T1 to T2

cgres123

I did a local SC over the weekend and looked up my age group competition. I use to complete the swim and bike entering into the T1/T2 area like I just did something until I realized man this is free speed. Really, in the beginning of my Tri career I even brought a folding little chair to sit on , ya know strip off the wet suit put your socks on ect, ect...

 

As I know now about free speed in the Ts', one of my competitors had a 50 sec T1 and a 35  sec T2. I wish I had that on video.

 

So now a days I KISS the T area with leaving my bike shoes out in the open to slip into. My helmet on my bike with the race belt in it sunglass on and out the door, no socks for a Sprint / socks Oly and above. T2 = dismount run in bike to my spot , rack the bike remove the helmet take off bike shoes put on run shoes, that hold my Garmin watch which I carry onto the course and put on while running, and get out of T2 as fast as I can...

 

This all takes about 1 min 20-35 sec. Does anyone see where I can make progress ?

Swanie

1:20 in a sprint/oly t1 is pretty good depending on the distance from the water. I am a long course guy predominately so I go with the coaches mantra of "slow is smooth, smooth is fast". I would rather take an extra 30 seconds in transition then miss, drop, or damage something that I will need in the next leg of a long day.

Scott Alexander

I thought there was a wiki entry about knocking down your T time that Matt A (???) put in there. Paging Nemo and her search-fu!

John Withrow

You could leave your bike shoes clipped onto your pedals and put them on while riding and take them off while riding before you enter T2.  This will also allow you to run barefoot which is faster than in bike shoes.

 

I keep EVERYTHING on my bike that can be done while moving.  That means my bike shoes, sunglasses, and Garmin watch. 

 

My T1 is simply: wetsuit off (which is mostly done before I even get to my spot), helmet on, grab bike and run.

 

My T2 has me unclipping my helmet as I run with my bike back into Transition.  Once I get to my spot:  Rack bike, yank helmet off, slip my barefeet into my shoes (with yankx laces), grab my hat and race belt and start running.  I put thes on while running through T2 towards run out.

 

Don't forget to run by holding your bike seat, not the bars...

 

Here is what my transition spot looks like for everything from Sprint to HIM.  Only difference for a HIM, is that I add a thin pair of socks for the run that I have put on and off my feet a few times that morning before the race to loosen them up.

 

Peter Greagg

here's the wiki http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/108/Default.aspx?topic=Transitions+(Free+Raceday+Speed)

cgres123

@ All ThX... again I love this place ha ha....

@ John, do you tie the crank arm with a rubber band ? Man that T1 set up is simple EZ.

Paul Hough

Ha, I used to bring the water basin to T1 in my first year. Now I don't use socks for either sprints or oly's, only for HIM and IM. Sunglasses are held by rubber band to my aero pad. Flying mount on the bike for races under HIM...but only if the pavement is smooth enough for my tender feet. I've found that in rough paved parking lots I can run much faster with my bike shoes on than I can barefoot going ooh, ow, damn that hurt! Race belt in the helmet, but only if required to wear it on the bike, elsewise its with my race hat and shoes. For IM, all minor stuff in a bag that I can carry out of T2 with me and put on as I'm running. Coming into T2, feet out of the shoes, right leg flipped over the bike and coasting the last 5 yards, brake 1 yard before the dismount line and immediately running with the bike.

John Withrow

@David-- Simple EZ setup = Fast transition. I don't use rubber bands or anything. I just let my shoes dangle from the pedals and have never had an issue. (Just make sure your bike is in a low gear when you originally rack your bike in the morning) For many of my longer training rides I simply click my shoes onto my pedals in my house and walk outside barefoot. I simply walk into my driveway, mount my bike and I'm off. I also take my feet out of my shoes a 100yds or so before I get home. This has been plenty of practice for me. Most races I have done, the Transition area is in a field, so no issues running with my bike barefoot per Paul's comment. Also, my sunglasses conveniently hang off of the brake cable where it comes out of the bottom of my aerobars, so I don't need a rubber band or tape or anything. Often during training, if I'm doing a long hard climb, I take my sunglasses off and leave them in that spot until just before I crest the hill...

I forgot to mention that I keep my RoadID over one of my aerobars and put it on once I'm riding and got my other stuff addressed.

Paul Hough

Important Transition Safety Tip! I always set my chain in a fairly easy gear for starting out on the bike, but in the BIG ring up front! Here's why. Once in a sprint race, I had the chain in the small ring and poorly executed a flying mount coming out of T1, and landed with my heel on the big ring instead of on my shoe. It felt like I hit a rock and I finished the sprint race just fine, but was sure I was bleeding. I checked my foot after the race at it was a bloody mess. The teeth marks went right up my heel...ow. Keeping the chain in the big ring ensures that if you accidentally hit it with your foot on the mount, you won't get punctured.

Dave Tallo

That's a rather good tip, Paul. Add 'don't wear the Timing Chip band on the right ankle' for roughly the same reason.

To the OP: yes, t1 and t2 are low hanging fruit. I posted about my dismay last year seeing people with 3G's worth of Zipp wheels, but taking a cumulative 20 mins in Ts.

Dave Campbell

I once forgot my transition bag and found out at the end of a 6 hour drive that it was left behind. One of the best lessons for transitions I ever learned. All my high $ gear was left at home. I had with me my bike, my old worn out running shoes that I was now wearing as every day shoes, a speedo and some old goggles were in the truck from being at the lake earlier that week. Thats all I had!! So, I borrowed a pair of old rusty platform pedals from a local friends mountain bike that had been hanging in his barn for years, went to Walmart and bought a $15 helmet. It was an olympic distance race in Chattanooga Tenn. I raced it old skool in nothing but the speedo. Had the fastest T1 and T2 in my AG, and averaged just under 21mph on the bike. TI was as simple as slipping on running shoes that had Yankz in them, put on helmet, go. T2, was rack bike, ditch helmet, go. After that, I have advised many beginners to use platforms for short races, not worth the time to change shoes and hassle with the extra stuff. seconds can matter in short races. Should have seen the looks I got on my P2/Powertap, etc riding platform pedals, and worn out Asic's 2010's. Actually pr'd the thing if I remember correctly. Lesson learned=keep it simple, go fast!

[Deleted User]

Watch the pros in an ITU race. Super smooth and efficient. For them, seconds lost in transition could easily be the difference between being on the podium and finishing in the middle of the pack. I had the opportunity to watch the elites race at ITU Edmonton last weekend, and it was absolutely awesome!!

Plenty of videos on the ITU website: http://www.triathlon.org/multimedia/video/2012_edmonton_elite_men_tricast/

cgres123

@ All , lots of good suff here thanks.

foolio_mugoolio

I've never quite understood how to do the ol' flying mount. Anyone got some good instructions or a video?

MattAaronson

Mentioned above, but I'll repeat because I just added it to my transition bag of tricks...I tape my sunglasses to the bike frame and put them on once I'm riding. Doesn't sound like much but you're removing yet another step. If you leave your shoes clipped in (as I've also started doing), you're down to a 1 step process: put on helmet. For a WTC race you also have to put on the race belt, although I'm thinking of trying that on the bike too at some point in the future. Boy a transition is easy when the only thing you have to remember is "put on helmet".

For T2 after racking my bike I take of my helmet, sit on the ground, put on shoes and socks, then grab my hat...inside of which is race belt, gels, Garmin watch, spray-on sunblock, etc. As I run out of T2 I can take the stuff out of my hat and deal with it: put race belt and hat on, put gels in pocket, start garmin watchand put on my wrist, spray on sunblock, etc. So the actual process in T2 boils down to: helmet (off), shoes (on), "grab and go" (grab = grab my 'bundle' of stuff).

foolio_mugoolio

@ Matt, I like the simplicity of that.



Regarding the flying mount. I youtube'd two different versions of this... the second one seems smoother to me and less likelihood of losing your manhood.



Version 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUCkx9bB0N4 (mount is around 22 seconds into vid)



Version 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR6Pq6u3YUM 

 (guy makes it look easy and smooth)



Thoughts? I've never tried either of these yet.

cgres123

@ Enrique. me neither he makes it look smooth.

Scott Alexander

My aero bike helmet has a visor, so no glasses needed at all. Sunglasses go in t2, and are carried out with me as I go on the run course before I put them on.

Also, race belt goes on under the wetsuit. If not a wetsuit swim I put on the belt in t1.

foolio_mugoolio

Race belt under the wetsuit? Interesting. Is that with the number attached??

Al Truscott

Most WTC events use a plastic race number, which stands up well under a wetsuit during the swim

foolio_mugoolio

Anhh. That makes sense then.