ArgoMan

Hi all. First post in the Triathlon forum. I may wish to get into a Tri bike, but my reasoning is a bit different. I seek your opinions. I'm 55 and do some fairly serious road biking. Typically short, but hard and fast distances. I've developed "De Quervain's Syndrome" in my right dominant wrist. Very painful and does not seem to be going away. I believe it's the result of overuse, to include the torquing motion on my wrists from hard riding. This morning I began to feel similar issues in my left wrist. If I develop the syndrome in my left, I'll be hobbled. I certainly won't be able to ride any longer. So, thinking this through, I saw that Tri bikes have a bar set up that may allow me to take the pressure off of my hands and wrists, and transfer most pressure to my forearms. I've never road a Tri bike, so really wouldn't know. Am I correct in this assumption (that I can take lots of pressure off my wrists?) If so, what do you all recommend? I build my own road bikes. Should I just get a new road frame and build out a bike with Tri bars? Or should I seek out a dedicated Tri bike? Lots of questions. Feel free to give any advice that you deem fit. Thank you!

hayden52

You can get clip-on tri/TT-bars for you road bike to try out. You will still have to shift from your normal position.

ArgoMan

Thanks Hayden52! I thought about that after I posted. I looked up some clip-on bars online. Do you have a recommendation? I'd want to go with an quality alloy set. I don't mind spending a few dollars, but don't want to get into the $250+ range unless I have to.Thanks again!

_ForceD_

Concur with Hayden above. Simple clip-on aero bars should be sufficient for your needs. Since you’re not actually going to be doing tri races, I don’t see a reason why you’d need a tri frame. In shopping for clip-on bars, keep in mind there’s a good chance you’ll have to remove some bar tape to get them to clamp properly. And, if you have CF handlebars, clip-ons might not be recommended for them. But, I have seen some that actually clamp onto the stem instead of the handlebars. Otherwise, as you shop for them, keep in mind how the clip-on bar clamp will interact with how your brake cables are routed. There are some that actually clamp OVER the brake cable housing. I.e. you don’t want the clamp crimping the cable housing to a point where the brake cable doesn’t move. Profile is a good brand name, and is one of the first companies to make them back in triathlon’s infancy. Other piece of advice is to say that there is a bit of a learning curve to using them. It’s not much but you may want to practice on them in short spurts. Good luck. — Dan

ArgoMan

Thanks, ForceD. I looked at the Profiles, but I think I will go with a set of Zipp Vuka 70 (aluminum.) They mount above the bar with a rise of a few inches. I don't want to have to get into a very "racy' position often. I use the drops only occasionally. I like to ride the hoods and crouch a bit. What are your thoughts on the Vukas? Thanks again!

_ForceD_

Personally I don’t like tri bars that have that straight design. I feel like holding them requires you to twist your wrist forward in an uncomfortable, stressful position. Bars with the ends angled up enable you to hold the bar in a more natural, less stressful position. But obviously there are some who prefer that position. Something like this is what I like — https://www.amazon.com/catazer-Handl...afb42092c2d435

Dan

Steve B.

Regardless of which clamp in tri bar you use, you still need to deal with getting your wrist pain dealt with. You don’t spend every riding minute on the aero bars, maybe half if a route with few traffic lights. You still need to use brakes and shifters, thus your arms and hands are still on the bar as if it’s a road bike.

ArgoMan

Yes, my left wrist is now starting to act up. I have a doctor's appointment next week. I hate it, but I've decided to take a break from riding.

ArgoMan

So, a follow-up question. Let's just pretend that I want to get into an actual tri bike. What size frame should I be looking at? I fit a 54cm road bike well, although both my main road bikes are either 55- 56cm, with shorter stems. The 56 also has the Specialized Short Reach bars. I had to shorten the 56 up a bit. So what would that translate to in terms of a proper-sized Tri frame? Thanks!

VegasJen

I think the best bet is to just try a few first, but based on what you're saying you currently ride, I would think a standard "Medium" frame could be adjusted to fit you correctly. There are differences in geometry, generally speaking, but not that radically. I normally ride a 49-50cm road bike but all my tri bikes are 51cm. Still a little bigger than what I would prefer but still easily comfortable.

As for the tri bike configuration, I agree with ForceD here. I have tried a couple different configurations but all my tri bikes have a fairly aggressive upward bend. Maybe not even as much as I would like, but far from straight. I have found it very fatiguing to ride with my wrists cranked down at that awkward position for more than a few miles.

This is my recently acquired Shiv. As you can see, the bars have a pretty decent upward angle. But if I'm honest, I would probably be happier if the angle was a bit greater.


And I ride with clamp on aero bikes on all my road bikes as well for similar reasons as you. I don't have an actual condition but I find that my arms fatigue, my hands will go numb and my wrists will ache on long rides on either the hoods or the drops. I have the aero bars not so much for aero on my road bikes but as a way to rest my arms (as it were) on those long rides. Of course, the caveat here is the only time I'm down on the aero bars is when I'm on long, mostly straight roads/paths. Any real turns and you'll need to be out on the hoods or drops.


Also recently acquired 2014 Synapse. As you can see, I already have a Profile Design "Century" single bar clamped on. I kind of like this one for a road bike because the wrist position is angled in two axes. I actually found this bar used from a member on another forum. It was a pretty decent find, although they do lack some adjustability on the reach. They're available new on Amazon for right at $100. If you're buying new, this is what I would recommend.

ArgoMan

Thanks VegasJen! I actually bought a set of Zipp Vukas and had my first ride on them this morning. All I can say is "meh". They're okay. They definitely allow me to take pressure off the wrists, which is my whole purpose. But I think I can get a more suitable set. I have a line on a set of carbon Profile Designs for a good used price. I should add that in researching aero bars, I got into reading about triathlons, and decided to participate in a sprint. It's set for Perris, California on 4/21. I have a few bikes, one being a fairly light road bike with a racey configuration. I'll get the appropriate aeros for that and use that bike, I think. Thanks again!

VegasJen

Good to hear. I stumbled across a pair of Profile Design clamp on aero bars a couple years back. They're almost identical to the PD bars that came on my Ridley Cheetah, which I find very comfortable. Because of the gearing, I put them on my Spec Roubaix and that's the bike I use for very hilly courses like Santa Barbara. Especially for a first time, I think clamping a set of bars on your road bike is really the best approach. Maybe if you do a couple events and you enjoy it, consider upgrading to a dedicated tri bike.

One or two times is really not a lot of time to come to a conclusion about the bars. You definitely give up some stability with aero bars, and taking your hands off the hoods/drops necessarily increases your reaction time. But the certainly have their place. And you will grow increasingly more comfortable on the bars the more miles you ride. At the very least, clamp on bars provide you with more grip options with almost zero down side.

I've done between 3 and 5 triathlons a year for the last four years and I've seen some pretty strong cyclists using regular road bikes with clamp on bars. I've also seen quite a few middle-of-the-pack riders on some high $$$ dedicated tri bikes.

As for me, I prefer a tri bike over a regular road bike in almost every circumstance. The only exception to that is a very hilly course with some steep inclines. But then again, I use the aero bars more to rest my arms than any real aero advantage.

VegasJen

And as long as we're on the subject of a first time event, how is your swim? Of all the triathlons I've been in I would say almost exclusively most people drop out in the first few hundred meters of the swim. 750 meters looks a lot farther in open water than it does in a pool. If you haven't done a lot of open water swimming, I highly suggest you get some practice in before your first event. If you aren't very comfortable in open water yet, you really need to prepare mentally for that event. There's going to be a lot of help out there so don't psych yourself out at the very beginning!

ArgoMan

Thanks for the advice and direction, Jen. Keep it coming...I'll listen! So, My first Tri will involve a 9 mike bike ride, 3 mile run, and 400 meter swim. 400 meters is not very far. I actually swam competitively in my youth. But in practicing in the pool I amazed at how quickly I get fatigued. I've figured out that it's really a combination of my stroke and breathing technique. I've been swimming my entire life. I just have to learn how to pace myself. I an contemplating allowing everyone to enter the water ahead of me (it's a lake) and then engaging is a fast breast stroke for the first 50+ meters. I'm a strong at that stroke, never get fatigued, and can see what's going on ahead of me. I can then gauge what's happening and where I need to be and bang out the rest of the swim with freestyle. 9 miles on a bike is no problem. And I think I'm okay with a 3 mile run. Any advice or resources that you can point me to? Thanks so much!

VegasJen

Sounds like a great first event! Not quite a full sprint distance, more of a "super sprint". Perfect for starters. Good to hear you're comfortable in the water. Your strategy may work well for you, but bear in mind, the way they often do these things is groups start off in waves. You may be able to start off in the back of your wave, but there will almost certainly be more waves starting behind you. When I did Ironman 70.3 a couple months back, all of us age-groupers started off 4 at a time in 30 second intervals. That's not particularly common though. Most of the time (in my experience) each group starts off as a mass body and there are generally several minutes in between. Even so, there have been many times I've passed slow swimmers from a group ahead and been passed by faster swimmers from behind.

Of course, 400m for a solid swimmer should not be particularly difficult at all. I only go back to the open water aspect of the swim. You will have no lane markers to follow, the water will be more murky and even swimming solo, the water is likely to be more rolling than what you would get in a pool. Nevermind coming up on slower swimmers or faster swimmers coming up on you.

You sound pretty solid on the bike, which I would expect from you here. As for the run, I wish I could give you some kind of advice there but the run is my suckiest event. On a short distance like that, I might be able to maintain a sub 12min/mile. But doubt I could do better than an 11min/mile. I'm just slow.

The biggest thing I would advise you for your first event is go out and practice each event separately. Take notes of everything you need and use during your training, then make a list of all those things. Before your race, make sure you have everything staged and ready to go. I would also suggest at a minimum you do a few mental walk throughs of transition, e.g. "I get out of the water and I remove my goggles, unzip my suit, I'm going to have my socks and riding shoes staged *here* and my helmet hanging on the bike...." Last thing you want to do is dismount the bike in T2 and realize you forgot your running shoes!

ArgoMan

Thanks for all your advice Jen! I went ahead and got a Quintana Roo Hydrosix wetsuit. It was well discounted, so I didn't pay a ton for it. You brought up the issue that I'm a bit concerned about...staging stuff. I have to really study "how" to run a Tri, in terms of where to put stuff, how to put stuff on, take it off, etc. I also need to make sure that I have all the correct "stuff". I'm making a list of what I think I'll need as I come across ideas. Any info you can give will be greatly appreciated!

VegasJen

Of course!

Probably the biggest thing to worry about is the amount of space you're going to have to stage stuff. Just figure if they're generous, you might have about as much room as a full size bath towel, but I certainly wouldn't count on that. More likely to be an area roughly 2 feet by 3 or 4 feet.

For me, I have a dedicated duffel bag just for my tri gear. I also have a bucket with one of those net things and a bunch of pockets. Either one works but I like the bucket sometimes when I'm in my car because I can just throw my wetsuit in it and don't have to worry about it dripping in the car floor on the drive home. But you can do the same thing just by including a Hefty bag in your gear.

And when it comes to staging, just remember you're going to start with wearing your swim gear, so you don't really need to stage it. But you'll have to account for it when you're in T1, getting ready for the bike stage. So when I set up my gear in transition, I hang my helmet with my sunglasses inside on the aero bars, then I hang my riding gloves on the bars. Even though I ride flat pedals, I use a specific shoe for riding that's different than my running shoes. So the first thing on the ground right in front of the bike is my riding shoes and a pair of socks. Then I have a pair of shorts which I use for both the ride and the run, and I have a shirt or jersey which I have for the ride, and maybe the run, weather depending.

When I get into T1 after the swim, I strip the wetsuit off and hang it on the bar where the bike is hanging. (hope you're not shy. There's nobody flashing private parts but you're going to see a lot of underwear and bras in T1) I throw my goggles, ear plugs and swim cap in my bucket (or duffel bag) and throw on the shorts and shirt/jersey. Then I generally sit down to put on my socks ans shoes. Even with a towel (don't forget to pack a towel!), you're going to have a hard time putting on your cycling gear just because your skin will still be wet and sticky. Be thankful you don't have to fuss with a bra! Anyway, getting socks and shoes on can be kind of a PITA if your feet are still wet and sandy. Just make sure you have your helmet on and the strap clipped before you exit T1, that's a rule thing.

So now you're on the bike. Pedal, pedal, pedal. You get back to T2 at the end of the bike leg. Depending on how you prefer to ride, you may have cycling shorts you wear that you don't want to run in, so factor that into your transition strategy. Then are you shirtless? Do you wear a hat or visor when you run? What about sunglasses? Have your running shoes ready to go last. You'll hang your bike back on the rack, throw all your riding gear in your bag or bucket and switch to your running shoes. This stage is really the easiest to prepare for most of the time just because, if you do like I do and toss all the swim/bike gear in your bag, all that will be left in staging will be your run gear. Then you go out for your run.

So, don't forget a towel for when you get out of the water. Also, check with the organizers. Wetsuits are legal dependent on water temperature. Not sure where in Cali you're swimming. I imagine this early in the year, a wetsuit should be legal just about anywhere, but don't just assume it will be. So know before hand, and if there's a chance it won't be wetsuit legal, make sure you take some regular swim trunks. Also, consider sunscreen. I made a bad mistake a couple years ago in Santa Barbara. It was overcast all morning and I opted not to put sunscreen on during the ride. I was good all through the ride but when I got to T2, it was still overcast and I (wrongly) assumed the cloud cover would stick. By mile 2 all the cloud cover burned off and I had 8 miles of brutal sun exposure to live with. I got burned pretty badly on that event. Don't make that mistake. And are you planning on wearing a watch or a heart monitor? My suggestion for this first one is don't overcomplicate things. You may normally run or ride with a heart monitor but maybe skip it this time, at least until you get a feel for the process of transition. Travel light. I think heart monitors and smart watches and all that stuff is good for training. But unless you have a couple dozen triathlons under your belt, I think you can do without it during the actual event. You'll get a record of your individual times along with your T1 and T2 times in the official results.

Couple other things to keep in mind.
Don't forget a towel and sunblock!
Ear buds are a no-go, so if you really like to ride or run with music, you have to have one of those things that just hangs around your neck.
You'll get a colored swim cap with your packet that corresponds to your swim wave. Pay attention to what wave you're in and what color cap everybody is wearing.
Not a bad idea to carry a permanent marker for body marking. Most events I've been in require your number on one or both arms and typically your age and the distance on a calf. They generally have volunteers in transition doing the marking for you but you might not be able to find one or just be pressed for time. I also like to mark my swim cap just because if I get the picture package, it makes it easier to pick out your pictures from the swim leg.
The packet will also have your bib number. If you don't already have one, you might consider a running belt where you can attach your bib before the start of the event. Otherwise, you'll be fumbling with safety pins in transition.
Your packet will also have stickers with your number for your helmet, your bike and maybe a couple other spares. Make sure you have the appropriate stickers affixed to your bike and helmet before T1 closes for the swim.
Make sure you have at least some basic bike tools with you just in case. I've been fortunate and never had a mechanical during an event, but I've passed several people replacing tubes on the side of the road.

I'm absolutely certain there are some things I'm forgetting but this is a pretty good beginner strategy. If you think of any questions, I'll answer if I can.

_ForceD_

WRT the swim, I mostly concur with Jen…your pool experience has little bearing on open water conditions that can be “full contact”…among other considerations. But IMO this race is way too short to worry about a wetsuit, and the few extra seconds it’ll take to get it off. Personally, I’d wear a tri singlet, or maybe even just a spandex jammer throughout the race and only worry about changing foot gear. You’ll find out that nothing comes off of, or goes onto a wet body easily. The moisture makes everything stick. And you’ll be pi$$ed off when others are passing you in transition while you’re trying to get clothing/gear off a on your wet body.


Dan

VegasJen

The only thing about this post I ***might*** disagree with is wetsuit depending on the water temp. It's still pretty early in the year. If water temp is <58(F), I would wear a wetsuit for pretty much any distance. Now if you are comfortable in really cold water, then knock yourself out.

I did Indian Wells in December and the water temp was right at 58*. I chose my shorty wetsuit and it probably took me over 5 minutes before I was acclimated enough in that temp to find a good rhythm. But that might just be me.

_ForceD_

58°F is pretty chilly to swim in without a wetsuit. In the spring and fall (in Rhode Island) I end up doing some of my open water swims in water that is 65° to 70° without a wetsuit…and sometimes wish I’d worn a wetsuit…especially when the sun goes behind a cloud. But that’s for a 2-mile swim. For a 400m (or ¼ mile) swim, at 65°, for just the 7-8 minutes I’d be in the water…I’d tough it out just so that I don’t have to worry about the wetsuit. — Dan

ArgoMan

Thank you everyone, especially Jen! So much great info I would have never thought of. It's funny, but I essentially live in Indian Wells and was always interested when the tri comes to town. The sprint I'll be doing is at some elevation in April with an average water temperature of 55. I can handle that without a wetsuit, but from past experience I know that temps below 55 cool my core radically in about 15 minutes. So, I will be wearing a suit, even for such a short distance. I need to get some sort of bike stand. Any recommendations? Thanks!

VegasJen

I'm glad you found my input helpful! Please post results when you finish. I'm excited to hear about your experience.