TotalSports Xterra

[MTBiker]

Im doing the Xterra light for the first time. Was just wondering how the transitions work, and do most of you just do the swim and run in cycling shorts. also any other advice for a newcomer

[Grondpad]

Im doing the Xterra light for the first time. Was just wondering how the transitions work, and do most of you just do the swim and run in cycling shorts. also any other advice for a newcomer

 

First, get yourself a pair of Tri shorts. They are worth the moola. Its like a cycling short but with a very small chamois. Regular cycling shorts are really a bad idea to run it. Nasty chaffing.

 

Then the transitions:

Practice it at home. Set up your bike so that you can chuck on a shirt (if you do not swim in a tri suite or top), then your helmet, socks and shoes. Be sure to lay out a towel out to wipe your feet if you are going to put socks on. There will be grass or something on your feet. Then out where it says 'Bike Out' or to where you are directed. You can only mount after a certain point. Usually from below the bike out banner. Then when you are coming back from the bike, be sure to dismount before going into the transition. Once again, there should be a board that says 'Bike In'. Off with the cycling shoes and then the helmet, on with the running shoes. Out where it says 'Run Out' or where directed. On to victory!! I am not 100% sure if it says Bike out/in at Xterra but I know it does for the Sasol series. I think at Xterra we were just directed by marshals

Edited February 22, 2012 by Grondpad

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I'm doing the lite version. IMHO, 10km on a bike isn't enough to warrant cycling shorts, so I'm swimming, cycling and running in my normal MAXED training shorts. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

For the transitions, you get to place your running & cycling kit in a single area. I'm going for the same socks on my running & cycling legs, and not worrying how much time I spend in the t-zone. It's just for fun...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

First, get yourself a pair of Tri shorts. They are worth the moola. Its like a cycling short but with a very small chamois. Regular cycling shorts are really a bad idea to run it. Nasty chaffing.

 

Then the transitions:

Practice it at home. Set up your bike so that you can chuck on a shirt (if you do not swim in a tri suite or top), then your helmet, socks and shoes. Be sure to lay out a towel out to wipe your feet if you are going to put socks on. There will be grass or something on your feet. Then out where it says 'Bike Out' or to where you are directed. You can only mount after a certain point. Usually from below the bike out banner. Then when you are coming back from the bike, be sure to dismount before going into the transition. Once again, there should be a board that says 'Bike In'. Off with the cycling shoes and then the helmet, on with the running shoes. Out where it says 'Run Out' or where directed. On to victory!! I am not 100% sure if it says Bike out/in at Xterra but I know it does for the Sasol series. I think at Xterra we were just directed by marshals

 

 

It does say Bike Out / Bike In / Run In / Run Out. For fun, I wouldn't even get a tri-suit. Worthless unless you're going to get into it fully. For your first time, see how it goes and just. have. fun.

[milky4130]

How long is the swim?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

a paltry 400m for the LITE version. 800m for the full.

 

Lite is 400 swim/10bike/5k run

 

Full is 800/20k/10k

 

for the full, I'd want some sort of spandex short for the cycle. The rest, meh.

[Mojoman]

I did my first one in cycling shorts and cycling shirt. Doing the SASOL one next month at buffels in cycling gear again. Tri shorts would be nice but cheapest ones I have seen are around R800 or so.

[Grondpad]

I did my first one in cycling shorts and cycling shirt. Doing the SASOL one next month at buffels in cycling gear again. Tri shorts would be nice but cheapest ones I have seen are around R800 or so.

 

Jip most of them are expensive. I did see some cheap NB Tri shorts this weekend at the NB store for about R560 and I remember that I paid R350 for my TYR shorts about a year ago. But those 2XU and Orca can get reaaaaallly expensive.

[Robrider]

For the lite I also wouldn't buy tri shorts. The cycle is so short you can do it in ski pants (or what ever they call cycling shorts with no shammy).

 

Also remember, you must secure your helmet before picking up your bike. You then have to cross over the mounting line (by "bike out") before you get on. Like wise on the way back in, you have to dismount before the dismount line, run to your spot and rack your bike before taking off your helmet.

[hayleyearth]

Im also not using a cycle short - distance is way to short.

 

Still stressed about the swim though! Swimming around everybody (as I have a fobia of people touching me while I am in the water) is making the distance 600m+ and 400m was already way more than I can handle but keen for the cycle and run!

[Mojoman]

Im also not using a cycle short - distance is way to short.

 

Still stressed about the swim though! Swimming around everybody (as I have a fobia of people touching me while I am in the water) is making the distance 600m+ and 400m was already way more than I can handle but keen for the cycle and run!

I wouldn't stress too much. I have never swam in a dam in my life till I did the Buffelspoort Xterra, was a bit yucky gettting into the water on the slimy rocks and then while swimming there was some funny green stuff floating around and getting caught up on me! As it was our first one we started riiiiggggghhhht at the back, it was quiet, and I did not get kicked or punched or anything. I must say though swimming the distance in a clean blue pool and doing the distance in a murky country dam are very different!

[Beer4Recovery]

Are there any similar events in the Gauteng and surrounding areas in the upcoming months?

[Mojoman]

Are there any similar events in the Gauteng and surrounding areas in the upcoming months?

Some info here:

http://www.cyclelab.com/OnLine%20Entries.aspx?type=Triathlon and Duathlon Events

[Shebeen]

don't need to go too wild on the equipment, you can run in bike chamois no probs for that distance. can recommend the TYR shorts for bang for buck once you're a bit more serious, just be careful on the length as mine are a bit short and i have a lekker band on my cycling tan peeping out.

 

the hardest thing i ever had to do at an xterra was get my bike out of transition after finishing. triathlon people have more inflexible rulers than CNA at the start of their back to school promotions. The crony on his power trip told me to wait thirty minutes till transition was closed, we were the only two people in it and it remained that way for the next five minutes as no more finishers came in to start their run.

 

i eventually told him to get lost and left with my bike, i think he wrote my name down on his naughty naughty list.

don't take their k@k! they might think it makes sense, but it's not a way to grow the sport.

[Warrior]

a paltry 400m for the LITE version. 800m 1.5km for the full.

 

Lite is 400 swim/10bike/5k run

 

Full is 800/20k/10k Full 1.5km/25km/10km

 

for the full, I'd want some sort of spandex short for the cycle. The rest, meh.

[Swim.Bike.Run]

I did my first one in cycling shorts and cycling shirt. Doing the SASOL one next month at buffels in cycling gear again. Tri shorts would be nice but cheapest ones I have seen are around R800 or so.

 

Woodmead Value Mart has a New Balance shop that sells tri shorts for R400. Great value for money! I have a pair and it rocks.