Getting Geared Up

The day before I raced at Rev3 Quassy (back in June), I emailed my coach Vince frantically asking him if I should use race wheels and an aero helmet. John wasn’t racing, and I had the opportunity to use his fancy, fast-boy gear.

His response was classic, “Hmmm. Let me see. You are asking me if you should try two new things on race day?”

Riiiggghhtttt…

If one of my athletes had asked me the same question, I would have responded EXACTLY the same way.

But, I was sucked in for a moment by the belief that in order to do well, I HAD to have the fancy gear. I know I’m not the only one.

Just take a moment to peruse the forums on SlowTwitch, or another similar triathlon forum. There will be athletes discussing the myriad ways that various types of gear will earn you 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 5 minutes and on and on. There is even one discussion thread examining which sunglasses are the most aero.

Before everyone gets upset about this, I’m NOT dissing gear. There are many technologies that make us faster without having to give more effort, such as the wetsuit, aero-equipment for the bike, lighter sneakers, and so on. I don’t deny this.

My point is simply this: this gear does not make us better athletes. To do that, we have to do the hard work that gains us fitness, improves our limiters, and makes us stronger.

For example, prior to this year, I did not necessarily have excellent cycling fitness or technique. At the beginning of the season, I had the option to purchase a power meter or a tri-bike. I opted for the power meter because I realized it is a tool that would teach me how to become a better cyclist. With the help of Vince’s expert analysis of my data files, we identified what was a rather unsteady riding style – with lots of spikes in effort, without much pay off.  We identified the most efficient cadence range for me. We determined what my edge would be for racing at different distances.

If I had bought the tri-bike, instead of the power meter, I’d still be the same crappy cyclist, but now I’d be riding a tri-bike. That might have translated into some improvement in my bike split, but not the nearly 40-minute improvement I found working it the good, old-fashioned way: hard work and discipline.

Simply put: to get the most from our gear, we need to have solid fitness, proper form, and biomechanical efficiency.

That being said, as we become better, more fit athletes, it comes time to start talking about the fancy gear. I remember last year, before John raced at the 2011 Ironman Cozumel, we discussed the fact that it was time for him to make an investment in a tri-bike. His fitness was solid, and he was sooooo close to qualifying. A tri-bike would help make the difference between getting a slot and not getting a slot.

For 2013, it’s my turn. If I continue to compete on a road bike, I will give up “free” speed to the women winning my division, who are on sleek, aero tri-bikes, with wind-cutting, light aero wheels, and slippery aero helmets.

I gotta get geared up too.

If you can’t beat ’em, buy something…

I’ve been racing for the past 3 years on a Trek Madone road bike–my BFF, or B(i)FF(y) the Hill Slayer. For the past 3 years, she’s been my best friend. But, it seems clear that if I hope to tuck under the 6-hour mark on the bike, I’ll need some help from a new tri-bike friend.

Enter: the super nice folks at Quintana Roo and Cycles BiKyle.

I spoke with a representative at Quintana Roo about what I hoped to accomplish and how a Quintana Roo bike will help me do that. I explained that I was planning on going from “zero to hero” and I wanted to do that on a Quintana Roo. So, he directed me to meet with Kyle of Cycles BiKyle to see what type of QR bike would be a good match for me.

My primary concern with getting a tri-bike is the fact that I’m short (more specifically, I have short legs and a comparatively long torso), and many of the smaller frames pop down to 650c wheels. I don’t want 650c wheels, as that will require a re-do of other gear, most price-ily, my power meter and race wheels. It also creates a convenience issue since all of John’s stuff is 700c. We wouldn’t be able to share tubes, tires, or wheels.

The beauty of the QR bikes is that their smaller frames still have the 700 wheels. This, along with the many positive reviews about QR bikes, made my selection obvious.

So, last week, I ventured to Bryn Mawr, PA to meet with Kyle, a friendly guy who clearly enjoys working with people. Despite the fact that I was 20 minutes late because I took the wrong route to get to the shop, Kyle was gracious and had no problem meeting with me.

He took some measurements, asked me about my goals, clarified what my preferences might be for wheels, for the saddle, for shifting, and so on. The shop had a comfortable atmosphere, and the staff was friendly.

So, here’s what’s being shipped. Just. For. Me.

Hello, my pretty! I haven’t decided on her name just yet. I need to meet her in person first.

My very own rocket ship: a Quintana Roo CD0.1.

Now, I have no delusions that the new gear will magically help me cross the finish line of IMLP 2013 in 10:30. I still have lots of work to do. I’m not afraid of hard work. Indeed, it’s already started. After all, forty-five fewer minutes on the bike won’t disappear magically on their own.

But, I don’t mind taking on a little help from my new flashy friend, here.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What’s your must-have gear? 

Comments are closed.