What is the best way to keep your biking shoes clipped in prior to T1. It’s hard to keep the shoes from spinning in the pedals when you are jumping on your bike in T1. Suggestions from T1 times of <1.5min people, like J OK who does a T1 w/ wetsuit in 1:15. Briefly discuss your T2 technique also.
My last 1/2 I had 1:20 T1, and :39 T2…shoes were NOT on the pedal. Who cares if you save 10 seconds before you chip out and fight to get your shoes on…after your T time.
Easy my friend:
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Don’t forget the helmet…
Yup, I agree. The rubberbands work wonders.
Come now fellows, you should know that us mere mortal AG idiots are not allowed to leave our shoes on the bike (at IM brand races).
The rubber band pictures above show the technique. It is important to keep the transition set up in mind though. If it is a very short hop from your bike to the mounting area, you are probably better off just putting your shoes on at the bike. If it is a long run, then clip them in.
Transition is, by far, my best event.
i was T1 0:57 yesterday @ a 1/2 IM w/ wetsuit
helmet on aerobars, open and straps ready to go.
glasses on aerobars via elastics, put on after start riding.
gloves on handlebars, again, via elastics and put on once start riding.
shoes on pedals, and held in place via elastics as in the pictures earlier in the thread. put whatever foot is comfortable for you forward, and that you can get on the bike easiest with and stay moving.
run PAST the mount like by about 20 feet, THEN get on your bike, and you manage to avoid the rush at the line of people.
as for T2, take feet out of shoes in final 1/4 mile, then ride with them on top of shoes, with about 10-20m to go, come in at about 20km/h with feet on left side, right behind left (left on top of shoe, right hanging), right in front of line step down and start running…fast.
run bike to t2 spot, then the slow part begins. i wear socks, so it’s not as fast, but lsock/shoe, rsock/shoe, grab glasses/hat and start running.
i was 2 mins in t2 yesterday, as i was told the wrong place to go, and had to cyclocross my bike back to the spot over about 5 racks of bikes yesterday (the wheel ones on the ground). have been under 2 minutes (about 1:30 last year in the same race).
it’s all about keeping moving while you’re doing stuff…faster than people who aren’t.
no shoes on the bike at IMs? certainly not the case in kona, as i’ve done so each time.
peggy
No expert, but I don’t agree with the rubber bands. I used to use 'em, but one time they didn’t snap and wrapped around the bearing in the pedal and sort of gummed it up. they can be surprisingly strong when you don’t want them to be!
Now for spring races I use some paper masking tape around the RH chainstay and the RH crank to keep the crank sitting at that angle, and just sit the LH shoe so the back of the shoe sits on the crank so it stays level and I can get my foot on it when running. The paper tape tears easily and doesn’t get caught in anything. I don’t worry about the RH pedal as the important one is the first one.
For IM I think comfort is more important and use my hard-to-get-into-but-comfortable shoes.
I don’t think there is anything more to add with regard to the shoes. I like to use light rubberbands.
Perhaps I should add a bit about getting out of your wetsuit quickly. Strip down to your waist while running to bike. Once at bike push wetsuit down as far as possible. Then step on wetsuit with one foot and yank up with the other. Foot should come out all way with just a little help from your hands. Step on wetsuit with free foot and yank up with other.
A perfect transition would have the person removing wetsuit as described above without using their hands which are busy putting on sunglasses and helmet.
FWIW - My wife won a Timex Ironman watch for having the fastest female total transition time at an Oly we did last month. T2 time was 29 seconds. Her T1 included removing wetsuit and not all the women wore wetsuits. So… There is a good reason to practice those transitions! FREE STUFF!
no shoes on the bike at IMs? certainly not the case in kona, as i’ve done so each time.
peggy
You’re correct. At IM Kona, if you don’t put your shoes in your Transition bag, you must have them attached to the pedals. No shoes left on the ground.