First brick
105
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1328 days
tri1on posted 3 years ago.
Personally I keep my bike shoes on. Usually the distance from dismount to bike rack is short. I only strap one of the three that are on my shoes and they come off in no time. I know alot of people (and pros) always keep their shoes on the bike...both T1 and T2. I just never really felt comfortable running barefoot across pavement with gravel and who knows what else to get stuck to your foot and then you put it into your bike shoes....seems like it could present some uncomfortable feelings but ive never heard anyone compain about it.
51
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1664 days
lctri posted 3 years ago.
I just recently did my first tri with my shoes clipped in... I practiced two or three times before the race and I don't think I'll go back. I would give anything to take 45 seconds to a minute off my 5k time and I found a way to do it with very little effort. I might reconsider if the transition area was gravely or something too rough to run on... but I haven't and don't think I have any races lined up where that will be a problem.
I did however just purchase my first pair of tri-specific shoes - Louis Garneau's. Don't think I would be able to do it with my 3 strap non-tri-specific shoes.
I'm not very fast and am only in my second year - and it is nice when you get out of the water and the only thing you have to focus on in transition is getting your helmet on.
I also purchased a pair of Yankz shoe laces. Again... off the bike and the only thing I have to worry about is taking my helmet off and pulling the laces tight on my running shoes.
Probably a savings of more than a minute for me.
23
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1206 days
craigvu posted 3 years ago.
Thanks for the advice. I've got some yankz and i love 'em so far with just the normal day-to-day convinience when running. May have made a mistake buying normal cycling shoes, but will look at the tri specific ones later on.
Also, i forgot to ask this before, but does anyone have any thoughts on good ways to dry your feet before getting into your socks in T1...toweling them off just seems to be a waste of time, but wet feet sure wouldn't do.
806
Member
1304 days
thehitman posted 3 years ago.
You're not looking to shave a few seconds off your time, so why get fancy? The only thing you really need to do at T2 is change your shoes --- and it doesn't need to take more than a minute to do that. You'll save a lot more time if you keep up with the bricks --- even if you only run only a half mile or mile after your ride, your legs will get used to it, and you'll gain time.
thehitman
thehitman
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain
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3337
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1326 days
RV posted 3 years ago.
I have normal cycling shoes with three straps - will get a tri shoe when I can afford it - it is more difficult getting into them than out of. I typically will put the shoes on in T1 and then pop on the bike. But will get out of the shoes prior to T2. Undoing two straps is enough to get your foot out of the shoe. For short distances you can always try going without socks on the bike and on the 5K. Usually you will have a towel laid out at your rack so that helps dry off the foot or get the sand off - have some powder in the shoe to absorb the moisture and then some people use vaseline or such on the inside of the shoe as well if prone to blisters. But don't try any of this at a race first time. Try running w/o socks and validate whether or not your feet will tolerate it. Same with practicing getting in and out of your shoes while riding.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
.jpg "tcrunner07's picture")
350
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1334 days
tcrunner07 posted 3 years ago.
dont wear socks is all i can say. i only wear socks for olympic distance. My feet are fine for sprint races, even with beach runs, i wear socks on regular road running races though...but it costs me like 10-15 seconds in t1 to put the socks on...so i jsut said...screw it...my feet will eventually toughen up, and i never had a problem from it
If you get a flat, and don't have a tube, Suck it up and run it in!!!
12
Member
1189 days
cmm92614 posted 3 years ago.
the last triathlon i did had a rough and rocky and possibley dangerous path hat lead to the transition zone from the pool, many dashed across the field while hopping up and down in pain, others spent minutes lacing up there running shoes, my friends i with the help of amore experienced trathlete have found the medium. okay, got a pair of old tennis shoes that you haven`t chuked in the garbage bin yet? heres what you do if that applies to you take a sharp knife or scissors and cut the heel out except for around a inch or so in the back. Then cut the tongue out. Now try`em out. see how you`ll slip into them easily but are able to run normally in them?{WARNING reccomended use for transitions only not the actual run segment}
2346
Member
1244 days
Triguy98 posted 3 years ago.
OR just use good MTB shoes. Like my SIDIs. Got em on sale for $50. Two straps, stiff sole (same as the Rampa road shoe) but it has tread on the bottom. My transitions are a little slower than some, but i pass a crap load of people as they are putting their shoes on while on the move. AND you can run in transition.
Towel the feet off real quick. I have a small hand towel that I lay my shoes on. Just rub each foot on it as the shoes go on. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not duck walk through the transition area in road shoes. I nearly killed a guy a couple weeks ago because he was going so slow, CARRYING his bike through the chute SIDEWAYS, so I couldnt get around. Nearly knocked him to the ground when I did get by. Get MTB shoes, or leave em on the bike. Have fun!
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
414
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1289 days
trithis04 posted 3 years ago.
Triguy,
Check out a set of DA or Ultegra road pedals you'll find the cleats are rather easy to run in. They are large enough to dig in and offer some traction on those flat bottoms. I agree, I can't seem to become very good at getting in my shoes when they're attached to the bike, I loose too much time.
[FONT=Impact]-Jason
"Fatigue will make cowards of us all!"
45
Member
1240 days
makscooter posted 3 years ago.
First of all, do you ride with socks on?
I ride and run with socks on; all I need is a blister, scrape or cut to screw up my running for a few days.
I use SIDI T1 shoes that are socks optional. And since I don't want my socks to get soggy or muddy or clotted with dirt, I leave my bike shoes on until I slip on my ASICS racing flats. You get used to walking for short distances with the bike shoes on; and I really don't give a damn about chewing up my cleats; they're super cheap to replace. Running with bike shoes on is just like anything else. You get faster once you get used to it.
Well my worst fears became reality when i decided to to my first brick workout. plan was for 12 mile bike and 3 mile run. no biggy, right? training for my first tri, a sprint, and those are the distances i'll be doing, so i figured it's at least a good place to start my transition training. WOW. The legs have never felt so tired after 1/2 mile. Ended up finding my pace and getting my legs going in their usual fashion, so it wasn't so bad, but I did have some questions about T2 strategy. So i'm riding with regular cycling shoes (Specialized), with the 2 velcro straps and the "ratcheting" strap toward the top of the shoe. I realize these probably aren't ideal for quick and easy transitions, but do you think it best to get out of the shoes on the bike, or dismount with the shoes on and change them in the transition area. I have messed around with it a little and see some benefits in both ways. How far is it usually from the dismount line off the bike to your bike rack? I think i could hoof it in the bike shoes if its not too far, but too much "walking" in those things may just do me in. thanks