T1...Shoes Already Attached?

Search around on youtube. There are lots of videos showing the technique, and you will see that it can be a real time saver.

Next try it out. I haven't bothered yet, but have seen many people fall, wasting all the time they saved and looking bad doing it. If it works for you, just practice it a bunch.

Also, some races do not allow it. They are worried that someone will fall trying and make a big mess. 

I attempted it once - in my first race ever, without practicing it.   It didn't end well at all, lol!

If you search YouTube for "Womens Hyde Park" and you'll see how quickly it goes wrong even for the Pro's.

These days I just run in my SPD's and jump onto the bike on the move, and I doubt that I lose even one second this way.  Doing it pre-clipped looks very "Pro" and all that, but the benefit is quite small.

Some day I'll get around to practicing it, but it just isn't very high on my priority list and I have yet to have a case where that fraction of a second saved meant anything in the standings for me.

Just for your future reference, most Ironman races (even some/most of their 70.3s) do not allow this.

"My question: What's easier? "

1. For me, "easier" is putting my shoes on an then running the bike out to the mount sign.  

2. Also important to me is that I have very tender feet and I can't run near as fast bare footed.

3. I'd like to look more like a PRO, but at 62 I'd have to loose 30yr to "look like a PRO".  :-) 

in a sprint, seconds count. if you're trying to podium, then clip them in and learn a flying mount. i have a rear bottle carrier so that makes things a bit more tricky. i use the put your left foot on top of the left shoe and then swing the right leg over as opposed to the hop method.

just make sure you practice before hand. find some level grass and give it a whirl until you have it down pat.

same goes for t2. learn how to get out of your shoes before the dismount line and run barefoot thru t2.

one other note, i use rubber bands to keep my shoes in place so that they dont drag or cause the bike to stop if they were to hit the ground.

the rubber bands also keep the shoes in position for me to easily put my feet on top to mount.

To reiterate other posters, whatever you do in a race, practice it first.

I started using the walking/standing mount option; shoes pre-clipped and rubber-banded, pedal cranks set to 9 and 3 o'clock, then step on the forward pedal, to get the bike going, then throw the other leg over.

Note; to do this, you should probably have tri-specific shoes.  They are easier to get on/off, and typically have a single strap so you can open/close the strap with one hand.  This will not end well if the shoes have laces or need two hands to get on/off/secure.

I practiced this a few times over the winter, before trainer rides in the basement.  One thing I didn't think of then, was that wet feet don't slide into shoes as easy as dry feet.  First race was in the spring, was kind of cool outside, and my feet were still wet.  It was a lot more work than on the trainer.  But doing it on the trainer still helps.

Specialized came out with a new shoe last year, with a flip-down heel cup.  Pretty cool, but costs as much or more than some bikes in a race.

Specialized TriVent Shoes

It depends upon how you normally mount the bike.

If you normally walk/jog to the mount line, then stop and climb on and stand there while you clip the first foot in, then the savings is rather significant. Many seconds, quite easily.

If you run with the bike and jump up onto it while on the run and clip in on-the-go, then the savings is quite minimal.  The flying mounter will save some time by not putting on the shoes in T1 before running with the bike, but the person running with shoes already on won't stop peddling a couple of times while they work each foot into their shoes.  In both cases, if your bike shoes are tri shoes, they go on extremely quickly.

i spent a few rest days last summer doing nothing but practicing mounts and dismounts into transition.  i ended up decided that for me, putting the shoes on in T1 and running out with them worked better.  i didn't really save anytime with them already clipped in after i had to slip my feet in and make sure my straps were tightened correctly.  

now dismounting with them still attached is essential to a good T2 time IMO.

Exactly how many seconds do you spend in transition putting your shoes on?  If you eliminate this, it's the maximum amount of time you can save.  

x2 on practicing it over and over if you decide to do it.

I think part of the decision is also how comfortable you are on the bike.  Do you have good balance anyway, as an athlete?  Did you grow up doing stunts on bikes?  Some people are just more comfortable hanging off the side of a bike, jumping on, etc.

I do it on a road bike and find it to be pretty easy.  Like a lot of the posters, I learned it off a few YouTube videos.  I practice a half-dozen times usually a day or two before a race to freshen up on the skill.

This one seems fairly straight forward:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI7b6OhL7q0

I'm not sure whether it would be harder or easier on a tribike.

I've seen a method where the athlete simply steps on a shoe/pedal and isn't actually leaping over a seat.  This seems safer and provides more stability.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M_oERl4dcQ

However, the way I set my pedals up with rubber bands, I would be mounting on the right side which isn't my natural side for mounting.  So I'll stick to the former way, myself.

Let us know how it goes!

Enough to make the difference in winning a race at an ITU event.

It's easy...it just takes some practice.

Over rated!

It depends what event you are racing and what distance.  I watch races in which 1st-20th place are decided by less than 90 seconds.  Go ahead and take some time to put your shoes on and run with them through transition.  

For the most part you are right....but it's another tool (sometimes clearly needed)...you either have it or your don't.

FWIW I raced my first season in regular cycling shoes, putting them on at my transition area.  I got a used pair of tri shoes this season (hopefully the previous owner didn't pee on the bike.)

For me it's less about a "flying mount" and more about being able to move through transition quickly.  Sitting down in T1 to put on shoes (or standing up and doing a little dance while you put them on) takes time.  Running/shuffling in cleats takes time.

I do the L foot on L pedal, then swing over method.  It's not much slower than flying onto your seat.

As stated before, if you don't have tri-specific shoes, your straps will very likely get caught in your chainring/crank arms since they hinge on the inside.  Tri shoes typically have a single velcro strap that anchors on the outside and closes to the inside.  That way you can jump on the bike and pedal up to speed with the straps dangling outwards and away from the chain.

Yep, just as effective as the flying mount.....the idea is to not have to run in your bike shoes and not have to stand still to put them on.  Typically, you get up to speed with your feet on top of your shoes and then strap in......it's simple.

Its all about whats faster for you.  When I go for my rides, I do the flying mount 3/4 of the time and see how my time compares down my 1/3 mile road until I hit the main riding road.  I set up a transition area and time from that point to the end of the road.  Sometimes I'm faster w/ the mount, sometimes Im not - but when Im not, there a good chance I will be off by a lot.  So for me, on average, I am faster taking the time to put my shoes on in T1 because it allows to get up to top speed faster past the mount line.

However, I am always faster leaving my shoes in for the dismount and running barefoot to T2 so thats what I do.