero bottles)
4.) pass people just before or during turns
5.) start your nutrition (open gels, etc)
6.) ride in aero
I was genuinely scared for a few people at times. Those that know, it’s a very narrow lane…maybe 8’ wide at best. I know people are there to race hard, but come on folks…use a little common sense please.
#7 - Struggle to get your feet in your shoes. If you’re going to blow off the rules and have your shoes clipped in, get through the initial turn and get some speed rather than weave around at 5 mph.
Are you kidding. This is a triathlon. So, we not only toss out the window all the fundamentals and basics of training and equipment, we also toss completely out the window and sense of common-sense. I am not sure what it is about this sport.** **It’s truly extraordinary!
Riding mid to back of the pack at any triathlon is a scary affair. I feel safer on big group rides or crits riding shoulder to shoulder with guys at 40km/h - seriously.
Several years ago I rode the bike leg for a relay team at a big 1500 person Tri. The relay wave was mid to back of the pack in the whole race. I saw people weaving all over the road trying to ride in the aero bars. Others swerving wildly as they reached behind to grab bottles behind the seat. That was if the behind the seat bottles were still there - many had been ejected crazily all over the place. People missing corners completely and ending up off the road. Someone stopped right in the middle of the road changing a flat. People off their bikes walking their bikes up a hill - again right in the middle of the road. I was horse from shouting, “On your left” after 10K. Many when hearing this - would go left!! . . . and so on.
It wasn’t just that spot, there were plenty of spots. For example, on a wide open stretch of the road, I come up on a guy on the right portion of the road. I say ‘on your left’, and as I was about to pass him (far, far to his left), he swerves a good 10 feet over and almost hits me. On a MUP, I would expect people not to know what ‘on your left’ means. In the middle of a half iron tri, I would expect people to know what it means.
Plenty of other instances of the same that have already been mentioned, people slowing to a crawl in the first narrow no passing zone, people swerving all over the place on the steep inclines, people walking up the hill in the middle of the road, etc…
This is exactly why I don’t say “on your left” on group rides or at tris. I usually get yelled at a couple of times, typically women or old men with mirrors, but at least there is no collision. I never pass so close that it is a problem, and just keep quiet. If someone is riding on the left at a race, I just yell loud and early, and watch what they do. Some move right, many look over their left shoulder and swerve hard that way…scary. I used to try and give people notice, but after some near misses I am done.
It was never that way at MTB races, you just yelled what side you wanted to pass on, and the guy moved the other way. I guess the bike handling is naturally better there.
Triathlete bike handling issues are not limited to just races. A week ago I got in a pace line with a bunch of tri geeks (preparing for an IM? drafting flames to commense ) and a few roadies. One person threw a chain and moved over. Fine. But the yayhoo in second position just sat up with no indication of his intentions. About ten of us directly behind him scattered like bowling pins. And then he went all the way across the lane. I guess he wanted to make sure he could crash someone out. Surprisingly no one crashed. I about hip checked him when he came back my way.
I’ve seen better bike handling at a cat 5 race!
Wouldn’t you agree that not in situations where you are endangering others safety. I saw a guy wipe out two other competitors as well as himself trying to pass on a corner in the rain while on aero bars. Trigeeks have earned the reputation they have.
My prediction - there is going to be a big pile-up in a big, high profile triathlon and the fault will be directly attributed to a triathlete having terrible bike handling skills and some one is going to get seriously hurt. I don’t like to make this prediction and I truly hope that it never comes to pass. However this situation is getting worse as I see it, not better. People get all the fancy go-fast equipment, but never take the time to learn how to handle a bike properly.
I agree with all here. IMCDA was amazing. I saw one pile up at an aid station. After that, I would be FAR left while passing aid stations. I even saw two people just topple over. No one around. He just tipped over going about 20mph I have no idea why.
My prediction - there is going to be a big pile-up in a big, high profile triathlon and the fault will be directly attributed to a triathlete having terrible bike handling skills and some one is going to get seriously hurt. I don’t like to make this prediction and I truly hope that it never comes to pass. However this situation is getting worse as I see it, not better. People get all the fancy go-fast equipment, but never take the time to learn how to handle a bike properly.
Steve, I raced the first year at Clearwater (2006) and there was a pretty sizeable pileup that happened in front of me. I didn’t see them go down, but came up just as they were all brushing themselves off from the crash. About 10 riders all had gone down. And that was a World Championship race.
I can ride my unicycle better than some of these folks. Really, how do you train enough to finish an IM and not be able to grab you water bottle without falling off?
Saw a guy go down hard in the no pass downhill area. No one within 20 meters of him when he went down. He got up and then I was passed by an ambulance 10 minutes later.
) and a few roadies. One person threw a chain and moved over. Fine. But the yayhoo in second position just sat up with no indication of his intentions. About ten of us directly behind him scattered like bowling pins. And then he went all the way across the lane. I guess he wanted to make sure he could crash someone out. Surprisingly no one crashed. I about hip checked him when he came back my way.