This is how to ride an echelon. Credit: Cycling Tips
Does a triathlete need a road bike? Well, of course not! You don’t “need” anything more than a bicycle to be a triathlete. If you are wanting to really improve your triathlon times, however, a good road bicycle is quite important. Taking the often used phrase I learned from an automobile racer, “The best you can get is barely adequate”, I think you need a road bike.
The reasons for having a good road bike in addition to a tri bike are to allow you to get really fast, ride in a straight line, develop technique that helps you learn terrain changes and thus gear selection and the main thing is, to be able to use group rides to help push you out of your comfort zone so you can really improve. The logic is simple. If you swim with the fast swimmers and run with the fast runners, it doesn’t make sense to “just ride” your tri bike. Interval training should be done on the tri bike but the one thing that is not reproduceable in training alone is the extra effort needed to keep from getting dropped when you ride with good cyclists.
That said, a tri bike is potentially a dangerous weapon in an echelon and you should really avoid riding a tri bike in group rides if possible. If you must use your tri bike, never, never get into the aerobars unless you are at the front of the pack and have the skills to ride very well indeed. It can endanger others and yourself.
A friend showed me a great article on the blog, Cycling Tips regarding the proper way to ride an echelon and other group riding techniques. Look at the way riders are close to each other and how they move relative to each other.
Don’t fall for the line, “I am a triathlete and can’t draft in a race. Therefore I never ride in a group because I don’t need to learn how to draft.” You do need to learn how to ride in a group and you very much need to learn how to ride smoothly and in a straight line. This will help your triathlon times and when you do find yourself on the tri bike and wind up in a group, you will know what to do to be a positive part of the pack and not a danger.
Thanks for reading and I am most interested in your comments.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m very interested in this. I train for the most part on my own on my tri bike, but I’ve been contemplating getting back on a road bike again. You said in your post that riding a road bike in groups helps you to “learn how to ride smoothly and in a straight line.” Is that it? Is there more to it? Are there more benefits that I’m missing? And, as a keener, I’m kind of curious to know more about the “How?” — I looked at those group riding techniques, but I’m not sure how they make me better, other than knowing how to ride in a group.
Great article! I am an about-to-be triathlete and while I will be competing on my road bike, I very well understand that there will be many on their hybrids and mountain bikes. We all cannot and will not be pros so hence it is perfectly fine for any bike to be used as you have said. Totally agree with the handlebars too. Great insight!
Thanks for commenting! Just start with a bike and learn the ropes. Triathlon is a very inclusive sport and you will get great support from folks. Be forewarned that you may find this a sport that you want to improve, so getting a better bike will result in a better time. For now, though, just jump on in, the water’s fine!
Thanks for the great comment, Derek. There is something about a pack of riders dropping you that will make you dig very, very deep to catch back up. This is not able to be duplicated when riding alone. Remember, unlike running or swimming, you can go anaerobic on the uphill sections, particularly in the shorter races, so having the feel for the road, being comfortable going fast and smooth and using your gears more effectively while in a group will transfer over to the tri bike and improve your results. Please feel free to contact me directly with all your questions. I bet you have more! Thanks again.
This might be an impossible question to answer but thought I’d throw it out there anyways – if the ride leg was relatively straight and around 20km, what would be the rough time differences between one using aero-bars and without them? Would it be much? My thoughts are not much time difference but maybe the bigger difference would be the comfortable factor and therefore a better feeling jumping off the bike into the run. I could be way off the mark here. Cheers.
I really appreciate your comment and put the answer in the BikeTech section of our latest ezine which is here on the blog. Thanks!
Thanks for the response, Kevin. I can see how being dropped would get me into gear and back with the pack, and that feeling of angst and need to dig deep would be very useful on race day. I’m not sure I want to admit it, but I think I need a new road bike
This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work.
Thanks so much for the kind comment. We hope you continue to find cool things here.