[ballyard7]

I am a new triathlete and have not competed in one as of yet. I have been running most of my life though and decided that doing a tri would be a lot of fun. I just purchased my first road bike yesterday. I have never ridden long or even short miles on a road bike before. My question is does anyone have any suggestions on what to do to start out? Mileage for the first month or so? Do i need bike shorts? When should i start practicing with aero bars? Any other tips for a new rider?

Thanks

[sfricks]

Congrats and welcome to your newest vice; triathlon.

I'd say the answer to your questions depend on your budget, level of commitment and your goals. For example, if you're training for a specific event you'll want a training plan to get you to that level by race day.

As for bike shorts, yes, but... If you're planning on going long in training (50+ miles) get "bike" shorts. If you're going to stay committed to Triathlon, get Tri shorts or a one piece tri suit. The difference being that you can swim, bike & run in tri shorts.

Forget the aero bars until you’re real comfortable on the bike and begin to get more competitive. Proper cycling technique will save you a ton more time than aero bars. Your next purchase should probably be cycling (tri specific) shoes, clips & cleats. This “locks” your foot to the pedals for more efficient cycling. With or after that, a cyclo-computer with cadence to monitor your pedaling efficiency.

My last piece of advice is; find a group with similar interests and ideally at similar fitness levels. That way you all keep each other motivated.

[ballyard7]

So are tri shorts padded like the bike shorts? Where is a good place to get a tri suit or tri shorts? Any suggestions online? I actually did get bike shoes and pedals that i clip my shoes into. What are cleats? What is the difference between bike shoes and tri bike shoes? So if i am going to do 50+ miles i need bike shorts, but i also need a tri suit right?

[sfricks]

Great questions!
- You got cleats with your shoe/pedal system.
- Tri shorts are lightly padded. Bike shorts more heavily so. If you try to swim / run in bike shorts it's just uncomfortable due to the fact you feel like you're wearing a diaper. For 70.3 or less distance triathlon you'll want either tri shorts and a tri singlet (tight fitting top you swim, bike and run in) or a one piece tri suit. The reason I suggest bike shorts for longer rides is just comfort. You might train in them but you'll want tri gear to race in. You can train in tri gear but if you train a lot, you're bottom will fuss at you :)
- I buy a lot from performancebike.com. They have a Tri specific area on their site.
- Tri shoes typically have one or 2 velcro closures. This is intended to aid in rapid transition. My personal favorite is the Sidi T1. Google it for a look.

Now, all that said... Tri gear is designed specifically for the following reasons:
- Shorter tris don't afford you a changing tent to get naked in so you can't really change (bottoms at least for guys). You could swim without a shirt and depending if the race director required it, put a jersey on in transition. This is considered time inefficient, therefore...
- As the transition is part of the race and is counted in your total time, you want to get in and out as quickly as possible. For most transitions that would be considered sub-1 minute. Tri gear is specifically designed to allow you to do this.

[hmullett]

Everything that Scott said!

Don't do aero bars until you are really comfy with your bike. You won't use them until you are, or you'll feel really uncomfortable. How exciting about your bike though! A new toy is always fun!

I buy a lot from bikenashbar.com and a women's bike site. I just bought Specialized tri shoes and love them. I do caution you when you start on your bike shoes, REMEMBER TO UNCLIP BEFORE YOU STOP! We've all fallen because of this, and I'm sure everyone reading this is chuckling to themselves! Its a bit embarrasing, but a learning experience nonetheless.

Train in bike shorts on your bike and whatever on the run. On race day, you'll not really notice the difference in the padding of the shorts with the adrenaline, etc. Also, Scott will tell you to train barefoot when you run. I can't because this gives me blisters, but if you are able to...you'll cut down your T2 time.

Good luck and welcome to our little family!

Heather

[sfricks]

hmullett said:

Also, Scott will tell you to train barefoot when you run. I can't because this gives me blisters, but if you are able to...you'll cut down your T2 time.

What Heather means by this is if you want your transitions to be be faster (remember, transitions ARE part of the race), train & race without socks. Good Tri Bike & Run Shoes shouldn't leave blisters. Train into this slowly to avoid trashing your feet.

Thanks for the input Ironmom!

[hmullett]

I've tried so many different running shoes, and to no avail. Always blisters. Oh well, I'll take the extra 25 seconds to put on socks in T2, I'm now racing sans socks on the bike, though. Baby steps!

Heather

[sfricks]

Heather, try this: On your next short run (< 3 miles - do you ever do those any more?), body glide the heck out of the hot spot areas on the inside of the shoe. The reason for treating the shoe & not your feet is because you can do this pre-race without affecting your T times (vs. stopping to BG your feet). Worse case, use either dermaplast medical tape or plain ole Duct Tape on the hot spots.

Comment on the above: Stupid I know, but I've gotten to the point that if I can't run 6+, I feel like it's a waste.

Comment 2: Did I mention that both of my big toenails are coming off from my IM? I tried to remove 1 and got most of it cut out but there's still quite a bit under the cuticle that's killing me. The other is just extremely loose. I'm going to the doc. Monday to get the rest of them removed. That means Sunday's Oly. is going to be a painful challenge. Therefore I intend to cinch them down with Duct Tape. :) Feel the love!

[DOUBLE DOWN]

ahhhh toe nails are over-rated...
:confused:

[gvey]

sfricks said:

Comment 2: Did I mention that both of my big toenails are coming off from my IM? I tried to remove 1 and got most of it cut out but there's still quite a bit under the cuticle that's killing me. The other is just extremely loose. I'm going to the doc. Monday to get the rest of them removed. That means Sunday's Oly. is going to be a painful challenge. Therefore I intend to cinch them down with Duct Tape. :) Feel the love!

I could have gone all week without that mental image.

[trainDaBrain]

First off - get your bike fitted properly. Having a certified and/or experienced bike fitter examine your shoe (cleat), seat and handlebar positioning will save you miles of pain later.

Next I recommend joining a bike club or tri-club. There are a lot of experienced, helpful riders out there that can provide pointers.