I’ve been racing for almost 20 years now and have to say I’ve experienced something for the first time in a 70.3 regarding transition setup this past weekend. I was taught that when you’re assigned a spot in transition the number faces you. Your bike is hung by its saddle and removed from the rack by pulling the bike forward (direction number is facing). Your space for your gear is beside your front tire under the wheel of the bike facing the opposite direction. Makes sense really given if you set up under your rear tire either you have to change into your gear on one side and run around to the other to pull your bike out or you’ve got to pull your bike out backwards and run all your stuff over. At IM Michigan 70.3 this past weekend I was on a rack where most of the rack people set up with gear under their rear tires and the announcer was broadcasting that your spot in transition was under your bike. I approached a ref about it and he acknowledged that beside the front wheel was the norm and that he’d said as much to the announcer but that there wasn’t a rule on it and that it was up to the rack to work things out. Given the really tight racks at IM this seems the type of thing to have some official rule or standard on. Is this actually a thing that people are doing now? Setting gear under their own rear tire? What’s been your experience? If it’s not a thing and you’ve experienced this yourself how have you navigated the situation where those around you have set up this way?
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Re: Transition setup for 70.3 [kansaiben]
[ In reply to ]
I live in Europe but have raced in several countries, including a few times in the USA.
I've found it just varies so much.
Most IM races have the coloured bags system and you can't keep anything next to your bike so that they can squeeze a lot of bikes in transition.
Where and how the bags are stored varies a lot: on railings, on the ground, together, separate, etc.
If the gear is held next to the bike, the most common thing I've seen is next to the bike, drivetrain side. I've seen races enforce this as a rule and call out people who place it on the wrong side.
Occasional races have boxes and then you must keep things inside the box.
In general, the strictest rule enforcement I've seen was at World Triathlon races.
I've never seen asking people to keep gear under the rear wheel: that sounds a bit inconvenient and unintuitive but I have seen races where it was a bit chaotic.
I've found it just varies so much.
Most IM races have the coloured bags system and you can't keep anything next to your bike so that they can squeeze a lot of bikes in transition.
Where and how the bags are stored varies a lot: on railings, on the ground, together, separate, etc.
If the gear is held next to the bike, the most common thing I've seen is next to the bike, drivetrain side. I've seen races enforce this as a rule and call out people who place it on the wrong side.
Occasional races have boxes and then you must keep things inside the box.
In general, the strictest rule enforcement I've seen was at World Triathlon races.
I've never seen asking people to keep gear under the rear wheel: that sounds a bit inconvenient and unintuitive but I have seen races where it was a bit chaotic.
Last edited by:
marcoviappiani: Sep 19, 23 1:46
Re: Transition setup for 70.3
[ In reply to ]
I've been to some races they allow leaving your transition bag under the rear wheel. Think about it. Your car is far away and no sherpa. Where can you store your transition bag and bike pump(if you carry one)? I made the bag as flat as possible and left it under the rear wheel before. It's all about not bothering your neighbors. As long as they are ok and have enough space for their setup, I don't see any problem with it. Just go with the flow, listen to refs and don't bother other people. That's how it should be.
Re: Transition setup for 70.3 [kansaiben]
[ In reply to ]
It definitely does not seem to be standardized. I think I normally approach my bike from the front in T1 and pull it forwards, then rack it facing the opposite direction. So run shoes, etc. are by the front wheel when setting up, back wheel when I rack it.
Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
Re: Transition setup for 70.3 [s13tx]
[ In reply to ]
s13tx wrote:
I've been to some races they allow leaving your transition bag under the rear wheel. Think about it. Your car is far away and no sherpa. Where can you store your transition bag and bike pump(if you carry one)? I made the bag as flat as possible and left it under the rear wheel before. It's all about not bothering your neighbors. As long as they are ok and have enough space for their setup, I don't see any problem with it. Just go with the flow, listen to refs and don't bother other people. That's how it should be.I don't have a problem with that. It just seem interesting that they would ask explicitely to do that.
It also depends a lot on the layout of the transition. If it's one of those with bicycles on both sides of a bar, it would be messier than if the layout is a single side.
Re: Transition setup for 70.3 [marcoviappiani]
[ In reply to ]
Appreciate the multiple perspectives, especially the European take as I've only raced in America and Canada. Full IMs make this simple given the setup where you have gear bags and change tents. Besides the old Clearwater 70.3 championship race I've not been to an Ironman-branded half that didn't have bikes on both sides of the rack, I have done a half in Miami that had single sided racks which makes the setup question a little clearer. Smaller local races where there are no assigned racks are much less organized but I've still always followed the gear up front setup.
In the years since I've started I've really slimmed down the amount of space I need in transition, so typically its also quite easy to be neighborly. On a single sided rack it makes total sense to store extra gear under your rear wheel, but on a double sided rack that space is where someone else is also going to need to store their stuff. My sense is that you've got the full length of your bike to the bar next to your bike and that should also be plenty of room for the bag/pump/gear not readily needed for your race and using it should not impeded anyone else. I've most commonly seen what Marco described as setting up your stuff to the drive-side of your front wheel.
When I arrived race morning this past weekend the athletes racked to the right and left of me had already set their stuff up at my front wheel (their rear wheels) which would've forced me to follow suit. I never saw the athlete to the left of me but the athlete at the right said she had originally set up with her gear up front and was told to move hers and--as she felt wasn't going to be competitive and just out to enjoy her day--she didn't mind moving it to the rear. While I'm not winning races I am trying to be competitive or at least as fast as I possibly can be so I guess my perspective is a little different. I don't want to be setting my stuff up behind my rear wheel and having to navigate an awkward transition as a result unless I'm wrong on this. There's really a domino effect when someone sets up their space in such a way that causes other athletes to follow suit and I feel like having to negotiate this kind of setup race morning is pretty frustrating. I'm really trying to understand if this old dog needs to learn a new trick and that setting up this way (under your rear wheel) is becoming the norm (if there even is one anymore).
In the years since I've started I've really slimmed down the amount of space I need in transition, so typically its also quite easy to be neighborly. On a single sided rack it makes total sense to store extra gear under your rear wheel, but on a double sided rack that space is where someone else is also going to need to store their stuff. My sense is that you've got the full length of your bike to the bar next to your bike and that should also be plenty of room for the bag/pump/gear not readily needed for your race and using it should not impeded anyone else. I've most commonly seen what Marco described as setting up your stuff to the drive-side of your front wheel.
When I arrived race morning this past weekend the athletes racked to the right and left of me had already set their stuff up at my front wheel (their rear wheels) which would've forced me to follow suit. I never saw the athlete to the left of me but the athlete at the right said she had originally set up with her gear up front and was told to move hers and--as she felt wasn't going to be competitive and just out to enjoy her day--she didn't mind moving it to the rear. While I'm not winning races I am trying to be competitive or at least as fast as I possibly can be so I guess my perspective is a little different. I don't want to be setting my stuff up behind my rear wheel and having to navigate an awkward transition as a result unless I'm wrong on this. There's really a domino effect when someone sets up their space in such a way that causes other athletes to follow suit and I feel like having to negotiate this kind of setup race morning is pretty frustrating. I'm really trying to understand if this old dog needs to learn a new trick and that setting up this way (under your rear wheel) is becoming the norm (if there even is one anymore).
You are 100% correct and I don’t care what anyone says. Stuff goes to the non-crank side of your front wheel.
I was at Michigan 70.3 and had to ask people to change their setup (explaining that they would have an easier time removing their bike if pulling it out from the front, not the back). Everyone did and thanked me for teaching them something. Same thing at Steelhead. The problem is that the announcers say under your bike and people misinterpret this. I would say that unless you have too much stuff it fits under your own handlebars (for stuff you need to race) or under your bike (the bag goes under the frame).
I will die on this hill.
Move on. Keep training. Be an adult.
I was at Michigan 70.3 and had to ask people to change their setup (explaining that they would have an easier time removing their bike if pulling it out from the front, not the back). Everyone did and thanked me for teaching them something. Same thing at Steelhead. The problem is that the announcers say under your bike and people misinterpret this. I would say that unless you have too much stuff it fits under your own handlebars (for stuff you need to race) or under your bike (the bag goes under the frame).
I will die on this hill.
Move on. Keep training. Be an adult.