Ok, I may be a bit of a noob to the sport…well…at least the distance (I’ve only done a total of 5 tri’s, one of them being the halfmax championship…but I digress), but that’s not to say I don’t have a healthy list of reasons for tire choice…
#1–training tire is not an option I’m willing to stick with for the event…
(a) Specialized armadillo all condition is too heavy given all the other options…
(b) Supposedly I can opt for a higher grip/lower resistance tire (also the reason I’ll be sporting latex tubes on race day/final taper week)
(c) The giant “ledge” at the corner of the tread compound is less than optimum in terms of aerodynamics (I realize, if I were to opt for a tire based on aerodynamics, I should be running a tangente tire, but I’ll refer you to the “poor college student” clause above…that’s relative by the way, I’m just bumping up REALLY close to my cost ceiling for recreation this year)
#2–solid alternatives
I decided, originally, to go with the GP 4000’s as offered by race day wheels (I’m going to run zipp disc/1080 front, which was changed to an 808 front since I’m running clinchers). Then I discovered you can buy silver tires…something I would really like for race day…allow me to paint the aesthetic for you, from the top-down…
Helmet, white/silver Bell Sweep R
Glasses, Oakley half Jacket with silver frame, white pads, and blue lenses
tri-suit, white/blue desoto forza
Handlebars, black vision tech (the ones with the writing in silver) taped up with silver Fizik tape.
Frame: 2006 Transition comp–the all silver and black ones
Drivetrain, Ultegra (so…basically silver)
Pedals, shimano 105 (black)
Shoes, Specialized trivent–the silver ones
Wheels (on race day) zipp clincher disc/808 front
I maintain the position that half the fun of the bike is the excitement on being on a peice of beautiful machinery (an overflow from my love of auto’s and finely crafted machinery. Believe me, if I could afford the new transition in gerosteiner colors, I would be all blue/black, but I’m still in school…but once again, I digress).
And I can’t really break 20mph for anything over the 50 mile mark (although I do train on what turns out to be one of the worst road systems in the nation, not based on opinion, but based on recent research for budget analysis by MoDoT). Since it’s only my second year, I’m not really looking to optimize speed in every possible way right now. Maybe a few years down the road when I really start bumping up against a performance wall, but until then, I’m happy fiddling with aesthetics for the most part. Plus, I want family to see me from a mile away at the Ironman.
And, the final point…
#3 Cost and availability. I outlined this one above. I’m not big on dumping money on anything unless I can return it if there’s any problems, which is easy to do with almost anything since the LBS I go to I’ve developed a relationship with over the last decade or so ever since I was racing BMX in middle school. It’s safe to say I don’t fuck around when it comes to general quality…or quality control. It’s a little unlike me to even spend money on a tire I can’t ride a version of, in addition to seeing it, touching it, smelling it, and experiencing it in every way possible without logging a few hundred miles on it myself (businesses tend to frown upon returning heavily used products after just a week or 2 of obvious use).
And color be damned? That’s the kind of logic that leads to shabbily painted, sticker shod rice rockets (I may drive an integra, but my exclusively black window/tire accented pearlescent burgundy integra at least maintains it’s dignity).
I may not be fast, but I don’t want anybody grilling me over my gear.
