Why the Best Triathlon Bike is so Critical
Triathlons are three-event races that begin with swimming, moving to biking, and followed up with running. Some triathlons are geared more toward the intermediate athlete, people who love competing but have not yet reached the highest level of performance while other triathlons are for top athletes as in the case of the Olympics. Regardless of the level of race, one of the key pieces of equipment that could be the difference between winning and losing is the triathlon bike.
The exact type of triathlon bike would depend largely on the triathlon itself, as well as the rider’s experience and type of triathlon. Triathlons are broken down into four formats to include Sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman, and Ironman. The Sprint triathlon is comprised of swimming between 400 and 825 yards, 10 to 12 miles of biking, and then three miles of swimming. For the Olympic format, distances for all three phases are double from the Sprint format. Next is the half-ironman, which is made up of .9 miles of swimming, 24.9 miles of biking, and 6.2 miles of running. Finally, the full ironman is the toughest of all, comprised of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and running 13.1 miles.
Although each triathlon format is unique, they all require proper suits for the water, shoes for running, and the most important piece of equipment, the triathlon bike. As you can imagine, people competing in the half-ironman and ironman need the best triathlon bike they can get. At this level, competition is intense and these athletes invest a tremendous amount of time training, as well as money in buying a top quality triathlon bike.
Even in a Sprint or Olympic format, riders will usually have a triathlon bike. At this point, these individuals have been competing for some time, slowly working their way to the top format. Initially, people will often use a road or other type of racing bike but once any of these four levels are reached, competition is not a game. Sure, buying a brand new or custom made triathlon bike would be the ultimate choice, but excellent brands can be found through other racers who have upgraded and selling an older bike or even through discount bike shops.
