It's All About The Bike

First, the obligatory Basta update (OBU?): He (we) did the Tour de Palm Springs on Valentine's Day (aw) and it was his first Century. He finished in 5 hours, 47 minutes for an average pace of 17.5 mph (28 kph). We're both pleased with that. Much as I believe he can average above 20mph like other guys in his age group, I now know that it will take another year or two for him to get there. Speed on the bike just doesn't build that quickly. He's gone from 15mph average last year to 17.5 now. Maybe he'll see 20mph next year. Or he'll be closer to it, anyway. He's doing well.

He finished strong and was still bursting with energy. He came back to the hotel, dropped off the bike and put on his running shoes, then did a half hour brick. He said that felt fine. So all is well with his training.

Now on to me (me, me, me). Triathlon is all about the bike, as we all know. Santa gave me a nice chunk of change for Christmas and when I saw that check my first thought was, 'oooo, tri-bike.' I started shopping in earnest, trying to find the right tri-bike for me. But something was holding me back. A little voice in the back of my head saying, 'buying a tri-bike right now is a waste of money . . .' Well I've heard that little voice give me sound advice enough times over the years that I try to listen to it. What would a tri-bike actually do for me?

I know what a tri-bike does for most people. My much-read post on the topic explains all that and I still believe it to be true. The question is what will a tri-bike do for ME. Me, me, me. That niggling little voice in my head kept saying, 'nothing. '

And then I found out why. This article here explained to me what I was feeling. Tri-Road-or-Tweener

Key points in that article:
1. If you're slow, a tri-bike won't help you. You'll probably be slower on it. You need the riding skills first, then the tri-bike. A fast rider will be faster on a tri-bike, a slow rider will be slower.
2. If you're not going to ride aero at least 90% of the time, you won't benefit from a tri-bike
    a. You're not going to ride aero much if your belly gets in the way of your legs in the aero position.
3. If you're fat, you'll be a lot more uncomfortable on a tri-bike. That's because the tri-bike shifts your weight forward and you'll be sitting on your tender lady bits instead of that big fat cushy butt. If you're slow to boot, that just means that much more pressure on the lady bits.

Well, as I've mentioned here before, I'm slow. Not just slower than you, but really truly slow. I'm working on that, but I know it will take time and dedication. I'm not there yet.

And then, I have some weight to lose. I stated just last week that I'm not particularly fat, and I'm not, but I'm not triathlete taut either. I could lose 20 pounds. I'd really like to lose 20 pounds. I've worked very hard to lose 20 pounds but they stubbornly refuse to budge. My belly plus my general hip stiffness makes riding aero difficult for me. If I can't ride aero most of the time, I will be slower on a tri-bike.

Plus there's that simple power to weight ratio. I can spend thousands of dollars on a tri bike that weighs ounces less than my road bike. Or I can lose ounces off my body and accomplish the same weight to power improvement at no cost. I really need to lose these 20 pounds if I ever hope to get faster on the bike. I'm working on it. As always.

Finally, I just need more time in the saddle. More leg strength, more pedal efficiency, more speed. I need to get faster on the road bike before I can hope to see benefit from a tri-bike.

So I'm not going to buy a tri bike this year. Maybe next. Maybe cable-less shifters will be all the rage then. That'll be fun. So what should I spend Santa's money on now?

Once I decided not to buy a tri-bike I knew I needed to plunk some money into my road bike. I wanted help on the hills, so I bought more gears. Which required a new chain, too.

And I bought clip-on aero bars. No, I don't think I turned my road bike into a tri-bike by doing that. I will not see any improvement in my running from these clip-ons. I still push and pull down and up on the pedals, not back. So why put them on?

Well, to make me ride more aero. In every picture I see of me on the bike I am really upright. I look like I'm riding a beach cruiser. My bike doesn't feel like it fits quite properly, but the more I look at it the more I think the fit is fine, it's just me that's not riding it right. I'm supposed to be laid out a bit forward when I ride, and I'm not. I'm stiff. I'm too upright.

Then there's the simple rest factor. My shoulders, arms, wrists, all get sore when I'm riding. With the aero bars, I can rest my arms in the pads and hold my upper body up with my humerus bones. Then all that hurts is the neck from holding the head in aero position, and that more than makes up for any discomfort I felt before. I trust that will improve with practice. Right now I'm riding up until sore, then aero until sore, then up, then aero, etc.

Riding aero is really interesting. It's fun. I makes me feel really technical, and that makes me pay more attention to my pedal stroke and cadence. That results in me riding somewhat faster. The weight on the arm pads makes the bike squirrely as hell, too. It really teaches you how slight changes in your weight affect the direction of the bike. It magnifies any upper-body movement, too, so I think it will make me a 'stiller' and more efficient rider. All in all I think the aero bars added to a road bike offer far more advantage than I imagined.

They still don't turn a road bike into a tri bike, though. That's a whole different story.

So I did the Tour de Palm Springs 55 mile (88k) course this past Valentines Day (aw). The aero bars were attached and I used them at times during that ride. The wind for the first 10 miles was utterly brutal but I think the tailwind later on made up for a lot of that. I did 55 miles in 4 hours 15 minutes, which is 13.1 mph (12.8 kpm). That's just riding time and doesn't include 3 sag stops where I had rest, some sustenance, and a visit to the porta-potty. I felt strong at the end and like I could ride at least another strong 10. This is good.

My goal for Oceanside is a 4-hour ride, so I am not there yet but I am close. The Oceanside course is harder (hillier) than Palm Springs. It won't have sag stops. I will have swum beforehand so I will be wet and cold for much of it. But still. I did the distance this past weekend and I am in the ballpark of my time goal. I'm pleased.