So, what to do?

Your options depend on how far you have to go to your event. If you can drive to the event (easier for some folks than others), you have several car-related options:

1. Put your bike inside your car. This is the ideal option, as it offers your bike maximum protection from the elements.  SUV and van drivers can often roll the bike straight into the car, while for most sedans and coupes, this will mean you have to remove one or both wheels.  Be sure you know how to remove your wheels, and have practiced it before your travel day!  Also, remember to cover the floor of your car with towels or a tarp–bikes are dirty and get dirt and grease everywhere.
2. Purchase a trunk rack. This gives you more space inside your car (and is sometimes the only option for tiny cars or multiple-bicycle travel adventures), but leaves your bikes a bit vulnerable to rain, snow and rear-end collisions.
3. Purchase a roof rack. Similar in advantages and disadvantages to the trunk rack, but instead of being vulnerable to rear-end collisions, you’re now vulnerable to “momentary acts of forgetfulness” as you pull into your garage!

Things get tricky when you have to fly to your event.  Airlines are notoriously unaccommodating to triathletes and their bicycles. Fees are outrageous, baggage handlers are tired and underpaid, and bike boxes and cases are ridiculously expensive.

Here are some basic things to keep in mind when you travel with your bike on a plane:

1. Choose an airline that has low (or no) bike fees. Check out the thread over at the Slowtwitch forum for information on how much flying with your bike will cost.
2. Pack your bike carefully, particularly if your bike has any carbon fiber components.  Wrap every tube in bubble wrap, remove the pedals, protect the wheels and make sure nothing is jostling around.  Document your packing job so you can re-create it on the return trip.
3. Most airlines have a strict 50 pound weight limit per bag. With many bike cases weighing around 30 pounds *alone*, that doesn’t give you a lot of wiggle room for putting more stuff (besides your bike) in there!
4. Most airlines have even stricter dimensional requirements for bags! Your bike will almost certainly have to travel as oversized luggage, which means more dollars in the pocket of the airlines.

In terms of the packaging you choose for your bike’s plane ride, you have the following options:

1. No packaging at all. You can actually roll your bike up to the counter and they’ll give you a flimsy box to put it in for the journey.  Some people have noted that choosing this option sometimes elicits better care from the baggage handlers (as they see a relatively vulnerable bike coming down the baggage ramp, and they handle it with a bit more care than they otherwise would), but I would not recommend this to anyone with a bike of any significant value.
2. A bike box, packaged by your local bike shop (or someone knowledgeable on how to pack a bike).  Bikes get shipped from the manufacturers in boxes all the time.  Properly packaged and protected, a bike can withstand travel in a bike box.  The drawbacks to this option are convenience (having to take the bike to the shop twice–before and after your event–as well as the inconvenience of having to lug a cardboard box around the airport) and price (bike shops charge $ for this service).
3. Soft bicycle case. These types of cases range from minimally padded “sling” type cases (meant for protecting your bike inside your car), to maximally padded rugged travel cases. These cases are an excellent balance of price (cheaper than hard cases), convenience (lightweight) and protection (packed correctly, a maximally padded rugged soft case protects just as well as a hard case).  Additionally, some bags don’t contain any visible markings that indicate a bicycle is inside, so a soft case owner can routinely get out of paying the bike fee on some airlines!  This is my personal choice for airline travel, I highly recommend this option.
4. Hard bicycle case. These hardshell cases can withstand almost anything the airlines throw at them.  They’re relatively straightforward to pack, and there are a lot of different options on the market.  However, they tend to be expensive, heavy and unwieldy–be prepared to incur lots of fees (oversize, overweight AND bike fees) when traveling with a hard case!

In addition to the above options concerning packaging, you have a few other options when you have to fly to a race:

1. Travel with a bike that has couplers. These couplers allow you to disassemble the frame of your bike before travel and reassemble at your destination, without any loss of frame integrity.  The disassembled bike fits neatly into a suitcase the size of normal checked luggage!  The obvious drawback is the price of the couplers (and they can’t be retrofitted onto most modern bikes).
2. Rent a bike at your destination. For casual racers and tourists, this is a tempting option, both in terms of price and convenience.  Simply pack your saddle, pedals and bike measurements in your luggage and make a stop at a LBS at your destination!  However, this is more difficult for triathletes, who require a precise fit on their bikes, particularly for an important race.
3. Use a triathlon bike transportation service. There are a few of these companies that do business in the USA.  They’ll pick up your bike at a LBS in your area, transport your bike to the race, and return it to your LBS after the race.  These services are often very convenient, and reasonably priced.  The drawbacks for this service are that, occasionally, the LBS at which the service picks up bikes is an hour or more away from where you live, and that you’ll be without your bike for up to a week before your race.

If you have any other bike travel tips, let us know in the comments!

Unfortunately, bikes are expensive.  And, with the plethora of bikes to choose from, it’s easy to buy a bike that’s not quite right for you.

In general, I recommend that you do your first triathlon on the bike you already have–whether it’s a mountain bike, hybrid, whatever–just to see if you really like doing triathlons.  If it turns out you don’t enjoy triathlons, then you haven’t wasted your money!

However, if you do decide that you want to participate in triathlons long-term, it’s definitely worthwhile to purchase a triathlon bike.  They’re faster and more comfortable than a mountain or hybrid bike, and even an entry-level bike will last you a lifetime if you maintain it properly.

Here are my Top 10 recommendations for triathlon bikes in the 2010 season.

10. Specialized Transition Comp. Price: $2800.  This carbon-framed bike makes the list because of it’s adjustability (the seatpost allows for a wide range of riders to fit on it), the aerodynamics of the frame (which are generally thought to be good) and the reasonable price for an all-carbon 105 bike.  Many shops stock Specialized bikes so this should be relatively easy to order.

9. Felt B2. Price: $3799.  This is the second most expensive bike on this list, but it’s worth it if you have money to spend.  The “bayonet” fork system is supposedly more aerodynamic than just a head tube, the aerobars are the best on the market and the wheels are aerodynamic enough for racing while being strong enough for training.  The geometry is suitable to most riders, and the smallest two sizes (48 and 50cm) come with 650 wheels, which makes it much easier for women to fit on this bike.

8. Giant Trinity Advanced SL 2. Price: $5050.  This is the most expensive bike on the list.  I wanted to include one of the new “Superbikes” on the list, and I chose this one because one of them (Specialized’s Shiv) has recently been the subject of some bad publicity and the other (the Cervelo P4) has already had a lot written about it.  The attention to detail on this bike is amazing.  Ultegra shifting, aero wheels, carbon fiber everything–the only thing not to like is the fact that you’re spending $5000 on this bike.  (They have a $12,000 option that includes Zipp 1080 wheels and electronic shifting, but that’s just ridiculous.)

7. Leader 735TT. Price (frame only): $399.  If you’re mechanically inclined, you can build a perfectly good triathlon bike, using the Leader frame as a starting point, for a fraction of the cost of an entry level bike.  This aluminum frame comes with a 78 degree seat tube angle, for power and comfort in the aero position.  You’ll need to spend a few hundred additional dollars on the remaining components (fork, drivetrain, wheels, etc), but if this kind of project puts the fire in your step, then seriously consider the Leader frame.

6. Trek Equinox 7.  Price: $1869.  Trek’s entry level bike is not entry level at all.  The aluminum frame is very similar in performance characteristics to their higher-end carbon frame.  Trek is as ubiquitous here in the U.S. as any other brand, so you should have no trouble finding a Trek shop and determining if this bike fits you.

5. Cervelo P2. Price: $2800.  One of the most aero bikes out there, in spite of it’s relatively entry level price.  Cervelos are the most ridden bike at the Ironman world championships for a reason.  The simple design hasn’t changed in several years, because it simply works.  This bike should definitely be on your list regardless of the amount of money you’re willing to spend–it’s that good.

4. Quintana Roo Chiquilo Women’s. Price: $1599.  This women specific bike is very similar to the Tequilo (QR’s other entry level bike), but has some modifications that female riders will prefer.  Tthe smallest size comes with 650 wheels, which is great for lady riders.  The handlebars and saddle are all lady specific, and I guess the paint job is pink so that makes it lady specific as well.  Women can be a challenge to fit on tri bikes, but the Chiquilo makes it a bit easier.

3. Giant Trinity 0. Price: $1750.  I’m showing my bias for Giant bikes here–I ride a Giant triathlon bike and I love it.  However, the Trinity stands on its own.  It’s a full aero, aluminum framed bike with 105 components AND race-ready wheels for a measly $1750.  What’s not to like?  Unfortunately, few Giant shops have caught on to the fact that their tri bikes are awesome, so you’ll probably have to special order this bike sight unseen.  Take a chance–you will probably be pleasantly surprised at the value you get from this bike!

2. Felt B16.  Price: $1999.  Speaking of value, I can say with confidence that this bike, unquestionably, gives you the most value for your money of any bike on the market today.  This is the same full-carbon frame, minus the Bayonet fork system, that’s used on Felt’s higher end bikes (such as the DA and the B2 which I mentioned earlier).

You get the Felt aerobar system, which is the best on the market in terms of adjustability, comfort and price.  You get solid training wheels, which can be swapped for race-ready wheels once you’re ready to make that additional investment.  You get 105 shifting.  You get more bike for $2,000 than most other bikes that cost $2500 give you.  Don’t ignore this bike when shopping around–chances are you’ll seriously consider it.

1.  Entry level road bike, with forward seat post and clip-on aerobars. Price: $1000-$1500.  If you ever ride with other people, do a road race or crit, commute, or basically do anything other than triathlons with your triathlon bike, you’ll find that a triathlon-specific bike is very awkward (and possibly not safe) for these tasks.  A road bike can perform any of these tasks safely and comfortably.

To use a road bike optimally in triathlons, you’ll need a forward (or zero offset) seat post and clip-on aerobars.  The aerobars help you get into the prized “aero position” around which tri bikes are designed.  The forward seatpost helps put you into a more comfortable and powerful aero position by pushing your hips forward and reducing your hip angle at the top of your pedal stroke.

The only disadvantages of this setup is that it’s a bit awkward looking, doesn’t handle quite as well as a dedicated tri bike, and requires time to switch between a regular road setup and a tri setup.  However, the advantages of this setup–price, convenience of only having one bike, and flexibility to purchase a tri bike down the road while still having a perfectly good road bike–far outweigh the disadvantages for many triathletes.

If you’re new to triathlons, you should definitely seriously consider this option for your new bike purchase.  Especially if you’re on a budget and anticipate doing other kinds of riding outside of triathlon.

We’re kicking off the 2010 season here at the Pointy Helmet Coaching blog with a series of “Top 10″ posts. First up is a topic that comes up often in triathlon, whether you’re a beginner or veteran. Our sport attracts all kinds of people who say all kinds of silly things. Here is my Top 10 list of the silliest things that triathletes say!

10.  ”I need as light a bike as possible, because having lightweight equipment is very important.” Unless you’re climbing very steep grades, the weight of your equipment doesn’t really matter in triathlon.  Especially here in pancake-flat Florida, you’re much better served getting equipment that is as *aerodynamic* as possible, such as an aero helmet, deep section wheels and a skintight race suit.  Losing weight off your body always helps, but going from a 21 pound bike to a 19 pound bike will actually not gain you very much time in a steady-state cycling effort.

9.  ”I need to carry all of my nutrition with me during my race.” This depends on the distance you’re racing, but usually this is not necessary.

For triathlons with total duration under 90 minutes, you don’t need any nutrition (except for some water, probably in the form of a single bike bottle) unless it’s very hot or humid.

For races that are 90 minutes-3 hours, you can consider taking in some nutrition if you want, but you can usually get this from the on-course aid stations.

For Half Ironman races and longer, the course will almost certainly have well-stocked aid stations on the bike and run, so all you need to do is carry what you need to get from one aid station to the next.

That means rarely do you need more than 2 bike bottles, huge quantities of gels in your Bento Box, or that cumbersome Fuel Belt on the run.  Carrying less stuff = a more streamlined bike/run = a faster race.

8.  ”My bike is broken; I’ll just have my Local Bike Shop (LBS) fix it.” While sometimes it’s necessary to take your bike into the shop, the majority of bicycle maintenance and repairs can be completed by you, with some knowledge and practice.  I’ll be doing a separate article on this topic in the near future, but you should certainly be able to change your flat tires, clean your bike, adjust the shifting and replace certain parts without having to drop your bike off at your LBS.

7.  ”Doing these squats will help my bike strength.” Cycling is an endurance event.  Even if you’re pushing hard, you’re still doing 90+ “reps” per minute (i.e. each pedal stroke) at a relatively low “weight.”  Any strength training you do should be as specific as possible to your athletic needs, which for most triathletes means a focus on functional strength and injury prevention  High-weight, low-rep squats just don’t fit into that plan for triathletes.  Go ride instead!

6.  ”I can do that flying mount/dismount on race day, even though I’ve never tried it before!” The flying mount is when, exiting T1, you jump on your bike in one swift motion.  The flying dismount is when, approaching T2, you jump off your bike and hit the ground running, literally.  For both maneuvers, your shoes remain clipped to the pedals the whole time.  Both are difficult to do (the mount is harder than the dismount), and unless you practiced before the race, you shouldn’t do the flying mount or dismount.  Too many triathletes have injured themselves (or others) by attempting the flying maneuvers without having mastered them in practice.  You only save a few seconds with each, and if you screw them up you risk injury.  Don’t do these unless you’ve practiced them.

5.  ”Aero helmets look silly.  I won’t be wearing one.” Rubbish!  Pointy Helmets, in terms of “dollars spent per second of time saved” are one of the most efficient ways to spend your equipment budget.  Only aerobars and a skintight suit are more cost-effective.  Once you’ve decided you’re serious about triathlon, go get your aero helmet.  Get one of the ones with the long tail that covers your ears–there are several models on the market that cost between $100 and $200.

4.  ”I’m going to pump my tires to 160psi, that will make me faster!” The notion that higher tire pressure is always better is one of the most common (but easily correctable) misconceptions among cyclists and triathletes.

The reason we use pneumatic tires (i.e. tires with a layer of pressurized air between the tire and the wheel proper) is because the road surface we ride on isn’t perfectly smooth.  The layer of pressurized air absorbs the minor imperfections in the road surface, allowing the wheel to glide along efficiently.  Obviously, if there’s not enough air in the tire, the tire will deform too much, causing increased rolling resistance.  However, if there’s too much air in the tires, the wheel will “bounce” over the imperfections in the road surface, wasting energy with each bounce!

The goal is to put enough air in the tires to minimize tire deformation, but not so much that the wheel bounces around.  For most riders, assuming 20-23mm tire width, this pressure is between 100-125 psi.  Less for smaller riders and rider tires, more for larger riders and narrower tires.

3.  ”You don’t need to buy all that aero equipment.  Just go train more!” This is a false dichotomy.  The amount of training you do is completely independent of the amount of money you spend on equipment.  Spend as much on equipment as your budget can afford, while also training as much as your schedule can allow.  It’s really that simple!

2.  ”I don’t deserve to buy all of that go-fast equipment.” This is the second cousin once removed of #3.  It implies that you’re not fast enough for the aero equipment to make a difference.  The reality is that aero equipment works at all speeds, and in fact will save you *more* raw time at slower speeds!  If it makes you happy to buy that set of aero wheels, then by all means go for it, even if you ride the bike leg of a sprint triathlon at 14mph!

1.  ”People will make fun of me if I show up at my first triathlon with a mountain bike.” False.  We were all new to triathlon at some point.  Doing your first triathlon on whatever bike you already have isn’t embarrassing, it’s a smart financial decision.  If you buy a fancy bike, and then decide after your first race that triathlon isn’t for you, then you’ve just lost a bunch of money.

Besides, most triathletes at your first race will be too absorbed in themselves to even notice you.  Of the 10% that do notice you:

• 30% will smile, and/or offer words of encouragement to you.  Most triathletes recognize that it’s in everyone’s best interest to maintain a positive environment at these races, to encourage triathletes to keep racing.
• 65% will notice you, feel positive toward you, but not say anything.  I fall into this category.  I privately say to myself, “oh cool, a new triathlete–I hope she has a good time today!” but I decide to say nothing because I’m awkward and would probably end up accidentally saying something stupid.
• 5% will make a face at you or say something stupid.  However, these are the sort of people that you’d ignore under normal circumstances–they’re just douchebags.  Take pride in the fact that you’re a better person than them (and you’re probably faster than them)!

So, about 0.5% of triathletes will treat you negatively for bringing a MTB to your first race.  These people are assholes anyway.  The remaining 99.5% will either do nothing or give you positive encouragement.  Ride your mountain bike with pride!

A good triathlon coach:

1. Plans workouts for the athlete (requiring knowledge of workout timing/intensity/workload, race selection, periodization, etc)
2. Gives the athlete technical instruction (requiring knowledge of exercise physiology, swim technique, training with power, bike fit, other relevant equipment choices, etc)
3. Provides motivation, personal and moral support (requiring communication/teaching/interpersonal skills, time available to be with the athlete personally, “reading between the lines” skills, etc)

The time and energy the good coach devotes to these tasks is variable, and depends on the specific needs of the athlete.  For example, a Junior or newer athlete may require more technical instruction, while an elite athlete may have plenty of motivation and technical skills, and requires only expert planning of his or her workouts.

(Notice how nowhere on this list does it mention that a good triathlon coach must be also an elite athlete, or even an ex-elite athlete.  Often, I find that this creates an “I did it this way, so you should too” attitude in the coach that is unproductive for most athletes.)

While the skills to plan workouts and provide technical instruction can largely be learned through study and experience, the last basic task of a coach–the ability to motivate his or her athletes and relate to them on a personal level–is far more difficult to learn, and is far more often simply part of the coach’s personal identity and world view.

The ability to motivate an athlete, to communicate well, to teach effectively and to understand what’s really going on “under the surface” of the athlete is fundamentally what separates the “decent” coaches from the great ones.  It can be the largest factor in determing the success of an athlete (behind the athlete’s basic fitness level, of course).

In the end, if you’re looking for a coach, you can probably find many who will provide you with a good training plan over the course of weeks or months.  You may even find several with a wealth of technical knowledge to assist you in your training.  However, the coach you want to hire is the one among those whom you feel best motivates you, communicates easily with you and understands you as a person and athlete.

It sounds like you could use a fit on your tri bike.  Unfortunately, most professional bike fits cost an arm and a leg, so I’m going to fit you over the internet free of charge.  And, as I’m sure you know, you can always substitute the internet for the personal touch of a professional.

To start, I can’t stress enough the importance of your position on your bike.  The most important factor in terms of your overall speed on the bike is your position.  A good aero position is powerful, comfortable and fast.  And it’s relatively simple to get yourself into a good aero position:

• Your seat should be the correct height.  For example, one way to determine your seat height is to take your inseam and multiply it by 0.883.  Another way is to put your (naked) heel on the pedal in the 6 o’clock position.  If your knee locks, your seat is at the correct height.  There are others, but these two have the virtue of being simple, easy to measure, and usually pretty accurate.
• The position on which you sit on your saddle should create a 78-81 degree angle from that point to the ground.  Tri bikes with seat tube angles of 78 degrees or more usually can take care of this without too much gimmickry.  Slightly shallower is okay for some, but the majority of triathletes are most efficient riding with a steep seat tube angle.
• The fore/aft position of your elbow pads should be set so that your shoulders and upper arms form approximately a 90 degree angle.  You have some leeway here for comfort.  For example, in my aero position, my arms are “stretched out” a bit, creating about a 100 degree angle.
• The width of your elbow pads should be as narrow as is comfortable for the duration of your races.  Generally, narrower pads are more aerodynamic, but less comfortable.  Find what works for you.
• The height of your aerobars should be low.  Generally speaking, you are aiming for a relatively flat back, which is more aerodynamic.  HOWEVER, you don’t want to be so low that (a) you can’t hold the position for the duration of your race, and (b) you lose more power from the low position than you save due to aerodynamics.  Invest in an adjustable stem and play with your aerobar height until you find a height that is aerodynamic and comfortable enough to hold for the duration of your race.  Dan Empfield, who wrote the book on tri bike fit, has a nice formula that you can use to determine your aerobar pad height.
• There are some other minor concerns, such as saddle choice, crank arm length, water bottle choice and placement, and others.  Those are topics for other articles.

I raced a half Iron triathlon last weekend, and I was shocked at how many riders (especially women) were not fit well on their bikes.  They were upright, stretched out and usually not in their aero positions.  I couldn’t imagine riding 10 miles in some of their positions, much less 56!

Don’t let me catch you being one of those riders

The big three differences between a road bike are:

• Tube shapes.  Road bikes tend to have round tubes designed for stiffness and handling.  Triathlon bikes tend to have airfoil shaped tubes designed for aerodynamics.
• The handlebars.  Road bikes have traditional “drop” handlebars, with integrated shifters and brake levers.  Triathlon bikes have “aerobars” and “pursuit bars,” with shifters on the ends of the aerobars and brakes on the end of the pursuit bars.
• The angle of the seat tube.  This is the tube that runs from the crankset toward the saddle.  In the top of the seat tube sits the seat post.  On road bikes, this tube is positioned at approximately 73-74 degrees from horizontal (90 degrees would be perpendicular to the ground).  This gives a comfortable, powerful pedaling position while in a road position.  On triathlon bikes, this tube is positioned anywhere from 76-79 degrees from horizontal.  This helps the cyclist to rotate his or her hips forward.  The cyclist’s back can then get “flatter” and thus become more aerodynamic.  There is also some research that says that it’s easier to run following a cycle with a steep seat tube angle compared to a shallow angle.

There are a few other small differences, such as saddle choice, wheel positioning/choice and crank arm length.  However, the above three reasons are the biggest differences between road bikes and triathlon bikes.

If you’re thinking about buying a tri bike, but already have a road bike, use the road bike for a while.  You’ll be just fine.  You can even buy “clip-on aerobars” for your road bike and get the benefits of aerobars without spending $1500+ on a tri bike!  In fact, if you go to any local sprint triathlon, you no doubt will see more road bikes than tri bikes!

However, if you’re serious about triathlon, a tri bike is the way to go.  These differences really do make a difference in your speed and comfort during the cycling leg of a triathlon.