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One way to gain time in
Transition, and to look good into the bargain, is to mount the bike
the way that the Pros do, with your bike shoes already attached.
The method below is what I
have evolved for my own use—you may need to adapt it to suit
yourself. It seems long winded, but that’s just because I have
broken the skill down into detail
A) Equipment needed
·
Triathlon-specific cycling shoes,
with one Velcro strap and a tab on the heel. When you’re buying
them, check in the shop that Step 17 below works smoothly. You can
use ordinary cycling shoes but it’s more awkward
·
Rubber bands, thin, approx 7cm
round. Wilkinson have packets for 19p that work well
B) Setting up in
Transition
First of all, reconnoitre
the first 100m of so of the bike course, so that you are
psychologically prepared. For example, this method is more tricky to
use when there is a hill directly out of Transition.
Move your pedal crankshafts
so that they are parallel to the ground, with the left pedal facing
forward.
For both shoes, undo the
velcro strap, and re-fold it just part way across the shoe, lightly
attaching it to the shoe. This is to keep it from snagging any
mechanisms once you have mounted
Thread a rubber band
through the tab on the heel of the Right shoe, and turn it back
through itself so that it is attached to the shoe, and has a loop
pointing towards the bike. (Take spare rubber bands as they are
bound to break)
Clip the Right shoe to the
pedal
Stretch the loop of the
rubber band and loop it over an appropriate part of the bike, such
that it holds the shoe as nearly horizontal as it can. I loop it
over the derailleur cable, but wherever you use, make sure it wont
snag on any moving parts
Likewise attach a rubber
band to the Left shoe, but then loop the band over the pedal and
down the crankshaft. Its advisable to push the rubber band all the
way down the heel tab, otherwise I find it snags when inserting your
foot.
Then clip the Left shoe to
the pedal. You may need to hold the Right shoe steady while you do
this.
C) Mounting the Bike
Approaching the Mount Line,
put both hands on the handlebars
Once past the Mount Line,
if you are agile and athletic, you can leap on in one go. I take the
more sedate option of hoisting myself onto the saddle, without, at
this stage, touching the pedals. Whichever method you use, try to
generate some forward momentum, which I do by scooting my left foot
on the ground. And land on your saddle with the inside of the thigh,
not your soft undercarriage !
Now, this is important. Try
to put both legs on top of your shoes at the same time, otherwise
you will have one pedal swinging round with a shoe dangling
potentially dangerously from the end
Try also to get your heel
pushed back against the heel of the shoe
Start pedalling, with your
feet still on top of your shoes, and get some decent speed up.The
rubber bands should snap automatically
D) Inserting your Feet
Once you’re into your
stride, you can start thinking about inserting your feet into your
shoes. There’s no hurry, and its easier to do at a reasonable speed
Stop pedalling when your
right leg is at its highest point
This is important as well—without
looking down, hold onto the heel tab
Lift your foot, and wriggle
your toes into the shoe. If it doesn’t work cleanly first time,
don’t panic, take your foot out and try again
Let go of the heel tab and
pull the Velcro fastener tight
Pedal some more to re-gain
momentum
Repeat for Left foot
E) Dismounting
This is largely the reverse
of Mounting
Undo the Velcro of your
Left shoe, and partially do it up again (as per Step 3)
Hold onto the heel tab
Extract your foot from the
shoe and put it on top of the shoe
Pedal some more if needed
Repeat for Right foot
Near the Mount Line, swing
your Right leg across the saddle and hold it behind your left leg,
obviously standing up on the Left leg to do so
Just before the Mount Line,
jump onto the ground and start sprinting towards your racking
position
F) Practice, and What
Can go Wrong
They say that amateurs
practice until they get something right, whereas professionals do it
until it can’t go wrong.
We must warn you that this technique, whilst it can gain you time,
also has the potential to go horribly wrong, as hinted above. So
please, before using it in a Race, practice intensively in a Car
Park, or sitting down (Step 17), or if you have a Turbo, that’s
ideal. Please wear a helmet while doing so (let you off wearing one
indoors).
If you are going to Race in
gloves, practice wearing them too
Supplied Courtesy of Derby Tri Club
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