Triathlon is about being able to do 3 sports really well, one straight after another. This means swimming like a swimmer, riding like cyclist and running like a runner!
In this article we'll talk about a number of cycling tips and techniques to assist beginner to intermediate triathletes, as well as understand the rules for cycling in a triathlon.
Bike setup
In short, you can do a triathlon with pretty much any bike (and we know, we see them all racing!), but if you plan on doing more than 1 race, or training for more than 4 weeks in order to do a race, then you would be crazy not to consider the following:
- Safety. Cycling can be a hazardous sport. There are real dangers in training on the road, and you MUST have a bike that is road worthy, or any number of nasty potential accidents may result. If you are not confident in checking that your bike is safe - have a professional and reputable mechanic check it over BEFORE you ride. Check the TCR workshop for details on our bike servicing.
- Base cycling position. On the flat, 85% of the resistance you have to overcome is wind resistance, 15% is rolling resistance, and 1-2% is drivetrain/bearing friction. 80% of the wind resistance is caused by you, and 20% by your bike. So basically the most effective thing you can do to start riding faster is get your position checked. It's fine to want a faster, more aero bike/wheels/helmet, but these will only really make a difference once you are set up correctly on the bike. It is really worth getting professional help to assist in this regard; TCR are specialists in triathlon cycling setup.
- Comfort. Your bike really needs to fit you, and be comfortable, particularly if you are riding it for hours and hours.
Riding tips
- Circular pedaling
People think riding a bike is easy, after all you did it when you were a kid, right? Well there is turning the pedals over haphazardly on the way to the shop, and there is powerful, smooth cycling that generates the fastest possible speed with the least power. You can concentrate on trying to make sure you pedal with a more circular motion, rather than just pushing down in the front part of the pedal stroke. Doing so allows more muscle groups to be involved, and means you can usually generate and sustain higher power output (and more speed).
- Cadence
This is the speed that you spin the pedals with. Generally a higher cadence, 80-100 revolutions per minute is better, as it allows you to ride with less stress on your legs. This means changing gears! If your gearing isn't right you won't be able to generate much power, and you will probably have a lot of trouble running off the bike. You can get digital speedos now that are cheap and include cadence.
- Group riding
Group riding with more than 2-4 riders can be particularly hazardous. In Melbourne, large packs can form along roads like Beach road, and they can be dangerous (not to mention intimidating) places to be if you are not fully aware of what is happening. When riding in a group always have your hands on the brakes, watch other cyclist hand signals, listen for and repeat other verbal signals from the group (eg Car left, car up, car back). Obey all traffic rules at all times.
- Join a coached group
If you are unfamiliar with riding, and are just starting out, it can be a great idea to join a coached group. Not only will you get to meet a lot of other people with similar interests, a coach will be able to assist you in getting more from your riding, and help you learn more about training, riding and safety.
Racing tips
- If you don't have aerobars, ride on the drops. This position is more aerodynamic and will allow you to ride faster. If you plan on doing more than 1 or 2 races, and you don't have aerobars, come down to TCR and get the boys to help you fit some to your bike. They will help your cycling enormously when racing.
- Pump up your tires to the recommended maximum. Make sure your tires are at the maximum recommended pressure - they will roll faster with less resistance, and this means less effort for you.
- Also check your tires for small pieces of glass that get embedded in there while training... you don't need a flat during a race. If you can see small cuts in the tire, use a flat headed screw driver to gently separate the cut and check for glass. If you do this the embedded glass will tend to pop out easily. If there are lots of cuts... well, maybe some new tires are in order too.
- Get your bike serviced before you race. It's frustrating to try and race on something that doesn't work right.
- Start out easier. It's very easy go crazy with enthusiasm early, but you are better allowing your body to adapt a bit to the changing muscle and oxygen use before you try to push hard. It also means you will probably ride a faster time, than if you start fast and conk out.
- If you have proper cycling shoes, leave them attached to your pedals. When you run in from the swim, you just need to put your helmet on, grab your bike and go. This means, of course, you need to practice running with your bike, jumping on, and getting your feet in the shoes that are already attached to the pedals. The best way to do this is find an open, grassy park, and practice where it won't hurt so much if you fall off. Similarly, you need to practice removing your feet from the shoes in the last 100 m of riding (rest your bare foot on top of the shoe), ride to the dismount line, and jump off into a run. Lots of practice is very desirable before you try this in a race.
- Some triathletes use very thin elastic bands through the shoe heel attached to the bike somewhere to prevent the shoe spinning around and possibly coming out while you are running with the bike. When you get on and put your foot on the shoe, the elastic snaps and falls away.
Understanding the cycling rules for a triathlon
In virtually all age group races, triathlon events have non drafting bike legs. Drafting involves riding too close behind another cyclist and means that you are gaining an aerodynamic advantage over the other competitors. In bike racing, this is legal and even highly desired, but in triathlons which are not graded according to skill/fitness levels it could be a recipe for disastrous crashes.
In Australia, Triathlon Australia is responsible for the sanctioning of events and provision of the official rules. The official rule book can be found at the TA website: TA Race Competition Rules
When competing in the cycle leg of a triathlon you must:
- Follow traffic laws unless directed otherwise by a race official
- You must keep to the left as much as possible, unless passing other competitors. Failure to do so may result in an illegal position violation which could give you a penalty (described below).
- Keep at least 7 metres behind, and 1.5 metres to the side (3 metres total width) from another competitor. If you are closer than this for a period longer than 15 seconds, you are considered to be drafting (drafting violation). For vehicles, the draft zone is 35 metres long, and 5 metres in width.
- You must overtake on the right hand side, you cannot overtake on the left. Failure to do so may earn you an illegal pass violation.
- If you are overtaking, you may encroach on the draft zone of another competitor, but you must overtake the competitor within 15 seconds. After overtaking, you must again move to the left as soon as safe to do so. Failure to move left again may result in a blocking violation, since other competitors cannot easily pass you if you are not riding on the left.
- If you are overtaken by another competitor, you must either drop back out of the draft zone (within 15 seconds) or move to the side so you are no longer in the draft zone. It is better if you can to move sideways on the road to get out of the draft, rather than slowing down! We are trying to go as fast as possible! If you are as far left as possible, and you are still in the drafting zone, you will either have to slow down to get out of the draft zone, or choose to overtake the same cyclist again.
In every sanctioned race there will be draft busters and technical officials enforcing these rules, the officials may:
- warn you ( ie tell you not to do whatever it is you're doing, but take no action)
- give you a stop-start penalty with a yellow card. To perform a stop start penalty you must pull off the cycle course to the left in a safe manner, and wait for them to allow you to proceed again.
- give you a time penalty with a yellow card, which could be 2, 3 or 5 minutes depending on the length of the cycle leg (2 min for 20km, 3 min for 20.1-40km, 5 min for 40.1+km). If you get a time penalty you are required to stop at the penalty box (usually just before the transition area), and an official will record your number and the time you must wait for. If you don't attend the penalty box, you will be disqualified.
If you get 2 yellow card penalties applied in the same race, you are red-carded and disqualified.