One of the trickiest transitions is getting onto your bike after swimming. This transition is hectic, and it is important to be prepared and aware of your surroundings.
Timing is essential, and the bike holding area is a frantic, often times dangerous place to be. You want to get in and out of this area as quickly as possible to be successful in the race.
The scary part about this area isn't getting hit or knocked over by the other racers, but the fear of forgetting a piece of equipment or having a piece of equipment fail. To avoid these fears prepare for the worst and check your equipment before race time.
For beginners, the chaos of the bike holding area will be a scary place for quite some time, and the only way to cure this is practice. Once you do it several times, you will be more comfortable and better prepared physically and mentally for that crucial part of the sport.
During the race, your bike holds a lot of valuable things that you will need to succeed in the sport. The first thing to ensure though is that your bike is secure on the holding rack.
Same athletes like their front tire in first and others like the back tire in the slot. Which way doesn't matter, what matters is that your bike is firmly in place and won't fall down.
Many racers accidently knock over other people's bikes while trying to get to theirs. If this happens to you, you will be set back not just because you have to pick up the cycle, but you have to find and pick up all of the stuff that was on it.
The next thing to ensure is that you have at least two full bottles on your bicycle. You should have bottle holders on your frame, and the bottles full of liquid should be securely in these holders.
Most athletes choose to have one bottle full of water and another full of an energy fuel like Gatorade. What you put in the second bottle is up to you; just make sure that you have enough liquids to stay hydrated during the entire event.
Your cycle should also hold your helmet and sunglasses. Most athletes place their helmet upside down on their aero bars with the straps laid out and sunglasses on top.
Done have the helmet strap fastened, it will only take you more time to unfasten it and put it on your head. Practice before the race clipping and unclipping the helmet on your head.
The task seems easy, but many races are shaky and are unable to correctly fasten the helmet, slowing them down before riding. Make sure your sunglasses are in a safe place on the cycle so that if it gets knocked over they won't be broken or lost.
If you have a computer on your bicycle that monitors your speed and distance, make sure it is working before the race. Take the front wheel and spin it and make sure the screen responds.
If you wear a heart rate monitor and it is attacked to your handle bars, make sure you can see it during the event. Also ensure that your chains and gears are secure and greased well.
It would be a shame to lose a race because your chain came off. To prevent this make sure your wheels are tightly in place and the chain is in good condition.
Most people don't think to have spares available and with them, but you should pack a spare tube with tire changing tools in the little pack behind your seat. For shorter race the time lost changing the tire may not even be worth it, but you should always be prepared.
A lot of racers also put slave on the nose of their seat to avoid chaffing. This is more for comfort than necessity, but a good preparation nevertheless.
Finally, make sure your bike shoes are clipped into place and ready to go when you get out of the water. This allows for the fastest transition onto the road.
Author Resource:-
Ronald Pedactor is a fitness trainer. He has been coaching athletes for more then 20 years. He recommends the bestfitness bike to achieve your highest biking performance.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 