QUICK BIKE THOUGHTS FOR BEGINNERS

What you will be up against.

By Ron Shea

??? - Why the ?'s  Well to me, biking is OK.  I haven't yet gotten a high out of biking (any ideas?).  In my last 12 weeks of training, I was supposed to do on average two bike work-outs a week.  It is a little difficult working in a squat routine (weight-lifting) with running and biking as your sore for the following two days.  So I only biked once a week.  There are lots of trails around me (the Towpath).  I bought a $100 dollar mountain bike from Wal-Mart.  It worked like a champ...there was a little 'tick' in the gears every once in a while but I got used to that.  I didn't want to make a big investment as I wasn't sure if I was going to like this whole triathlon thing (I do now though). 

If you haven't biked before, a few recommendations:  get a comfortable seat, you will be on it for hours and get handlebars (Aerobars) that won't put pressure on your wrists as my fingertips go numb after an hour without them.  A helmet is a must even though on a hot summer days I usually find myself without it...I should where it more...I have heard some bad stories...  

Get intimate with your bike!   Take it apart. Put it back together then take it apart again.  Carry a few important tools with you on your bike.  In my first triathlon I was running with a man who's bikes' chain came off and he was unable to fix it...he lost about a half hour until other people came and helped him fix it.  KNOW YOUR BIKE!!!

Biking can get expensive and detailed...since you're on your bike the most miles out of all the events, you might want to think about doing a little more in depth research into this area.  But I assure you a mountain bike will do you just fine - they are only heavier and have more rolling resistance.