Triathlon Bike Transitions, Fight or Flight? Part I Running With Your Bike

Transitioning smoothly between the swim, bike, and run segments in a triathlon can save valuable seconds or even minutes. One of the most challenging parts is mounting and dismounting the bike quickly without losing balance or wasting energy. This skill requires practice, technique, and confidence. Improving your transitions can boost your overall race time and reduce stress during the event

Specificity in Training

Silky skills need learning, then refining, then making second nature. A fast transition onto and off bike can literally save a minute, boost your confidence and get a round of applause. This blog is NOT about setting up your transitions but learning how to mount and dismount a bike fast to integrate into your racing took kit. Find a quiet place, maybe a flat grassy area, or tarmac with somewhere soft to fall for later. Preferably a straight bit of road or layby. You can create obstacles with stones, waterbottles of bits of clothing. Wear your helmet and bike gloves, practice is where IF you're going to fall you will, and concussion and grazes is not what you want, however, this is worst case. In 20 years of doing this I've never had an athlete crash

Running with the bike

Get this right: Many athletes, even at Podium ability level, run next to the bike, hand or hands on the most unstable hard-to-hold bit of the bike, middle of the handlebars. Just no. This means you're running next to hard metal things called pedals, just what you need to have hitting your calf before bike and run! You are steering the bike to avoid obstacles and athletes using the most sensitive-to-movement part of the bike where relatively small inputs produce big reactions, including the rear of the bike sliding around to overtake you / side swipe other things and people. You cannot run at speed whilst in close proximity to a carbon / metal frame at hip height next to you, and you generally look down the first time you need to make a change in direction - disaster. Learn to use the bikes centre of gravity. By using two fingers under the rear of the saddle and thumb on top you can hold the bike vertical effortlessly. This works less well with a fully loaded tri bike whose tri bars protrude in front of the base bars as it means the bike is longer and responds less predictably until you are confident. Start with your road bike without any water bottles fore of the handlebars Moving the bike surely and quickly requires a smooth, practiced motion. Follow these steps:

1. Be confident. Just see how little input the bike needs to remain vertical, tip slightly left and right, this is how you will steer the bike when running with it. Small inputs so the wheels don't make big movements and cause loss of control of the bike

2. Start to walk, slightly flexed arm bike in front of you ensuring it's not rigid so you can feel and provide inputs. Just play with slight tilts left and right to change direction slightly, remember when the bike is moving fast and you are running the bike will be a LOT more stable. The bike should be just to one side of you with your forward leg behind the rear wheel or just overlapping

3. Always look ahead, not down. A bike goes where you look and if you attention is directly in front of you then you can't anticipate properly

4. Go a little faster and add speed gradually over the next few 20m attempts noticing how little input the bike needs from a tilt perspective to move left and right. Find the limits of the movements

5. Finally practice moving around your obstacles twigs, markers, pot holes smoothly getting slightly faster

6. Make this way of moving with your bike a habit, even when out with the club

7. Give yourself a pat on the back for mastering a key Triathlon skill!

Consistent practice of handling your bike like this will make your transitions feel natural and reduce anxiety during races even if you don't use a flying mount and dismount Even the pros get it wrong, watch how one top female runs with her bike here

after the shock of messing up her approach. She reverts to her natural default. See also the difference and improvement the male triathlete has when he gets his bike under control, (after it hits him in the calf) and moves to running with the bike in front of him holding the saddle.

Triathlete mounting bike after existing transition

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not practicing enough. If this becomes a habit then it's one less thing to worry about

• Confidence Pick a race, decide to do it, and....do it. If you don't do it in races and only practice training sessions what's the point

  
  

You got this. Look out for the next blog talking you through a flying mount